Preview

The four waves of modern terrorism

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1570 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The four waves of modern terrorism
Modern terrorism, as deduced from this literature, is acts to violence strategically used by secular groups spanning international borders with the aim of achieving a desired outcome. Further, it can be seen as organized activity whose genesis can be traced back to the 1880’s. From then to now there are identifiable traits and patterns observed from different (terrorist) groups which have allowed for the conceptualization of the term modern terrorism. This concept therefore, can be best explained in the context of being a wave or having a life cycle. That means it is a cycle of activity demarked by phases from inception and expands along the way then eventually it declines. The world, thus far, has experienced four waves of modern terrorism each following in chronological order with periods of overlapping. The first was the Anarchist wave followed by the Anticolonial, then the New Left and now the Religious wave. This summary will give a brief history of each of the four waves then the similarities and differences would be discussed.
The Anarchist wave which was the birth of international terrorist activity started in Russia. It resonated at the time of revolt against the Czar Alexander II lead government who could not deliver on his promise to provide funds for the serfs to buy land. There were other social and politic issues that left people dissatisfied with the governance. As a result there was a spate of assassinations against prominent officials which eventually lead to the death of Alexander. The justification of such acts was that it was necessary to liberate humanity for its oppressors. As enshrined in their philosophy anarchist believed that their (terror) actions would eventually force those in support of the government to undermine the said doctrines they support then causing society to become polarize making way for a revolution. The anarchist doctrine spread to other states, primarily to those with established Russian diaspora. They

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The main point of the article was to convey that "today's terrorists are ultimately more apocalyptic in their perspective and methods." In short, their mindset changed from; a means to an end to becoming the end in itself. Most recently studies have shown that terrorism changed from the ideas of the past. Paul Wilkinson, Professor of International Relations and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Centre for the Study…

    • 1211 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Modern day, international terrorism origins arguably dates back to the events on July 22nd 1968 in which the terrorist group the PLO changed the foundations of terrorism and caused a considerable shift in a modern terrorist’s approach. The year 1968 marked a radical shift in how terrorists operated and their objectives as a group, when a commercial air flight was hijacked by the PLO from Rome to Tel Aviv. This was a major turning point for three main reasons. Firstly, it was the first hijacking where its purpose was not to divert the plane but to make a bold political statement. El Al was Israel’s national airline and was a symbol of the Israeli state. The hijacking also the forced the state to directly deal with the terrorists. Second, the hijacking influenced people on an international scale. The fact that the terrorists were intending to trade hostages for imprisoned Palestinian terrorists in Israel was shocking to the wider audience watching this. In addition, it was the first time a terrorist organization began operating regularly at the international level, leaving its home turf to attack citizens of a foreign country who, in many cases, had nothing to do with their struggle in order to promote their political cause before an international audience. Finally though the combination of dramatic political statement, symbolic targeting and crisis induced de facto recognition, the terrorists recognized they had the power to create major media events. This was significant in that they realized media attention meant power. This was the first time they were being heard by the world and that their cause was being sympathized with, which was a great stepping stone for resolving their problems.…

    • 1152 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the book “Understanding the war on Terror”, I have got a full understanding of how the world terrorisms world. The idea of terrorism was actually established several centuries ago. Generally, terrorism is not only practiced by Rational Islamic group like Hezbollah or Al-Qeada; it had been planned in the Nazi, and the Soviet Government before and after the second world war. The dictator of these states such as Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong … used terrors to take full controls of their states. They used many different ways to remove their oppositions. After World War II and the Cold…

    • 1070 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Terrorism has changed dramatically over time and has only recently been so bloody and violent and on a large scale. The history of terrorism had been existent since the 1970s where the French Revolutionary Government instituted systematic state terror against the population of France by killing thousands. The way terrorism was taken out has changed over the years. Changes in the tactics and techniques of terrorists have been significant, but even more, the growth in the number of causes and social contexts where terrorism is used. Over the past 20 years, terrorists have committed violent acts for alleged political or religious reasons with these terrorist organisations been spilt up into groups according to their reasoning of attack. This may include Nationalism, Religious, Anarchist, State Sponsored, Left and Right Wing…

    • 2278 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Terrorism is not unique to contemporary society, the term ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist’ date back to the late 18th Century (Laqueur 1987 as cited in Newburn 2007, p. 871). Defining the word ‘terrorism’ is a difficult task; Walter Laqueur is said to have counted over 100 definitions of terrorism and he concluded that the only general characteristics that are most often agreed upon are that terrorism involves violence and the threat of violence (Laqueur, 1999 as cited in Furedi 2007). Although these are not new terms to society, it is important to analyse any changes in the representation, of the words ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist’ since the events on 9/11. The perceptions that individuals in society have and…

    • 2583 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This essay will endeavour to give an historical analysis of contemporary terrorism and its changing nature by focusing on three specific terrorist campaigns over the last thirty years. The essay will begin by first presenting a definition of terrorism and will move on to provide a brief account of the geographical shift in terrorism by discussing the movement from territorial based terrorism to more ideological focused campaigns. In addition, it will give a concise discussion on the theory of globalisation in relation to terrorism and the impact it has had on the growth of international terrorism. The essay will then move on to discuss three separate but equally significant terrorist campaigns within the last thirty years and will highlight how each of these terrorist campaigns became turning points in the evolution of international terrorism and evaluate how each one played a significant role in the evolution of contemporary terrorism. The three individual campaigns this paper will focus on is the 1979 Iranian revolution, the Russian intervention in Afghanistan and the September 11 attacks instigated by Al- Qaeda; this essay will highlight the importance of each of the afore mentioned terrorist campaigns and also the scale of impact they each had on international terrorism. The importance of the question this paper will endeavour to address is that terrorism is a major issue of contemporary societal life; this paper will demonstrate how terrorism is a borderless, faceless threat and as the nature of terrorism changes so too does the extremity and lethality.…

    • 2886 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In modern terrorism, there are six tactics of terrorism including bombing, hijacking, arson, assault, kidnapping, and hostage taking. However, over the past four decades, the weaponry of terrorism has developed to include coercions from weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, threats from terrorism have expanded into the virtual world (Internet), where attacks made by cyber terrorists has become just as effective and damaging as physical attacks. For example, a terrorist who can hack into a city’s power grid system and shut it down is able to create as much fear and panic as a bomb. While the six tactics of terrorism can create a vast amount of destruction and chaos, terrorists can also use the concept of multiplying force to enhance the impact of their actions even further.…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Modern terrorism involves the heartless killing of children throwing stones at tanks, deaths of pregnant women at security roadblocks, suicide bombings carried out in buses and discotheques, the terrorizing of luminous cities at night with bombing sorties, and the incineration of worshippers at mosques.” . Since the attacks on the twin towers on September 11, many people fear Islamic terrorism, but Islamic terrorist organizations did not just begin with the 9/11 attacks. Different terrorist organizations, such as Al Qaeda and the Moslem Brothers have existed for many years, although some have died out, others still thrive, and some of the organizations spark the beginning of new terrorist regimes. Islamic terrorist organizations have formed…

    • 1355 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Terrorism has become an important topic in the recent decades, often as a negative connotation of immorality. Does terrorism as used by the modern states mean what they expunge? The documentary My Daughter the Terrorist and lecture by Dr. Bryan present different pictures on some realities behind the term terrorism. My Daughter the Terrorist focuses on the life of a soldier in the Tamil Tigers, what is considered a terrorist organization in Sri Lanka. Dr. Bryan is an Irish anthropologist that is looking at modern definitions and explanations for the label terrorism.…

    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Put as simply as possible, however, terrorism is the “indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens for political goals” (Hislope and Mughan 262). Terrorism is a multifaceted, complicated concept with deep roots, which is what makes it so difficult to define. Terrorism is not an ideology, but it is a “method, a technique, a tactic” that a variety of groups use to achieve their political goals (Hislope and Mughan 239). Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin described terrorism as “‘propaganda by the deed,’” suggesting that this kind of violence is simply a method of demonstrating a point that would not otherwise be heard (239). While terrorism definitely has gained prevalence in recent years, it “is anything but new,” with general origins dating back to the biblical Zealots (Rodenbeck 1). The term “‘terrorism’” first emerged during the French Revolution amid the Reign of Terror (Hislope and Mughan 248). However, the modern understanding of terrorism first emerged in the twentieth century, as non-governmental groups attempted to combat the increasing globalization occurring throughout the…

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socially, terrorism is viewed as a deviant act against the public. From a structuralist perspective, terrorism is a result in a faulty public structure. Structuralist believe terrorism is a result of society’s failure to include a social group within its structure, especially politically. In western politics, terrorism is often defined as an unlawful use of violence, force, and intimidation in the pursuit of political goals. It often is aimed at civilians in order to gain a response from a government or an organization.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Terrorism has changed and developed across the world over time, much like the world has changed and developed over time. Advancements in technology, communications, military and transportation have also aided in the advancement of terrorist ability. Most countries, as well as the people residing in them, have dramatically advanced their capabilities in all areas, including terrorism, with each passing decade. The phrase ‘terrorism’ was originally coined in the late 1700s in reference to European governments attempting to gain a stronghold over the people and initiate their ideas (Roberts, 2002). However, this began to change in the late 1800s when non-governmental organizations began developing with a mission to overthrow their unsatisfactory…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Terrorism is a trend which spans centuries, continents and ideologies. It is the act of committing violence against others, be they civilian, military or governments in order to raise awareness about a group, ideology or cause. Throughout history terrorism has been influenced by many forces but three key forces have shaped this trend the most significantly. Religion is often a driving force for acts of terror especially when the perpetrators of terrorism believe their religious practices and views are being oppressed.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hoffman And Terrorism

    • 1913 Words
    • 8 Pages

    There is a seemingly endless bevy of varying definitions of terrorism, yet all of these definitions lead towards terrorism as a concept and have certain common features. One primary concept is evident in all descriptions; terrorism is fundamentally and inherently political. This key characteristic of terrorism is absolutely paramount to understanding its aims, motivations and purposes and is critical in distinguishing it from other types of violence, such as organised…

    • 1913 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    ISIS A Religion

    • 1314 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In this book, several key authors contribute volumes of essays that deal with the definitions of terrorism, what qualifies as terrorism and Igor Priomoratz’s dictum that there are really only two philosophical questions about terrorism: first, “What is it?” and, second, “Can it ever be justified?” these ontological and ethical questions. This book will help me examine, the purpose of terrorism by analyzing and taking different approaches on these issues. This book is relevant for my research, due to wide knowledge and interpretation of terrorism, which will help aid me in drafting this annotated…

    • 1314 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics