Why do some civil wars last a long time while others end relatively quickly Trust and Fear in Civil Wars examines the conditions under which individuals are willing to lay down their weapons under a settlement agreement. The author argues that wars are easiest to resolve when combatants believe that their adversaries will uphold a deal or that the costs of renewed war will be low. Several key sources of information inform this calculation. Drawing on both crossnational and case study data including detailed interviews the book demonstrates that when information suggests either that a peace agreement is likely to break down or that the results of a broken deal will be especially deadly a settlement leaves combatants too vulnerable to countenance resulting in wars lasting longer. show more