Left-wing terrorism

Left-wing terrorism may be defined as violence committed by groups or individuals on the political left in order to achieve a political goal through the creation of fear. However, this initial definition can be fleshed out in various different ways as what counts as "terrorism" is disputed.

Many left-wing groups and movements claim to unequivocally reject terrorism either on moral grounds or for being counter-productive in advancing the progressive cause. Groups on the far-left tend to have mixed feelings about political violence. They generally try to differentiate the violent actions of unsupported minority groups, of which they are critical, with guerrilla struggles and extreme civil disobedience (e.g. rioting), of which they are less critical, uncritical or even supportive.

Perhaps one of the earliest practitioners of what could be termed left-wing terrorism was the Narodniks in Russia in the late 19th and early 20th century. They aimed to overthrow the oppressive authoritarianism of the Tsarist state by systematic attacks on the Tsar and his ministers. Even as a response to such a regime, aimed at the leaders of the regime, their strategy was hotly debated within the Russian left, for example in a discussion of the Narodniks Leon Trotsky wrote:

'In our eyes, individual terror is inadmissible precisely because it belittles the role of the masses in their own consciousness, reconciles them to their own powerlessness, and turns their eyes and hopes toward a great avenger and liberator who someday will come and accomplish his mission.'

In the 1970s various leftwing groups sprang up from the social movements of the time, such as Weathermen and the Symbionese Liberation Army in the U.S., the Angry Brigade in Britain, the Baader-Meinhof group in Germany, the Red Brigades in Italy and so on. These groups were impatient with the pace of progress the social movements had achieved. They turned to acts of terrorism in order to either hasten what they deemed progress or in order to shock the populace into dissatisfaction with the status quo. The actual result of their activities was to divide the left and they failed to inflict serious damage on their "ruling classes".

It is also generally accepted that Communist states have used mass murder, torture and other forms of cruelty in order to further their political ideologies. For example, both Stalin and Mao committed atrocities in the name of Communism, are on a par with those committed by Hitler in the name of Nazism. Depending upon the definition one uses this qualifies as terrorism, specifically as State Terrorism.

In response to terrorism committed for goals that are not specifically socialist, such as nationalist terrorism, whilst being critical those on the left often claim that "you can not compare the violence of the oppressed to the violence of the oppresser".

Examples of left-wing terrorist groups

• Brigate Rosse (Red Brigades).
• National Liberation Army (Colombia)
• Red Army Faction, also known as Baader-Meinhof Gang
• Shining Path
• Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
• Revolutionary Organization 17 November
• Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front
• Abu Nidal Organization, also known as Fatah Revolutionary Council
• Animal Liberation Front
• Benevolence International Foundation (BIF)
• Black September
• Earth Liberation Front
• Irish Republican Army
• Palestine Liberation Front
• Weather Underground
• Sandinista National Liberation Front (prior to seizing power)
• Viet Cong

Further reading

• Marxism on Terrorism by John Molyneux
• Terrorism and Communism by Karl Kautsky