ABSTRACT
Wars, civil wars, and armed conflict are eternal subjects in discussions on peace, humankind, and the world's future. There have been significant advances in knowledge relating to violence in the post-Cold War period and the study of war and other forms of armed conflict has been broadened in significant ways. This chapter analyzes the recent trends in the studies of war and suggests needs for future research. The global confrontation between East and West provided a frame of reference that colored the analysis of inter-state wars as well as of civil wars. During the Cold War the focus on inter-state conflict came from a concern with the relations between the two dominant actors at the time, the United States and the Soviet Union. The change of object following the end of the Cold War also made it more important to have more systematic information on war, political violence, and conflict.
