Identity wars are vicious, lengthy, and prone to genocide after decisive victory

Evidence

Wars between clans, tribes, ethnic groups, religious communities, and nations have been prevalent in every era and in every civilization because they are rooted in the identities of people. These conflicts tend to be particularistic, in that they do not involve broader ideological or political issues of direct interest to nonparticipants, although they may arouse humanitarian concerns in outside groups. They also tend to be vicious and bloody, since fundamental issues of identity are at stake. In addition, they tend to be lengthy; they may be interrupted by truces or agreements but these tend to break down and the conflict is resumed. Decisive military victory by one side in an identity civil war, on the other hand, increases the likelihood of genocide. — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 697

Categorization

• QUESTION: The claim that decisive victory in identity wars increases genocide likelihood is a strong, testable thesis — worth chasing the supporting evidence, which isn’t given here.
• DEFINE: Clarifies the defining traits of identity-rooted wars (particularistic, vicious, lengthy) and how they differ from ideological conflicts.