Final answer:
Jared Diamond identified environmental factors, among others, as key to the collapse of Rwandan society. Environmental degradation combined with political strife and ethnic conflict contributed to the region's turmoil. These elements are common threads in the collapse of various societies throughout history.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jared Diamond analyzed factors contributing to societal collapses and in the context of Rwanda, he proposed that environmental elements played critical roles. Looking at historical societal collapses, we see that environmental degradation, climate change, and the impacts of these on resources and population densities are recurring themes. These challenges are often compounded by other issues such as political failures and warfare, which can be both a consequence and a catalyst of societal decline.
In the case of Rwanda, environmental factors intertwined with political strife and ethnic conflict leading to catastrophic consequences. The violent conflicts that occurred there and in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo involved struggles over resources and compounded environmental stresses with disastrous effects on society.
Though Diamond's most famous work, 'Guns, Germs, and Steel', focuses on different aspects of societal development and collapse, it is important to note that environmental pressures are a consistent factor. These are often exacerbated by human actions, such as warfare and political mismanagement, which have been evident in the history of many African nations as they cope with the legacies of colonialism and ethnic tensions.