A civil war is an armed conflict between two or more factions within a country, where the factions are usually defined by their political beliefs, ethnicity, or religion. The conflict is usually fought for control of the government or to change the government’s policies.
On the other hand, a proxy war is a conflict between two or more countries where they use third-party groups as substitutes for fighting each other directly. The third-party groups are usually armed and trained by the countries involved in the conflict. The countries involved in the conflict provide support to the third-party groups, such as weapons, money, and training.
Here are some examples of proxy wars:
- Korean War (1950-1953): The conflict between North Korea and South Korea was a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
- Vietnam War (1955-1975): The Vietnam War was a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
- Afghan War (1979-1989): The Afghan War was a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
- Syrian Civil War (2011-present): The Syrian Civil War is a proxy war between the United States and Russia.
- Yemeni Civil War (2015-present): The Yemeni Civil War is a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.