We know very little about political dynamics in states that have just experienced an internal war, despite the increasing need to deal with such states in the post-Cold War world. Matthew Krain examines what prompts leaders in post-revolutionary states to employ repression or accommodation. Through statistical analysis and case studies of Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia, he also examines the effects of these choices on how the domestic opposition reacts, what type of political system develops in the new state, and whether or not the leaders who institute these policies survive in power in the long run. Krain concludes with a series of policy recommendations.