Networks of Violence: The Rise and Fall of Shabbiha Paramilitary Groups in Aleppo After 2011

This dissertation explores the emergence and operation of paramilitarism in Aleppo, Syria, in the context of the uprising and the civil war that followed in 2011. It examines how civilians were mobilised and armed to join these paramilitary groups and exercise violence against protesters of the Assad regime. While a considerable amount of research has been conducted both theoretically and empirically on how and why governments and dictatorial regimes rely on paramilitary groups, we know relatively little about how civilians are mobilised into these groups. Most scholars focus on the connection between states and criminal networks. In contrast, I aim to understand the logic of paramilitary violence in civil war by analysing the networks and brokers involved in civilian mobilisation towards violent action within the Syrian context. In doing so, this project highlights the often-overlooked role of paramilitary networks within civil communities in violent conflict and explores how macro-level cleavages are projected and negotiated locally. The primary focus is on intra-community links among individuals in civilian roles and their agency in mobilising civilians to oppress fellow citizens and, if necessary, to use violence against them. The project investigates the histories of paramilitary groups in Aleppo and seeks to answer how and why civilians became actively involved in repression. Accordingly, this research aims to contribute to the literature on paramilitary mobilisation by examining factors beyond the state as the main instigators of such formations.