Learning from Someone Else’s War: Insurgent Leadership Style, Diffusion and Comparative Insights on Rebel Group Trajectories from Peru and Nepal

Why do some rebel organisations collapse at the end of war while others endure and metamorphose? Based on a comparison of Peru’s Shining Path and Nepal’s Maoists, this article leverages 50 original interviews alongside documentary evidence to highlight the role of different leadership styles in shaping post-conflict survival. In Peru, the dogmatism of Guzmán made Shining Path unwilling to negotiate, culminating in its collapse. By contrast, key Nepali Maoists, notably the moderates, adopted a pragmatic approach with an openness to peace talks. These leaders learned from Shining Path’s disintegration, and chose to act differently, thereby securing post-conflict organisational survival.