ABSTRACT
Intrastate armed conflict has long been considered as one of the greatest threats to human security worldwide. To end armed conflict and reduce the risk of its recurrence, numerous scholars and practitioners have proposed strengthening state capacity, reforming state institutions, and rebuilding post-conflict political orders firmly in the hands of civilians. This chapter presents a central narrative that we often see former warring parties advance in post-conflict peace processes and in places as diverse as Cambodia, Nepal, Kosovo, Bosnia, Ruanda, or Angola. It discusses a key factor in understanding the outcome of post-conflict peace processes. The chapter presents frequent components of war hero narratives and offers empirical illustrations to show what purpose the narrative serves in negotiations with international actors, how it defines a warring party’s best alternative to a negotiated agreement, and how it erodes or is coopted by other actors.
