The Lebanese Civil War was fought from April 13, 1975, to October 13, 1990, between Christian militias, Palestinian groups, and Syrian forces, stemming from political tension rooted in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system (https://www.britannica.com/event/Lebanese-Civil-War).

The unwavering power balance that was established in Lebanon showed demographic changes and mounting external pressures. For example, the Civil War saw alliances shift among regional militias, involvement by Israel and Syria, as well as the rise of the Hezbollah terrorist group. That being said, external participants such as the Palestine Liberation Organization launched operations against Israel, as they invaded Southern Lebanon in 1978 and 1982 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War).

During the Lebanese Civil War, Hezbollah was founded in 1982 as a response to Israel's invasion of Lebanon during the same year, and grew as a movement of "resistance," a dominant force in Lebanese politics, and contributing to the country's instability (https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/political-instability-lebanon).

Overall, the war resulted in 120,000 deaths, 800,000 Lebanese emigrating, and one million people being internally displaced (https://agbu.org/middle-east-today/lebanon-scars-civil-war).

The significance of the war lies in how it transformed the nation from one of coexistence into a major battle for regional and international interests. These interests from external actors played a role in the long-term consequences for governance, sectarian relations, and the rise of non-state actors.

Today, Lebanon’s political system remains heavily fragile. Tensions continue to rise as Hezbollah remains in power, with economic, political, and citizen crises continuing to grow.