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Civil war facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Battle of Gettysburg, by Currier and Ives
The Battle of Gettysburg, American Civil War

A civil war is a war that takes place between two or more groups in one country. While civil wars can take place for many of reasons, there are two common reasons.

The first is because the different groups disagree about who should be in charge, or how the country should be run. If two political parties disagree about the result of an election, this might lead to a war if the two sides cannot or would not come to an agreement.

The second is because one group of people does not want to be part of the country anymore. This is known as a war of secession. Lots of people living in a certain area might decide that they want independence to make their own country. Very few national leaders would be happy to give up land that is part of that country, and a war could result.

Berlin 1990 75540011
Fall and demolition of the Berlin Wall at Checkpoint Charlie (1990)

Sometimes the people who want to break away do not necessarily want to form a whole new country, but they might want more autonomy over their affairs. This happens sometimes when different ethnic groups belong to the same nation.

Civil wars can be just as destructive and damaging as international wars. Civil wars can continue on for many years. This is because civil wars tend to become complicated very quickly and differ. A civil war might start between two sides, but groups might break up and the new, different sides could start fighting each other. Groups of people who were not involved at the beginning can easily be sucked in, as they start getting weapons to defend themselves against both sides. Civil wars with many different sides all fighting each other have occurred. Sometimes foreign countries help one side.

Civil wars include:

Images for kids

  • German artillery Malmi 1918 (2)

    German artillery in Malmi during the Battle of Helsinki on 12 April 1918, during the Finnish Civil War.

  • The destruction wrought on Granollers after raid

    The destruction wrought on Granollers after a raid by German aircraft on 31 May 1938 during the Spanish Civil War.

  • T-55 Ethiopian Civil War 1991

    Tanks in the streets of Addis Ababa after rebels seized the capital during the Ethiopian Civil War (1991)

  • Battle of Siping01

    Communist soldiers during the Battle of Siping, Chinese Civil War, 1946

  • Tykistokoulun harjoiitus

    An artillery school set up by the anti-socialist "Whites" during the Finnish Civil War, 1918

  • Savoia-Marchetti SM.81

    A plane, supported by smaller fighter planes, of Italian Legionary Air Force, allied to Francisco Franco's Nationalists, bombs Madrid during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)

  • Smoke break el serrano 1987

    Members of ARDE Frente Sur during the Nicaraguan Revolution

  • US Marine Cadillac Gage LAV and a Fiat-OTO Melara 6614 APC

    An American Cadillac Gage Light Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle and Italian Fiat-OTO Melara Type 6614 Armored Personnel Carrier guard an intersection during the Somali Civil War (1993)

  • Checkpoint 4, Beirut 1982

    A checkpoint manned by the Lebanese army and US Marines, 1982. The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) was characterized by multiple foreign interventions.

  • LTTE Sea Tigers attack vessel by sunken SL freighter

    A fast attack boat of the rebel LTTE in Sri Lanka in 2003 passes the hulk of an LTTE supply ship that had been sunk by government aircraft, Sri Lankan Civil War (1983–2009)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Guerra civil para niños

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