History Main / CivilWar

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' provides the page picture (although the names aren't those of the Goth chiefs but doctored to be the names of then-current French politicians). Astérix, Obélix and Getafix engineer an EnemyCivilWar between the Goths to prevent them from invading Gaul before ''centuries''.

** Its sequel, ''ComicBook/CivilWarII'', involves the Marvel superheroes once again split, this time [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Captain Marvel]] wants to use someone's precognitive powers to prevent [[PrecrimeArrest crimes]] and disasters from happening. ComicBook/IronMan, however, refuses to punish criminals before they commit crimes. [[spoiler: All of this is set off by the death of ComicBook/WarMachine and ComicBook/SheHulk slipping into a coma at the hands of Thanos.]]
* In ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'' comic book version of "King Smurf", the title character fosters rebellion among the Smurfs with his authoritarian rule as the village's monarch, leading to more and more Smurfs choosing to side with the rebels instead of with King Smurf, even during the FinalBattle when the village was breached by the rebels. By the time the dust settled, King Smurf only had about a dozen Smurfs still loyal to him surrounding him in a circle and would have been consumed by the rebels had not Papa Smurf showed up to shout "STOP!" and bring all the Smurfs back to their senses.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': The Amazon nation split in antiquity with those willing to accept the Olympians' punishment going to Themyscira and gaining immortality and those who weren't eventually making their way to Egypt and becoming the Bana tribe. The two tribes go to war with each other after Gaia destroys the Bana's home, but eventually call an uneasy truce with the Bana joining their immortal sisters on Themyscira.

* The war for Mobius on the ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' cartoon.

A Civil War is an intense conflict between organized groups trying to take control of a state and/or region, achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies. Most Civil Wars are fought by a status-quo ruling body of the state and one or more groups that wish to change said state, though said non-state groups often fight each other as well, and it can also be between two states that both claim to be the sole rightful (nation-)state for a single nation. To be considered a "war" rather than an uprising or rebellion requires that the conflict involve regular armed force, involve organized factions, and be on a certain scale and of a certain intensity. All the sides involved have to have a genuine chance (however small) of achieving their aims in the conflict for it to be a Civil War and not just a rebellion/uprising. Where rebellions end and Civil Wars begin often isn't clear, and whether a conflict is called one or the other often depends on what the factions - [[WrittenByTheWinners especially the victorious one]] - [[InsistentTerminology decide to call it]].

Many an AlternateHistory is based around a losing side of a historical civil war prevailing in a different timeline. A specific common Alternate History Civil War is a SecondAmericanCivilWar. See also TheWarOfEarthlyAggression, for civil wars InSpace

* The French Civil Wars in [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII 1940-44]] and [[{{UsefulNotes/Algeria}} 1954-62]] are conspicuously ''absent'' (bar Film/TheBattleOfAlgiers) - official policy under UsefulNotes/CharlesDeGaulle was that [[FanonDiscontinuity the former never happened]], and the same has largely gone for the latter as well

** Krypton is revealed to have entered one of these in its final days. On one side were the Science Council (who [[HeadInTheSandManagement refused to believe]] Jor-El's warnings of the planet's encroaching doom), on the other was General Zod (who believed Jor-El and felt that overthrowing the Council would somehow save the planet), and opposed to both was the [[ApocalypseCult Cult of the Eradicator]] (who also believed Jor-El, but also felt that their world blowing up would be a ''good'' thing - and venerated Jor-El as their Prophet). Jor-El, depicted as a very gentle soul and a MartialPacifist, is left absolutely heartbroken.

* In ''Literature/DreadEmpire'' the conflict that takes place in Hammad al-Nakir is a civil war fought between royalist faction led by Haroun bin-Yousif, the King Without a Throne, and followers of El Murid's [[PathofInspiration new religion]]. Kavelin also struggles from one - Bragi Ragnarson is hired by Kavelin's king to help him regaining control over country. [[spoiler: Due to Shinsan interference, the king dies before Bragi makes it to the Vorgeberg, leaving his wife on the throne and ultimately worsening the situation. Bragi wins the war, but kavelinian aristocrats keep on cospiring against the queen.]]

* ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'': When the "visiting" Gallish knights - who, for the past year, have been raping, robbing and generally mistreating the Alban populace - manage to arrest the Queen on charges of adultery and intend to have her burned at stake, the people finally have enough and a war erupts between the Gallish faction and Queen's loyalists.

*** The First Cyrodiilic Empire came to an end after centuries of civil conflict. Most prominent was the conflict between the two sub-groups who make up the Imperial race - the Colovians (hardy highlanders who have more in common with the [[HornyVikings Nords]]) and the Nibenese (cosmopolitan heartlanders famed for their "[[ProudMerchantRace merchant nobility]]"). The Colovians split with the declining empire, leading to dozens of squabbling petty kingdoms vying for control. It would be centuries until Reman Cyrodiil came along to reunite the people of Cyrodiil and found the Second Empire.

*** Russia can see a [[TheRemnant second uprising of the Bolsheviks]] if whoever is in charge of Russia handles things poorly enough (in this timeline, the first uprising failed massively, which discredited Leninism as the chief ideology of the political left and syndicalism - which was successful in Britain, France, and Italy, replaced it).

* In the backstory of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'', the series' AlternateTimeline equivalent of UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion known as the European Commonwealth devolved "into quarreling, bickering nation-states" fighting each other over what little oil and uranium remained during the Resource Wars following their failed conquest of the Middle East. This likely exacerbated [[WorldWarIII The Great War]], as [[WeAreStrugglingTogether there wasn't a unified Europe (or even Western Europe) to stand against]] RedChina and help avoid global MutuallyAssuredDestruction.

* The Galactic Civil War within the [[TheEmpire Galactic Empire]] forms the central conflict of the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise, preceded by the Clone Wars, [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything fought between]] the Galactic Republic and a Confederation formed for seceding Republic planets. Numerous smaller-scale civil wars are noted in the Franchise/StarWarsLegends, and initially the Empire cracked down on them fiercely, unlike the Republic which usually let them be or sent Jedi to figure things out. Later the Empire was content to let them rage while chasing Rebels.
** In the EU there's actually a ''Second'' Galactic Civil War, this one with the Galactic Alliance (post-Literature/NewJediOrder New Republic, which in itself is post-Endor Rebel Alliance) against the Confederacy, which is a group of worlds led by Corellia in an attempt to break away. It ends up shifting the power balance quite a bit; the Jedi Order even forms its own temporary government in order to end the conflict.

This is not to be confused with Creator/MarvelComics' ''ComicBook/{{Civil War|2006}}'', or Music/{{Civil War|Band}} the PowerMetal band.

** ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': The Dance of the Dragons was a massive civil war between two rival branches of House Targaryen, fought 170 years before the events of ''Game of Thrones''.

* ''Art/{{Guernica}}'' is titled after a Basque town that was bombed as a consequence of the fighting between Fascists and LaResistance.

* ''Literature/SwansBraidAndOtherTalesOfTerizan'': Terizan is hired by Swan to help stop one by two brothers who both have claims to the throne of the Kalazmir through retrieving the royal regalia which mark the rightful heir. [[spoiler:However, at the end she all but insures another one by setting them against each other again in revenge as both had betrayed her.]]

** The [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins first game]] contains a brief civil war between Loghain and the Ferelden nobility, who aren't happy with him seizing power during the Blight

** Practically a staple of the mod ''VideoGame/KaiserreichLegacyOfTheWeltkrieg'', presenting a unusual alternate world as a result of Germany winning World War I:

*** The United States always sees itself in a SecondAmericanCivilWar between the Federal Government as the first party and, depending on how 1936 goes, one to three other factions, namely [[ChummyCommies the Combined Syndicates of America]], [[DeepSouth the American Union State]], and [[AntiMutiny the Pacific States of America]].
*** Like China, Spain is also likely to fall into civil war, but a three way one between the Alfonsists, the Carlists and the CNT-FAI.

*** Russia can see a [[TheRemnant second uprising of the Bolsheviks]] if whoever is in charge of Russia handles things poorly enough (in this timeline, the first uprising failed massively, which discredited Leninism as the chief ideology of the political left and syndicalism - which was successful in Britain, France and Italy, replaced it).

*** The United States usually sees itself in a SecondAmericanCivilWar between the Federal Government, [[ChummyCommies the Combined Syndicalists of America]], [[DeepSouth the American Union State]] and [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg the Pacific States of America]].

*** The United States usually sees itself in a Second American Civil War between the Federal Government, [[ChummyCommies the Combined Syndicalists of America]], [[DeepSouth the American Union State]] and [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg the Pacific States of America]].

*** If [[PlayerCharacter The Dragonborn]] gets involved and ends the war early for ''either'' side it [[SpannerInTheWorks completely derails the Dominion's plans]] in this regard. Whoever wins in this case will be a much more powerful foe as a result of the decisive (early) victory, and will have a [[MakeMeWannaShout Thu'um]] [[RealityWarper using]], [[spoiler:dragon-commanding]] damn-near PhysicalGod as their champion. The only "wrong" choice for the Dragonborn is [[BystanderSyndrome to do nothing in regards to the Civil War]].

* The ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'' has had two so far. First, the Dream Team (plus another friend named Punz) warred against the L'Manburg faction ([=WilburSoot=], [=TommyInnit=], Tubbo, Fundy, and [=TheEret=] [[spoiler:who defected during the war]]), who sought independence from the main server, which ended [[spoiler: with the Dream Team winning the main conflict, but Dream granting L'Manburg independence anyways in exchange for [[NumberOneDime two music discs owned by Tommy]] (a major source of conflict between him and Dream)]]. Later, Jschlatt winning the L'Manburg election and [[TyrantTakesTheHelm declaring himself a dictator]] bent on conquest ([[TheExile banishing]] Wilbur and Tommy in the process) triggers another war, fracturing the country with a conflict between his faction and [[LaResistance Wilbur's faction, now named Pogtopia]].

* In ''Fanfic/TruePotential'', Kiri starts the story going through one, between the "Blood Mist" under the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, and the Rebels lead by Mei Terumi.

* ''{{ComicBook/Asterix}}'' provides the page picture (although the names aren't those of the Goth chiefs but doctored to be the names of then-current French politicians). Astérix, Obélix and Getafix engineer an EnemyCivilWar between the Goths to prevent them from invading Gaul before ''centuries''.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', Hingashi was engulfed in a civil war known as the "Age of Blood" in which rival clan heads constantly went to war with each other for territory and control over the island nation. The war was so bloody and gruesome that Hingan citizens are mostly content to live under the corrupt and decadent bakufu that replaced it out of fear of another immensely destructive war.

* In ''Fanfic/ADragonsRoar'', a second Dance of Dragons starts brewing as tensions grow between the various members of House Targaryen. It eventually hits a breaking point at Harrenhal, when Rhaegar convinces Aerys that Daeron was conspiring with the Knight of the Laughing Tree against him. This gives Rhaegar the legal authority to strike at Daeron and his allies, who counter by crowning Daeron as king and striking back — the Westerlands and Dorne outright declare for Daeron, the Crownlands and Reach declare for Aerys and Rhaegar, the Riverlands, Stormlands, and Vale dissolve into mini civil wars of their own over who to follow, and the North appears to be neutral.

* One of these ended a dynasty in the [[Wiki/TheWorldbuildProject Acasi Empire]], which in turn ended [[WarIsHell a twenty-year war between the empire and the neighboring city-states of Rhael]].