When is a Civil War not a Civil War

[Georgie Porgie]

I was recently asked how many civil wars England had had, and found I could not answer easily.

Offically it is one - the Englaish Civil War (roundheads vs cavaliers etc.), but what about the Anarcy (Steven vs Matilda), the War of the Roses (York vs Lancaster) the Glorious Revolution? Why are these not called Civil Wars, after all the monarch was overthrown in each case.

Why are somethings classified as Civil War and not other things?
Discuss!

 

[Beedok]

A war of succession is a different thing.

 

[Willmatron]

Supposedly a country could classify any conflict anyway way it wants. Independence movements could easily be classified as civil wars as well.

 

[Dirk_Pitt]

Supposedly a country could classify any conflict anyway way it wants. Independence movements could easily be classified as civil wars as well.

i.e. The ARW was a Civil War.

 

[Beedok]

i.e. The ARW was a Civil War.

A war of secession in place of succession.

 

[EdT]

I was recently asked how many civil wars England had had, and found I could not answer easily.

Offically it is one - the English Civil War (roundheads vs cavaliers etc.), but what about the Anarcy (Steven vs Matilda), the War of the Roses (York vs Lancaster) the Glorious Revolution? Why are these not called Civil Wars, after all the monarch was overthrown in each case.

Strictly speaking, there are actually three 'official' English Civil Wars; the first, which was 1642-1646 and generally what people think of when we talk about the ECW, the second, which was 1648-1648 and involved a lot of former Parliamentarians on the side of the King too, and the third, which took place in 1651 and properly speaking wasn't a Civil War so much as a Scottish invasion of England led by Charles II.

As you say there are plenty of other contenders, and the Anarchy and Wars of the Roses are certainly civil wars under the accepted modern definition of the term, but in my own view only the conflicts of 1642-1651 were "civil war" in the proper sense as coined by the Romans- bellum civile, "pertaining to citizens", in that there were popular movements on both sides, rival Parliaments, and so on. The death toll, general destruction, and revolutionary aspect set the English Civil Wars somewhat apart from previous conflicts, which were essentially dynastic, as well as the later examples of 1688, 1715 and 1745, all of which were effectively foreign invasions of England.