A civil war is a violent conflict fought between organized groups within the same country or state. The objectives of one side may include taking control of the country or a region, achieving independence for a region, or changing government policies. Civil wars typically involve sustained, large-scale combat often between regular armed forces, and can result in significant casualties and resource consumption
. Civil wars differ from interstate wars, which are conflicts between different countries, and from other forms of violence such as riots or terrorism that do not involve organized groups fighting for control within a state
. They often involve one side being the established government and the other side(s) being insurgents or rebels
. An example is the American Civil War (1861–1865), fought between the Northern states (Union) and the Southern states (Confederacy) that had seceded. It was primarily about whether slavery should be allowed to expand into new territories and whether the United States would remain a unified nation or dissolve into independent states. The war ended with a Northern victory, preserving the United States and abolishing slavery
. In summary, a civil war is an internal armed conflict within a country involving organized groups fighting for political power, territorial control, or independence
