ABSTRACT
The context of Lebanese sectarian contentions and the consequential governance crisis throughout the National Pact Republic are examined in this chapter. The 1958 civil strife is analyzed in detail. Regional power shifts in the post-colonial order, demographic changes and the rise of Palestinian power are included among the main causes of the 1975 Lebanese Civil War. The parties that played major roles in the war are identified and described. A timeline is provided at the end of the chapter outlining the various developments during the war.
