(Un)stable Peace in El Salvador

Abstract In his book Stable Peace , Kenneth Boulding examines the dynamic tendencies that govern transitions from war to peace (and vice versa) as well as how either condition may become stable. Boulding’s analysis is thoroughly subjectivist, emphasizing the role of beliefs and expectations in shaping plans for managing conflict, as well as the role that perceptions of justice or injustice play in conflict resolution and escalation. We apply Boulding’s theories and leverage insights from Austrian economics to analyze the early stages of El Salvador’s civil war, with particular emphasis on its subjective elements. From 1979 to 1992, the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) fought against both El Salvador’s government forces and right-wing paramilitary death squads. What factors led to the outbreak of the war? Boulding’s work offers an analytical framework for understanding the move from unstable peace to civil war.