English Vocabulary in Use - 44 War and peace

a last resort

something you do when everything else has failed

diplomacy

activities concerning the relationships between governments

sanctions

official orders, such as the stopping of trade, taken against a country to make it obey international law

weaponry

weapons in general / of different types

civilian casualties

people injured or killed who are not members of the military or the police

intervention

intentionally becoming involved in a difficult situation to improve it or stop it from getting worse

regime change

changing the government or leader of a country, especially by force

tyrannical

using power in a cruel way over people in a country or group

overthrow

remove somebody from power using force

civil war

war between to groups who live in the same country

unrest

disagreement or fighting between groups

clashes

fights or arguments

rival

people who compete against each other

ethnic

national or racial

escalate

become greater or more serious

all-out

complete and total

brutal suppression

violent and cruel ending of the right or freedom to do something

ethnic cleansing

organised attempt by one racial or political group to completely remove from a country or area anyone who belongs to another particular racial group, using violence to achieve this

massacres

the killing of large numbers of people

conflict resolution

finding a way to end conflict and the negative feelings between groups

mistrust

lack or absence of trust

hatred

a feeling of dislike

waged war on

fought a war against

hostilities

acts of war

besieged

attacked by surrounding it for a period of time

ambushed

attacked unexpectedly from secret positions

truce

agreement during a war to stop fighting for a time

ceasefire

agreement between two armies or groups to stop fighting

peacekeeping force

neutral soldiers who keep the peace in a divided society

international observers

outside, neutral people or body

campaign

planned group of military activities

rebellion

people fighting against their government

suicide bomber

person who lets off explosives, deliberately killing themselves in the process