A proxy war, or proxy warfare, is a war in which opposite sides use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly. States sometimes use less powerful states as proxies but more often use violent non-state actors, mercenaries, and other third parties, such as during a civil war. They may give their proxies money, weapons, training, or other help. The hope is to strike an opponent without a full-scale war, especially one that could involve the nuclear bomb.