ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of semi-consociationalism, and argues against the common wisdom that Lebanon was a full consociation before the civil war. This period witnessed an extensive form of mobilization due to the absence of a proper balance of power between different communities, and mobilization was both cultural and secular. Another issue under discussion is the inability of the Lebanese state to promote a collective national memory, thus missing a golden opportunity to fortify an overarching Lebanese identity. In this missed opportunity, there is a vital indicator of the internal and external factors that led to the Lebanese civil war.
