The first major change to occur was related to the civil war between the Hutu-dominated government and the Tutsi-dominated rebels. The second major change was the change of political party in Rwanda. These changes in government occurred over a 40-year period, demonstrating the instability and vulnerability of the state. This instability and vulnerability made it easy for the Hutu, who made up the majority of the population, to take power. When communism fell, Rwanda came under pressure from France to abandon one-party rule. When Rwanda did this, it led to Hutu opposition that created the Hutu Emancipation Movement Party (MDR). Straus notes that these changes in political institutions alter the dynamics of