How Did Regimes of Violence Shape the Character and Activities of Paramilitaries?

The character and activities of the paramilitary bands were dynamic. The bands changed over time depending on the Regime of Violence in which they were operating. In this chapter, we explore the emergence and evolving nature of the three main categories of paramilitary band: partisan bands, militias and auxiliary police, and autonomous bands. At some point in the 1940s, all 13 members of our sample belonged to bands in one or other of these categories, and two members belonged to more than one. (See Table 5.1.) We will describe the main features of each of the three categories and explain how these features changed as a result of transitions from one Regime of Violence to another.