The United States and the international community intervened in a number of internal conflicts throughout the 1990s, generally justifying their actions on humanitarian grounds. In most cases, external military intervention largely halted the fighting and allowed humanitarian assistance to be distributed. However, it has become apparent that simply halting the fighting has not allowed these countries to create stable governments and harmonious societies.; This dissertation is based on the premise that if external actors---foreign governments, international organizations, and private groups---cannot figure out how to lay a foundation for a stable, longer-term peace, there will be decreasing support for international intervention and peacekeeping/peacebuilding missions in the future. This dissertation argues that, although the external actors have undertaken many activities in the aftermath of a military intervention in an attempt to consolidate peace, sufficient attention has not been paid to (re)constructing the state as a capable, effective, and legitimate entity. While (re)constructing the state is only a portion of what needs to be done to bring about a stable, long-term peace, it provides a necessary foundation upon which to structure the other activities.; This dissertation argues that external actors must help (re)construct a state that is able to perform functions along three dimensions. First, the state must be capable of exercising authority over its territory and providing security to its citizens. Second, the state must be effective at resolving conflicts through its institutions and promoting the general welfare of its citizens. Third, the state must form a political identity and be viewed as legitimate by those who live under it.; Through examining external actions in Somalia, Bosnia, and Kosovo, twenty-three lessons are drawn, nine of which are applicable to interventions in general and the remaining fourteen specific to statebuilding efforts. These lessons are then used to anticipate what would need to be done if external actors decided to undertake a statebuilding mission in Sierra Leone.
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