Introduction

In this introduction, we review the state of research on militias in relation to the question of violence against civilians. Historically, militias range across the spectrum, from the most predatory to the most protective. To understand this variation in behavior, we argue the need to broaden the universe of cases beyond the traditional focus on pro-government militias, and we provide a framework for conceptualization based on armed groups’ purpose and their relationships to the state, the populace, and other actors. This chapter closes by reviewing an assortment of theoretical mechanisms plausibly related to violence against civilians and introducing the contributions to the volume.