<aside> 💡 From this lesson, you must know…
Conflict - When two countries experience a clash of opposing wishes or needs.
Cooperation - The process of working together to the same end.
Diplomacy - Managing international relationships, typically by a country's representatives abroad.
Interstate war is a conflict between the armed forces of two or more countries. Some examples of interstate wars include World War I, World War II, the Gulf War, and the Korean War.
Intrastate war, also known as a civil war, is a conflict between opposing groups within the same country. Examples of intrastate wars include the American Civil War, the Spanish Civil War, and the Syrian Civil War.
Sectarian violence is conflict between different religious or ethnic groups. This type of conflict can take many forms, including riots, attacks on places of worship, and targeted violence against members of a particular group. Examples of sectarian violence include the conflicts between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Iraq and Syria, the conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India, and the conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.
Terrorism is the use of violence or the threat of violence against civilians or non-combatants in order to achieve political, religious, or ideological goals. Terrorist attacks can take many forms, including bombings, assassinations, hijackings, and kidnappings.
Terrorist groups often operate outside of traditional military or governmental structures, and may seek to destabilize or overthrow existing political regimes. Examples of terrorist groups include Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
Several conditions and motivations can lead to conflict. For example, countries may go to war for economic gain, territorial gain, religion, or nationalism. The conditions that make war possible and likely usually depend on the relative power of the belligerents involved, the nature of communication and trust between parties, and the willingness of a country's citizens to go to war, particularly in a democracy.