On 22 May 1990, a long-standing Yemeni national dream became a reality when North and South Yemen were united in the Republic of Yemen. The process of political integration was violently disrupted four years later, however, and civil war broke out. This book is an examination of the 1994 civil war by five international area experts. The events leading up to the conflict are viewed from both Northern and Southern perspectives. The inherent tensions in wedding a socialist society with a traditional, tribal-dominated one are analyzed in an attempt to discover the extent to which each of the contending parties attempted to impose its view of the world on the other. The South’s fear of Islamic fundamentalism emanating from the North is contrasted with Northern concerns of a Southern push to advance social progress at the expense of traditionalism. The regional implications of the civil war are also examined. In assessing the consequences for the Arabian Peninsula, particular attention is paid to Yemen’s capacity to influence events in the region, its relationship with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states and the functioning of a balance-of-power system in the area.