Ethno-Territorial Civil War: Conventional vs. Guerrilla Strategies

In ethno-territorial civil wars, which factors influence whether rebels choose and retain conventional warfare as their primary military strategy throughout the conflict, or whether they use guerrilla warfare as a primary strategy during periods judged to be less advantageous to conventional warfare? We find some support for the traditionally dominant explanation—relative power. We also find that rebel leaders with more intense, far-reaching nationalist goals are more likely to employ guerrilla warfare as a primary war strategy. By contrast, status quo conditions or a high level of state democracy do not have significant influences.