Ideology and Violence in Civil Wars: Theory and Evidence from Mozambique and Angola

Theories that seek to explain patterns of violence in civil wars frequently pass over the issue of ideology. This paper argues that ideology may shape the use of selective versus indiscriminate violence by an armed group. The role of ideology is examined in the cases of Frelimo in Mozambique and the MPLA in Angola in their countries' wars of independence and civil wars. Using archival and newspaper data, I find that the Marxist–Leninist ideology of Frelimo and the MPLA led initially to their practice of restraint in violence against civilians, and that as elite ideological commitment eroded, this led to a corresponding increase in violence. I also challenge the role played by ideology in Jeremy Weinstein and Macartan Humphreys' group organization theory of civil war violence.