Raging from 1975 to 1990, the Lebanese Civil War was complex and multifaceted. Estimates suggest between 150 thousand to 230 thousand civilians were killed, with roughly a quarter of the population (one million) wounded. As Marie's story illustrates, a further one million people fled Lebanon, with the postwar occupation of Lebanon by Syria driving into exile more of the Christian population, especially the leadership. Assassinations were random and not uncommon. Little consensus exists on what triggered the Lebanese Civil War. Perhaps the most widely accepted explanation is one emphasizing the breakdown of the fragile institutional and political arrangements designed to maintain balance despite underlying sectarian divisions. This breakdown was precipitated by unequal birthrates of the diverse communities within Lebanon plus the influx and militarization of a large Palestinian refugee population, especially the arrival of Palestinian Liberation Organization guerrilla forces. The result was a militarization of feudal militia and a resulting arms race among the diverse Lebanese political factions. The war involved shifting alliances and great political uncertainty as much of Beirut lay in ruins during the 1980s.

My name's Marie and I’m eighty-two. [Marie smiled and winked.] I had five children; now I have four. I lost my eldest daughter a long time ago. During the war in ’75, I was living in Beirut. During the war, they were all shooting at us.