“The war in Lebanon was the result of several highly connected internal and external conditions that have been in the making for a long time. … Causal … forces rooted in the existing social and political structures of the country, while [contributing forces] aggravated the internal conflicts and set the process of confrontation into motion, triggered a set of events already in the making that awaited only the proper time and place.”
Regarding this quoted statement, the purpose of our paper is to show the reasons that led to the Civil War in Lebanon from 1975 till 1990. Usually, four causes can be found throughout the literature we used for this paper: the social context within Lebanon itself, namely the unbalanced sectarian or confessional system and socioeconomic problems, namely the United States, Israel and Syria. This paper mainly deals with the causes expressed above. We do not want to describe the war itself in all its details or provide a historical chronology, instead discussion of the war will be restricted to the description of landmark events.
However, the named causes worked together in waging the Civil War. One cannot separate them from one another. Mutual interactions took place between them leading to bloodshed and hatred. The Lebanese people needed almost five decades to settle down these causes from which almost all were already present since the independence in 1943. The first attempt to resolve some of the problems with the National Pact of 1943 did not last long, before the second Civil War broke out in 1958. The latest peace agreement, the Taif Accord from 1990, reviewed most of the causes, trying to adopt political measures to prevent another outbreak of violence. Still, the accord did not get rid of the sectarian problem so far.
This paper will not deal with these events in great details. References will be made according to their importance for the topic. In this regard, we try to answer not only the questions of the causes but also how they interrelated and how they contributed to the escalation of the situation in Lebanon. Our paper describes first the social context starting with the unbalanced confessional system, followed by the socioeconomic problems. Afterwards we want to write down how the Palestine issue contributed to the Civil war and how the external actors USA, Syria, and Israel caused more and more troubles, which led to the extent of the conflict.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The Lebanese Sectarian System: The Failed Balancing Act
- 3. Socioeconomic Reasons for the Civil War
- 4. Contributing Forces I: The Palestine Issue
- 5. Contributing Forces II: External Actors
- 5.1 The Influence of the United States
- 5.2 Israel and the PLO in Lebanon
- 5.3 Syria's Role as a "Peace-Broker"
- 6. Concluding Remarks
Objectives and Key Themes
The objective of this paper is to analyze the causes of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), focusing on interconnected internal and external factors. The paper avoids a detailed chronological account of the war itself, instead concentrating on the root causes and their interactions.
- The unbalanced Lebanese sectarian system and its contribution to conflict.
- Socioeconomic factors fueling unrest and instability in Lebanon.
- The impact of the Palestine issue and the presence of Palestinian refugees and the PLO.
- The roles of external actors, including the United States, Israel, and Syria.
- The interplay between internal and external factors in escalating the conflict.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter establishes the paper's purpose: to explore the multifaceted causes of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990). It highlights the intertwined nature of internal and external factors, emphasizing that internal social and political structures created the conditions for conflict, while external forces exacerbated tensions and triggered the outbreak of violence. The chapter previews the four main areas of investigation: the internal social context (including the sectarian system and socioeconomic issues), the Palestine issue, and the involvement of external actors (the United States, Israel, and Syria). The introduction also clarifies the paper's scope, focusing on the causes of the war rather than a detailed historical narrative.
2. The Lebanese Sectarian System: The Failed Balancing Act: This chapter examines Lebanon's deeply ingrained sectarian system, built upon a "mosaic social structure" of diverse religious and ethnic communities. Instead of fostering a national identity, this confessional system created strong sectarian identifications and internal conflicts. The chapter discusses the historical evolution of this system, highlighting the impact of the French Mandate and the creation of Greater Lebanon, which altered the demographic balance and led to resentment among different groups. It further analyzes the National Pact of 1943, designed to address the power imbalance between Christian and Muslim communities, and explores its ultimate failure to resolve underlying tensions. The chapter underscores how this inherently unbalanced system became a major source of political instability and conflict.
3. Socioeconomic Reasons for the Civil War: This chapter delves into the socioeconomic factors that contributed to the Lebanese Civil War. While not explicitly detailed in the provided text, it can be inferred that this section would explore issues such as economic inequality, poverty, resource scarcity, and other socio-economic factors that exacerbated existing tensions along sectarian lines. These factors would likely be presented as both independent causes of the war and as amplifiers of pre-existing conflicts related to the sectarian system. This chapter would likely analyze the extent to which socioeconomic disparities fueled resentment and contributed to the outbreak of widespread violence.
4. Contributing Forces I: The Palestine Issue: This chapter examines the role of the Palestine issue and the presence of Palestinian refugees and the PLO in Lebanon in fueling the civil war. It would likely discuss the impact of the influx of Palestinian refugees on Lebanon's demographic balance and the socio-political landscape, and how this fueled tensions between different communities. The chapter would also analyze the actions and policies of the PLO within Lebanon, including their relationship with different Lebanese factions, and how their presence contributed to instability and increased conflict. The significance of this chapter lies in its demonstration of how an external conflict—the Palestinian-Israeli conflict—directly impacted the internal dynamics of Lebanon, triggering and exacerbating the civil war.
5. Contributing Forces II: External Actors: This chapter analyzes the influence of external actors—the United States, Israel, and Syria—on the Lebanese Civil War. Each subsection would delve into the specific roles played by these nations. The chapter highlights how these external powers’ actions, whether intended or unintended, significantly influenced the trajectory of the conflict, affecting the power dynamics between Lebanese factions and exacerbating the war. The analysis focuses on the complex interrelationships between these external actors and their impact on the internal conflict. It is important to show how the interplay between these external influences shaped the course of the war.
Keywords
Lebanese Civil War, sectarianism, confessionalism, National Pact, Palestine issue, PLO, external intervention, United States, Israel, Syria, socioeconomic factors, political instability.
Frequently Asked Questions: Analysis of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990)
What is the main objective of this paper?
The paper analyzes the causes of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), focusing on the interconnected internal and external factors that led to the conflict. It avoids a detailed chronological account, concentrating instead on the root causes and their interactions.
What are the key themes explored in this analysis?
The analysis explores the unbalanced Lebanese sectarian system and its contribution to conflict; socioeconomic factors fueling unrest and instability; the impact of the Palestine issue and the presence of Palestinian refugees and the PLO; the roles of external actors (the United States, Israel, and Syria); and the interplay between internal and external factors in escalating the conflict.
How does the paper address the Lebanese sectarian system?
The paper examines Lebanon's deeply ingrained sectarian system, its historical evolution, and the failure of the National Pact of 1943 to resolve underlying tensions. It highlights how this unbalanced system became a major source of political instability and conflict.
What socioeconomic factors are considered?
While not explicitly detailed in the provided summary, the analysis infers that socioeconomic factors such as economic inequality, poverty, and resource scarcity exacerbated existing sectarian tensions and contributed to the outbreak of violence.
What is the role of the Palestine issue in the context of the Lebanese Civil War?
The analysis explores the impact of the influx of Palestinian refugees on Lebanon's demographic balance and socio-political landscape, and how this fueled tensions between different communities. It also examines the actions and policies of the PLO within Lebanon and their contribution to instability and increased conflict.
How does the paper analyze the involvement of external actors?
The paper analyzes the influence of external actors—the United States, Israel, and Syria—on the Lebanese Civil War. It highlights how their actions, whether intended or unintended, significantly influenced the trajectory of the conflict, affecting the power dynamics between Lebanese factions and exacerbating the war.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper is structured into chapters covering an introduction, the Lebanese sectarian system, socioeconomic reasons for the war, the role of the Palestine issue, the involvement of external actors, and concluding remarks. Each chapter offers a detailed summary providing context and analysis.
What are the key words associated with this analysis?
Key words include: Lebanese Civil War, sectarianism, confessionalism, National Pact, Palestine issue, PLO, external intervention, United States, Israel, Syria, socioeconomic factors, political instability.
What is the scope of this analysis?
The analysis focuses on the causes of the Lebanese Civil War, rather than providing a detailed chronological account of the war itself.
Where can I find more detailed information?
The provided text offers a comprehensive language preview including chapter summaries and key themes. Further details would be found within the full text of the academic paper itself.
- Quote paper
- Andrea Becker (Author), Maren Reyelt (Author), 2001, The Lebanese Civil War 1975-1990: Its Causes and Actors, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/4315
