Divisions within ethnic groups are, contrary to nationalist claims to homogeneity, found in almost every ethnic conflict. Is such intraethnic rivalry based on differing views of how best to protect collective interests or is it largely over power and spoils? The answer to this question has important implications for our understanding of ethnic conflicts and for their potential resolution. This article analyzes intraethnic rivalry in three cases: among the Serb elites in Croatia and Bosnia and among the Armenian elite in Nagorno Karabakh. It highlights the fluidity of ethnic conflicts but also finds a common trend towards factionalization and away from popular constraints.