Between Robustness and Authority: An Organizational Theory of Rebel Success

This thesis argues that the relationship between rebel leaders and rebel field commanders is an important factor in determining the outcomes of civil wars. Rebel organizations must balance the need for organizational robustness, the ability to regrow parts that are destroyed, and leadership authority, the ability of leaders to command other parts of the organization to act. These two virtues are in tension. The relationship between rebel leaders and rebel field commanders determines the balance between robustness and authority. Horizontal rebel organizations with too much robustness cannot effectively operate as the leader does not have authority over field commanders and vertical organizations with too much authority are vulnerable to decapitation as field commanders cannot communicate with each other if the leader is destroyed. Therefore, mixed rebel organizations that can balance the two virtues tend to be the most successful. This thesis presents a new typology of rebel organizations with cases drawn from modern Ireland.