The issue of failing states has gained new urgency since the end of the Cold War. This is evidenced by the current developments in Iraq and Lebanon, as well as the unresolved aftermath in countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, and Colombia. The processes of state disintegration not only destroy the sociocultural, economic, and political foundations of the respective populations but also pose a new challenge for the international community. What internal and external causes underlie the decline of statehood? And what dimensions does this process encompass? These questions will be explored through case studies from various continents. Additionally, the category of "proto"-states acknowledges that failing statehood is not only the result of the disintegration of existing state structures but also of unsuccessful states.