Abstract:
The so-called Islamic State (IS) has shocked the world with its intense brutality, the extent of its territorial and psychological control, and the speed with which it rose to power. I will approach the questions of what factors allowed and caused this group to come into power and to stay as strong as it has, and what might be expected for its future. I will provide summaries of historical contexts within Iraq and Syria, the current economic and political situation in the Islamic State, and an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses based on internal and external factors, showing that although the battle with the Islamic State is not finished, the Caliphate ultimately cannot endure.
