A Systemist Examination of Civil Wars and Their Actors

This article focuses intently on three pieces of civil war research and how they interact with each other to improve our understanding of the dynamic nature of warring actors. Patrick Regan's book, entitled Sixteen Million One, delves into the conditions under which civil wars emerge by focusing intently on why individual actors take up arms to form a rebel faction. Research by Olson Lounsbery and Cook illuminates the challenge of these actors operating in a cohesive manner when they are faced with decisions to negotiate, while additional research by Olson Lounsbery presents the conditions under which previously splintered factions would once again unite. Each piece is presented through a systemist graphic approach. Doing so helps demonstrate how they interact with one another to improve our knowledge in the field of civil war studies. The article concludes with lessons learned through the application of systemism.