The History of Terrorism - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The History of Terrorism

Unit

8Slide2

I. The History of Terrorism

A. The beginning of terrorism cannot

be determined since most researchers believe terror was used as a tool long before written language documented it.

1. References in ancient documents do suggest that terror against various parts of the population was common as long as 4000 years agoB. Terrorist commit acts of terror for various reasons. 1. Politics, Religion, and Ideology are the main reasons behind most terrorist attacks. 2. Attacks are conducted in order to send a message usually in hope of changing the status quo.

“Kill one, frighten ten thousand”

Sun Tzu, c. 500BCSlide3

II. Ancient Terrorism

A. The

most common form of terrorism was torture, maiming, arson, and destruction of agriculture goods

such as livestock, crops, and toolsB. Babylon, Persia, Judea, and many other civilizations in the Fertile Crescent used tactics we would consider terrorism.Slide4

III. Early Religious Terrorism

A. Among

the earliest examples of terrorist actions for political reasons were the

Zealots, a first century religious and political group in Judea. 1. The Zealots strongly opposed outside (Roman) control/rule of Judea. 2. The Zealots would assassinate Roman and Jewish leaders alike in broad daylight in order to send a message to anyone who did not support a free Judea. 3. The Zealots achieved little, except to

trigger

heavy Roman control over the Jews

and

the

closing

off of Jerusalem to Jews. Slide5

The Assassins

B. The Assassins were an

11th century offshoot of a Shia Muslim sect known as the

Nizari Ismailis. 1. Like the Zealots, the Assassins also stabbed their victims in broad daylight with witnesses in order to send a message. 2. The Assassins generally focused on politicians or clerics who refused to adopt the purified version of Islam

which the Assassins were forcibly spreading.

3. We get the modern day word Assassins from this group but the Arabic word for assassins literally means

‘hashish-eater’ ‑ a reference to the ritualistic

drug-taking

they were

rumored

to indulge in prior

to

undertaking their missionsSlide6

The Assassins

4. The

Assassins’ deeds were carried out at religious sites on holy days – a tactic intended to publicize their cause and incite others to it.

5. Like many religiously inspired terrorists today, they also viewed their deaths on such operations as sacrificial and a guarantee that they would enter paradise. Slide7

The Thuggees

C. Sacrifice

was also a central element of the killings carried out by the

Thuggees; from which we get the word Thug. 1. Thuggees were an Indian religious cult who ritually strangled their victims (usually travelers chosen at random) as an offering to Kali, the Hindu goddess of terror and destruction.

2. In

this case, the intent was to terrify the

victim rather

than

influence

any external

audience

. Slide8

The Thuggees

3. Active

from the

14th century until the mid-19th century, the Thugees are thought to be responsible for as many as 1 million murders. 4. They were perhaps the last example of religiously-inspired terrorism until the phenomenon reemerged a little over 20 years ago. Slide9

IV.

Nationalists and Anarchists

The French

1. The English word ‘terrorism’ comes from the regime de la terreur that prevailed in France during the French Revolution. 2. Originally an instrument of the state, the Reign of Terror was designed to protect the state from enemies of the revolution. 3. Terror was actually a positive term at the time.

4

. The French revolutionary leader, Maximillian

Robespierre

,

viewed

it as vital if the new French Republic

was

to survive its

infancy “Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue; it is not so much a special

principle as it is a consequence of the general principle of democracy applied to our country's most urgent needs.”

Maximillien

Robespierre, 1794Slide10
Slide11

IV. Nationalists and Anarchists

B. The

early part of the 20

th Century saw a mixture of anarchist and state-sponsored terrorism. 1. For instance, officials in the Serbian government and military were involved (albeit unofficially) in supporting, training and arming the members of the terrorist group The Black Hand who helped start World War I with the assassination of

Archduke

Franz Ferdinand

on

June

28, 1914 in Sarajevo

.

2. U.S. Presidents James Garfield (1881) and William McKinley (1901) were both assassinated by anarchist. Slide12

V. IRA

A. The IRA: Irish Republican Army is both a Nationalistic and Religious movement that has occasionally resorted to terrorism to achieve its goals throughout its existence.

1. The IRA battled against Britain for control of Ireland.

2. In 1922 an agreement was made to divide Ireland in half. Catholic southern Ireland would become the self governing country of Ireland and the Protestant northern part would become British supported Northern Ireland. 3. The division of Ireland did little to resolve the tensions between pro-British Protestants and nationalist Catholics in Northern Ireland. Slide13

IRA

4. Conflict grew in the 1960’s when civil rights groups demanded voting reforms to eliminate discrimination against Catholics.

5. The IRA was officially disbanded in 1969 but that didn’t end the violence in the region.

6. On Sunday, January 30, 1972 British soldiers opened fire on a group of protestors wounding 17 and killing 13. This incident would become known as Bloody Sunday. 7. This and ongoing violence caused Great Britain to impose direct rule over Northern Ireland later that year. Slide14

VI. Middle Eastern Terrorism

A. Much of the terrorism in the Middle East is actually Muslim on Muslim, or Sunni vs. Shia.

The Sunnis and the Shia, or Shiites are two competing sects of Islam.

2. The rift took place hundreds of years ago when they could not decide on who was to take over for Muhammad following his death. 3. This Sectarian violence, as it is k

nown as, has claimed thousands of innocent lives over the centuries. Slide15

VI. Middle Eastern Terrorism

B.

However, most

of the terrorism in the Middle East has been directed toward Israel by such groups as: HamasHezbollahand Al Qaeda. Slide16

VI. Middle Eastern Terrorism

C. Al

Qaeda

is most known for its attacks on the U.S. on September, 11 2001. 1. The attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon is the deadliest attack in the history of terrorism. 2. Over 3000 lives were lost that day and the financial impact to the United States could be measured in the billions. Slide17

VI. Middle Eastern Terrorism

D. Osama

Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda stated that he attacked the U.S. for three reasons

. 1. He felt that America was morally corrupt and was in violation of Islamic Law. 2. He was outraged that America went to Iraq in 1990. This was a violation of Islamic law to him. 3. America’s support of and role in the creation of Israel was also a source of outrage for him. Slide18

VI. Middle Eastern Terrorism

E. The attacks of 9/11 ignited an international “War on Terror”.

1. This war on terror has brought about increased security in public places, especially public transportation, throughout the world. 2. In 2002 the U.S. ousted the Taliban from control of Afghanistan and started wage war on Middle Eastern terrorist groups. 3. However, terrorist attacks have not decreased world wide since the “War on Terror” began, in fact they have increased tremendously since the attacks of 9/11. Why might this occurrence happen?