History Main / CivilWar

* The UsefulNotes/SpanishCivilWar (1936-1939) is the inspiration for Picasso's ''Guernica'' and features in the writings of Creator/GeorgeOrwell and Creator/ErnestHemingway

* While it takes a few chapters to get there, a Second Russian Civil War is the main draw of ''Literature/TheDeathOfRussia'', with the stage for it set following an alternate 1993 coup that sees Yeltsin die. While mainly pitting the Far-Right againsts a communist faction that quickly become dominated by Stalinists, ethnic minorities and other factions in Siberia and the Far East also rise up to achieve indpendence or (in one certain case) restore some sanity to Russia by combatting both extremists.

* While it takes a few chapters to get there, a Second Russian Civil War is the main draw of ''WebOriginal/TheDeathOfRussia'', with the stage for it set following an alternate 1993 coup that sees Yeltsin die. While mainly pitting the Far-Right againsts a communist faction that quickly become dominated by Stalinists, ethnic minorities and other factions in Siberia and the Far East also rise up to achieve indpendence or (in one certain case) restore some sanity to Russia by combatting both extremists.

* ''{{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 berween the Goths to prevent them from invading Gaul before ''centuries''.

A Civil War is an intense conflict between organized groups trying to take control of a state and/or 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]].

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* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Westeros has been subjected to quite a few of these, particularly the Dance of the Dragons which was a massive civil war between two rival branches of House Targaryen, fought 170 years before the events of the TV series, and most recently the War of the Five Kings, which was a major civil war that erupted in the wake of the death of King Robert I. In essence, the war is at first a three-way battle for the Iron Throne fought alongside two independence movements. The five kings in question are Robert's heir apparent, Joffrey Baratheon, Robert's two younger brothers, Stannis and Renly Baratheon, the "King in the North" Robb Stark, and the "King of the Iron Islands" Balon Greyjoy.

* While it takes a few chapters to get there, a Second Russian Civil War is the main draw of ''WebOriginal/TheDeathOfRussia'', with the stage for it set following an alternate 1993 coup that sees Yeltsin die. While mainly pitting the Far-Right againsts a communists that quickly become dominated by Stalinists, ethnic minorities and other factions in Siberia and the Far East also rise up to achieve indpendence or (in one certain case) restore some sanity to Russia by combatting both extremist factions.

*** The War of the Red Diamond in the 3rd Era is one of the most famous of modern times. After the death of Emperor Antiochus Septim, his [[AChildShallLeadThem 15 year old daughter Kintrya II]] took over as Empress. However, her aunt, the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen infamous "Wolf Queen" Potema]], accused Kintrya of being a bastard and therefore illegitimate. Potema declared her son (nephew to Antiochus), Uriel III, as the rightful heir. Potema and Uriel were joined by the disgruntled leaders of several of the Empire's provinces in starting the war, as well as an alliance with the aforementioned Maormer, who invaded southern Tamriel, creating a two-front war for the strained Empire. Kintrya would be captured by Potema's forces and would die in captivity. However, her supporters, now led by her uncle Cephorus, would strike back and kill Uriel III, ending his claim to the throne. Cephorus would take over as Emperor, defeat most of Potema's forces, and then kill Potema herself after a protracted 10 year insurgency. It was the largest conflict the 3rd Empire of Tamriel had faced since it was founded. (And would remain as such until the [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion Crisis]].)

*** [[AncientRome The Empire]] is trying to hold onto Skyrim because it needs both the resources and the manpower, especially since they expect a full-scale second "Great War" with the Aldmeri Dominion (see below) in the near future. Skyrim also acts as a vital transportation hub, connecting the heart of the Empire (Cyrodiil) to all of its other remaining provinces. The Stormcloaks (rightfully) criticize the Empire for not understanding the [[ProudWarriorRace people of Skyrim]] or their culture (agreeing to the ban on [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Talos]] worship in the White-Gold Concordant with the Dominion to end the first Great War was [[RealMenLoveJesus the final straw for many Nords]]). Many (even beyond the Stormcloaks) also believe that the Empire's [[ObstructiveBureaucrat vast bureaucracy]] and [[InadequateInheritor weak leadership]] clog their government with inefficiency. However, the Empire is generally considered [[TheFederation fair and just rulers]] by the common citizens, and even many Nords feel that Skyrim has a ''worse'' chance against the Dominion in a war on their own, so they've backed the Empire. Skyrim also has a long history as one of the Empire's greatest supporters, and the 3rd Empire (of which the current Empire is a [[VestigialEmpire remnant of]]) was [[FounderOfTheKingdom founded by a Nord (Talos Stormcrown, aka Tiber Septim]]). Many Empire-supporting Nords believe that [[NoTrueScotsman no "true" Nord]] would abandon such a long-time ally. The Empire only agreed to the White-Gold Concordant in the first place because, while they did successfully recapture the Imperial City from the Dominion, they were too weakened (even with Skyrim's backing) to continue the war. They also don't bother to really enforce most of the Concordant's provisions, including the provision banning Talos worship, and blame the Stormcloaks causing a scene over it for the Thalmor starting to enforce it in earnest.
*** The Stormcloaks are the [[HornyVikings Nords]] who've chosen to secede from the Empire, believing that Skyrim stands a better chance without the Empire bogging them down and behind a strong leader ([[RebelLeader Ulfric Stormcloak]]). They find the Empire's decision to agree to lop-sided peace terms with the Dominion to be disgraceful and even offensive, to both the [[ProudWarriorRace warrior sensibilities]] of the Nords and to their [[RealMenLoveJesus religious beliefs]]. However, most Stormcloaks also display a noticeable degree of FantasticRacism against non-Nord races (with plenty of "Skyrim is for the Nords" rhetoric), and their rebellion is perceived by Empire-supporters as [[HonorBeforeReason ill-timed and short-sighted]], especially in the face of the true threat of the Dominion.
*** Behind it all lies the [[AntiHumanAlliance Aldmeri Dominion]], under the leadership of the Altmeri religious extremist [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Thalmor]]. Following the Great War, [[LetsYouAndHimFight they instigated the Civil War]] hoping to weaken the Empire by depriving it of its strongest remaining province while bleeding both sides dry for an eventual Dominion takeover. There is even evidence that [[spoiler:they tortured and brainwashed Ulfric Stormcloak as a prisoner in the waning days of the Great War and then unleashed him to accomplish exactly this task. (However, they may have underestimated Ulfric's leadership and inspirational abilities, as he quickly proved to be [[GoneHorriblyRight more effective than intended...]])]].
*** 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 to do nothing in regards to the Civil War.
*** Serana lampshades the whole thing in the ''Dawnguard'' DLC.
---->'''Serana''': Oh great, a war of succession. [[DeadpanSnarker Nice to see things didn't get boring while I was sleeping.]]

*** The Lunar Civil War, which erupts if the racial tensions between batponies and the rest of the population are not resolved, and sees Princess Luna's supporters on one side, and Celestia loyalist on the other, [[BalkanizeMe with many regions breaking away]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Follower}}'' starts with the United States on the brink of a civil war, [[FromBadToWorse and it just goes down hill from there]].

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'': A planet-wide example, no less. In Season 11, the Blood Gulch Crew gets marooned on the planet of Chorus, which they soon learn is stuck in a perpetual battle between the Federal Army of Chorus and the rebellious New Republic. [[spoiler: The Civil War ends in a truce after Season 12, when it's revealed that Charon Industries had been covertly prolonging the war by assassinating leaders on both sides in order to loot the planet for its vast alien artifacts. The United Army of Chorus eventually ends up driving out Charon's mercenaries, and the planet vows to remain independent from the [=UNSC=].]]

* ''Fanfic/{{Kokuten}}'': As a direct consequence of Sasuke's PeggyeSue antics, the Uchiha Coup d'État occurs. On one side, there are the Konoha Council (the Sandaime Hokage and the Elders) and the shinobi clans. The first line of defense was the ANBU forces but as things got direr, Konoha jonin and chunin got called as well. On the other side, we have the Uchiha Clan who usually comprises Konoha's Police Forces but has decided to rebel in the face of the discrimination they suffer and ambitions that predate the village's founding. Later on, they manage to rope [[spoiler: the Hyuga Clan]] into an alliance in exchange for political power.

[[folder:FanWorks]]
* In [[FanFic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed Equestria: A History Revealed]], the Equestrian Civil War, when Luna first became Nightmare Moon and attempted to usurp Celestia.
* Depending on your interpretation of [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/90939/1/shell-shock/the-tower the backstory of Shell Shock]], the conflict may or may not be a civil war.
* Heavily implied to be the case in [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/88520/1/welcome-to-the-brothel/das-laufhaus Welcome To The Brothel]].
* In FanFic/AKingdomDivided some of Equestria's towns rebel against Princess Celestia.

* Occurs ''twice'' in Venezuela before the AlienInvasion in ''FanFic/WorldwarWarOfEquals''. First between various political factions after [[spoiler: Hugo Chavez's death]] and the second between [[spoiler: Loyalist forces and supporters of the new military leadership after Nicolas Maduro is removed from power by a military coup]].

* Much like in the [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire books]], ''FanFic/SonOfTheSevenKingdoms'' has a civil war, but the number of sides is smaller: the main contendants are Joffrey (who holds the Iron Throne and has the support of the Westerlands) and William (with the support of the North, the Riverlands, Dragonstone and part of the Stormlands), while Renly and the Tyrells seek to ally with William (who is betrothed to Arya Stark) by marrying him to Margaery, Dorne and the Vale are proclaiming neutrality and the Iron Islands might end up becoming independent.
** After Renly's death, the rest of the Stormlands flock to William, as do several Westerland lords dissatisfied with Lannister rule; the Tyrells are talked into allying with the Lannisters by Littlefinger, who also promises Tywin that he can win over the Vale; Tyrion begins trying to win over Dorne for William; and the Iron Islands still go independent.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Ripples}}'' has one break out on Meridian following [[TheCoup the Darkest Winter Night]], between those loyal to Phobos and the so-called Council of Restoration, composed of all the noble houses which view him as an usurper and wish to depose him. However, the latter eventually collapses due to a combination of political infighting and being worn down by Phobos' military, leading to the canon Rebellion beginning.

** Rhodesia and South Africa both fall into chaotic civil wars as various militias rise up against both nation's dominant Apartheid governments. In both cases, it takes a RegimeChange brought about by foreign intervention to end the fighting -- in Rhodesia, the OSS (this timeline's version of the CIA) engineers a MilitaryCoup by moderate officers disgusted by the government's radical violence against the rebels, while South Africa requires a full-scale invasion and occupation by the [[UnitedEurope European Community]] to topple the remnants of the government and bring about peace.

* ''Fanfic/SummerCrowns'' has a few examples:
** Several Riverland houses which were loyal to the Targaryens ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and the Freys]]) rise up against House Tully.
** A nonviolent political version happens in the Reach, between the Florents (who were made Wardens of the South by the Baratheons) and the Tyrells (who want their position back).
** Braavos borders on one between a faction which, for {{Realpolitik}} reasons, wants to ally with the slave-holders in Lys, and another which holds hardcore to the Braavosi tradition of being anti-slavery.
* ''FanFic/TheRavensPlan'' has this happen to Dorne as a consequence of the [[PeggySue Remembering]]. First off, Doran and his loyalists remember how Ellaria and the Sand Snakes betrayed them in the original timeline and kill them, which enrages Oberyn causes the confused guards to turn on each other (since they assume that there's either a coup or counter coup going on). By the time the fighting ends when Doran makes peace with Oberyn and explains things, many visiting members of lesser Dornish Houses have been killed, enraging their families into rising against the Martells in revenge. Meanwhile, several other Houses are rebelling, simply because they smell the blood in the water and think that the Martells have been weakened.
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'':
** 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.
** Earlier in its history, there was the Asgardian Civil War, with Odin, Vili, and Ve on one side and their older brother, Cul, on the other. The other three rose up largely because of how Cul a.k.a. the Serpent was abusing his power, over Earth in particular, which he'd transformed into the horrifying dystopia of Aesheim. Vili and Ve were killed in the war, and the consequences were so brutal that Odin had to enlist the assistance of several other pantheons to stitch Earth back together afterwards (achieved by essentially folding back time to before the Serpent's conquest and cutting off the loop, trapping Cul in his own timeline).
* ''Fanfic/EarthsAlienHistory'':
** In the MirrorUniverse, the [[TheAlliance Terran Treaty Organization]] undergoes a civil war when Hoshi Sato and her supporters launch a military revolution to overthrow the various constituent governments, ultimately succeeding and creating the now unified [[TheEmpire Terran Empire]].
** The Praxis War is a Klingon civil war, kickstarted when more reactionary forces led by House Duras rebel against the more progressive regime of Chancellor Azetbur.
** The Klingons undergo a second civil war when the Kahless clone emerges and denounces Azetbur's reforms, allying with the [[EvilReactionary Bloodwine Society]] to launch a rebellion, leading the frontier worlds against Azetbur's power base in the core, which is backed indirectly (for {{Realpolitik}} reasons) by [=TeTO=] via the [[NGOSuperpower Conspiracy of Light]]. [[spoiler: In the end, a truce is called and the Empire is split, with Azetbur's territories becoming the [=TeTO=]-aligned Klingon Republic, and the rebel worlds becoming the Empire of Kahless, a hermit kingdom with no allies.]]
** During the Goa'uld War, several Goa'uld infiltrators trigger one of these in the Ildiran Empire. They accomplish this by infesting a Designate, surgically upgrading him to turn him into a makeshift [[HiveQueen Mage-Imperator]], and then use aerosolized narcotics to weaken the wills of an entire planet and its fleet to bend them to his will, turning them against the legitimate Mage-Imperator.
* ''[[https://www.deviantart.com/e350tb/art/An-Ordeal-of-the-Most-Grevious-Kind-Prologue-788018673 An Ordeal of the Most Grievous Kind]]'' is a novelization of a run-through of ''VideoGame/HeartsOfIron IV'', and features a Second American Civil War break out as the result of President Alf Landon (who beat FDR in the 1936 election thanks to a smear campaign) being assassinated in 1938. Since the shooter was a journalist who was blacklisted for suspected communist ties, J. Edgar Hoover uses the assassination as a pretext for rooting out every communist in the country (along with everyone else he and his allies, including the fascist Silver Legion, don't like). When it becomes clear that Landon's vice president Frank Knox isn't going to support him, Hoover convinces Douglas [=MacArthur=] to stage a MilitaryCoup, dissolving Congress and declaring martial law; in response, Knox forms a new government in Boston, which quickly gains the allegiance of the governments and National Guards of all the New England states, New York, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon, and Washington, along with several army divisions under Dwight Eisenhower. And in addition to all the regular military, hundreds of militias rise up across the country in support of either the Loyalists ([=MacArthur's=] regime) or the Constitutionalists (Knox's government), which also have backing from the Axis and Allies, respectfully.
* ''Fanfic/ChasingDragons'':
** Westeros is hit with a series of these in the years following the overthrow of the Targaryens and Robert passing the crown to Stannis in order to pursue Rhaegar and his loyalists in Essos.
*** The Red Viper Rebellion: Oberyn's revolt against both the Iron Throne and Doran's rule of Dorne (when the latter refuses to support him). [[spoiler: It ends with his forces being crushed and him being executed.]]
*** The Upper Mander Rebellion: A group of pious lords calling themselves the "Lords Resolute", who are angered by Stannis' apparent refusal to do anything about the reformation movement growing in Essos and his perceived tyrannical actions (such as taxing the Faith and punishing nobles instead of pandering to them), begin plotting to rebel against him. Backed by [[TheFundamentalist Septon Ryman's radical faction of the Faith]], they eventually launch a large rebellion in the Upper Mander region, which is soon confronted by the combined forces of Stannis' loyalists [[spoiler: and ultimately crushed by them]].
*** Balon's Rebellion: At the same time that the Upper Mander Rebellion is starting to wind down, Balon Greyjoy launches his own rebellion for independence, causing the Faith to declare a holy war on the Ironborn in retaliation for them burning several major septs in the Westerlands in the process (though once Stannis is able to shift his attention away from the Reach with his loyalists, he's able to clamp down and keep the war secular). And to further complicate matters, those few Ironborn who were opposed to the rebellion decide to counter-rebel and aid Stannis' invasion of the Iron Islands [[spoiler: contributing to the royalists' [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] of the Ironborn]].
*** The Trident Wars: After the collapse of the Upper Mander Rebellion, some Rymanist septons escape to the Riverlands and start spreading their message. Paranoia over this runs rampant, combined with the always fractious nature of the region, until practically every River Lord house is fighting each other in a complicated mess. Fortunately, unlike the other conflicts, Stannis is able to quickly step in and put his foot down, decreeing that people can worship whatever version of the Faith they want as long as they do it in private and don't try to convert others.
** For a non-Westeros example: after reactionaries launch a coup against the pragmatic abolitionists that have become the ruling faction in Norvos, a few of the latter survive and flee to create a GovernmentInExile in Braavosi territory, leading to fighting between those who support them and those loyal to the plotters.
* 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.
* In ''Fanfic/HailToTheQueen'', the Boiling Isles are caught up in one that has lasted for many years between Belos' empire and a growing rebellion. Part of the plot is Luz being left to pick up the reigns of said empire in its battle against the rebellion while trying to finish the portal home.

* ''Series/{{Tyrant}}'': In the second season there's an Islamic insurgency in Abbudin after a gas attack on the rebels leads them to team up with more radical elements. This becomes an all-out civil war between the Al-Fayeed dictatorship, the Army of the Caliphate, and local militia the Red Hand.

This is not to be confused with Creator/MarvelComics' ''ComicBook/CivilWar'', or Music/CivilWar the PowerMetal band.

* The Marvel ''ComicBook/CivilWar'', with heroes supporting a SuperRegistrationAct fighting those who refused to reveal their identities. Intended to be an OutsideManInsideMan situation, with the pro-reg group trying to head off an even worse situation by co-operating. This also went meta, the resulting Fandom War, pitting the authors of said story arc versus most of the rest of the fandom and [[WriterRevolt their fellow writers]].

* Literature/DonQuixote travels to Barcelona, a Spanish province that is at a CivilWar at TheCavalierYears

---->'''Serana''': Oh, great a war of succession. [[DeadpanSnarker Nice to see things didn't get boring while I was sleeping.]]

* In ''FanFic/RobbReturns'', the Iron Islands are on the edge, due to the growing differences between those who intend to heed the Call (such as Rodrik Harlaw) and those that deny it happened (like Balon Greyjoy and Damphair).
** Another begins to brew up in the Riverlands, between those who follow the Old Gods and the resurgent Faith Militant.

** If the decision to continue from the DarkSide ending of the first game is made at the start of ''KOTORII'', it's revealed that [[spoiler: after [[RogueProtagonist Darth Revan]] rallied the remaining Sith to Korriban and regained his memories, he left to find the [[GreaterScopeVillain True Sith]] alone. [[EvilPowerVacuum Without his guidance]], the classic Sith ChronicBackstabbingDisorder went into full effect and a Sith Civil War started for control of the planet, resulting in a very empty academy with the survivors picked up by [[TheEmpire the Sith Triumvirate]].]]

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' revolved around the Jedi Civil War, in which the Jedi Knights Revan and Malak defected from the Republic, became Sith Lords and led an army of Sith, Dark Jedi, and ex-Republic soldiers in an attempt to [[GalacticConquerer take over the galaxy]].
* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' has the player resolve a civil war on the planet Onderon in which [[TheUsurper General Vaklu]] tries to seize control from his cousin Queen Talia in order to secede from the Republic with the help of the Sith. The Light Side route has you support Talia alongside Jedi Master Kavar, while the DarkSide route has you support Vaklu and help him betray the Sith.

* ''[[http://wiki.alternatehistory.com/doku.php?id=timelines:tl-191_after_the_end Timeline-191: After the End]]'' features a Japanese Civil War break out near the end of the Fourth Pacific War, as a result of insane military dictator [[GeneralRipper General Ishii]] ordering a purge of all (actual and imagined) political enemies he believes are about to enact a coup against him in order to sue for peace with the [[TheAlliance Compact of Democratic States]]. This causes many surviving high-ranking officers throughout Japan's Co-Prosperity Sphere to declare their territories independent of Ishii's regime, leading to fighting with loyalist forces in the same regions. Other officers, meanwhile, seize control of many of the Sphere's {{Puppet State}}s, allegedly to ensure Ishii's control but really to establish their own fiefdoms, a series of events made even more complicated as most of those puppet states break out in open rebellion against all Japanese control. And on top of all that, Ishii's government is eventually overthrown by a syndicalist revolution, leading to fighting all over the Home Islands between syndicalists and military loyalists.

* The major inciting event that creates the world of Aldea in BlueRose is a magical civil war. TheRepublic falls to an Empress, who then is backstabbed by a cabal of sorcerors that fight over the remains of the land. The war churns through the living soldiers, then the undead ones, and finally demonic troops until all but one of the Evil Overlords are destroyed. TheGoodKingdom of Aldis is just a post-Apocalyptic magical land where the survivors have gotten fed up with magical civil wars.

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.