Civil war is a name in which mutually confronted sides belong roughly the same culture, society or political community. About causes of civil wars, there are various theories. Even though it can be said that civil wars have the same causes as wars in general, it can be noted that they seldom have an explicit economical motives. Fight for power, ethnical or national problems, are main reasons that lead to them.
Roughly speaking, civil wars throughout history often had the following forms: dynasty conflicts, that is, conflicts among various tribal families, religious wars, that are the consequence of trying to impose to a certain society of a state or prohibit it them certain religion; ideology wars, caused by ideological contradictions among various social groups or secessionist, who are created as a consequence of trying to forcefully separate certain parts of the state. There is almost no continent where was no civil wars and the consequences are everywhere: ruined cities, civil casualties, expulsion of population, refugees…. Look at 10 bloodiest civil wars that have changed history forever.
10TAIPING REBELLION 1850 – 1864
Led by the self-proclaimed brother of Jesus, this uprising caused 15 million deaths and destroyed 600 cities. Almost every citizen of Taiping was conscripted.
09LEBANESE CIVIL WAR 1975 – 1990
150.000 people fled the country, dead between 600.000 and 900.000. Before its destruction, Beirut had been known as the Paris of the Middle East.
08MOZAMBICAN CIVIL WAR 1977 – 1992
Tree million people fled and over 600.000 died when war erupted following independence from Portugal. Opposition forces still threaten to take up arms.
07ENGLISH CIVIL WAR 1642 – 1651
Three civil wars fought between royalists and parliamentarians over the right to a parliament. It ultimately led to the execution of Charles I and 868.000 dead.
06SECOND SUDANESE CIVIL WAR 1983 – 2005
The Sudan people´s liberation movement rose up against the Sudanese government. Caused at least 1.5 million deaths and displaced 4 million people.
05CHINESE CIVIL WAR 1927 – 1950
Chinese civil war was ideological war between nationalist and party and people´s liberation army, led by Mao Zedong. There were 1.200.000 military casualties between 1946 and 1949 alone.
04SPANISH CIVIL WAR 1936 – 1939
The republican government, aided by 60.000 foreigners, fought a fascist uprising. 500.000 people died, the republicans lost and Franco established a 36 year dictatorship.
03AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 1861 – 1865
American civil war was war over the abolishment of slavery, with the number of dead around 750.000. The death toll is the highest of any war fought by America.
02RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR 1917 – 1923
This civil war was battle between the Bolsheviks and the anti-communist white guard, resulting in nine million dead. The Russian civil war created the USSR and thrust Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky into power.
01AN LUSHAN REBELLION 755 – 763
An Lushan declared himself emperor of Northern China and the ensuing war killed up to 36 million. An Lushan was killed by his son, who in turn was killed by his childhood friend.
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