While every species has the capability to act violently towards other creatures; no other organism on the planet does so with such frequency or intensity as human beings. Throughout humanities history violence has targeted people for their beliefs, their ethnicity, and their resources and sometimes for no reason whatsoever. However history has shown that death tolls are always the highest when violence is influenced by political motives. Individuals in socio-political terrorist organizations commit a specific type of Political violence and it is used in an attempt to destabilize the states control over the society they govern. One of these groups was known as the Red Army Faction and was responsible for plaguing West Germany with the most violent acts it had seen since the end of WW2. While it is easy to pass judgment on the Red Army Faction's acts of violence alone, it is when one examines the group's origins, beliefs, and goals that one is able to gain a better understanding of the organization's actions.
[...] 24 April 1975 RAF “Commando Holger Meins”, occupy the West German Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden and demand the release of 26 political prisoners The West German government refuses to negotiate and the guerillas execute the Military and Economic Attaches. Police storm the building, detonating explosives, explosives the guerilla had laid. Ulrich Wessel is killed, Siegfried Hausner is fatally insured, and five other guerillas are injured. 4 May 1976 In a common statement, RAF prisoners claim responsibility for the RAF's May 1972 Offensive and demand POW status under the Geneva Convention 9 May 1976 RAF member Ulrike Meinhof raped and murdered in prison. [...]
[...] Prior to examining the acts of violence committed by the Red Army Faction it is crucial that their ideologies are explored in order to illustrate their underlying motives. The primary beliefs of this organization rested on the notion that the imperialist neo-colonial state of West Germany was comparable to the fascism prominent in the Nazi era (ARL1:8). Furthermore the RAF's goals were not to overthrow the state itself but instead to provoke the state into putting harsh countermeasures into place to combat their group. [...]
[...] One of these groups was known as the Red Army Faction and was responsible for plaguing West Germany with the most violent acts it had seen since the end of WW2. While it is easy to pass judgment on the Red Army Faction's acts of violence alone, it is when one examines the group's origins, beliefs, and goals that one is able to gain a better understanding of the organization's actions. Before one begins examining the violence committed by the Red Army Faction they must examine how the group was created as well as its defining characteristics. [...]
[...] The acts which followed were responsible for ending the German Autumn and essentially ended the success the Red Army Faction had obtained up to this point. On the date of October 13th 1977 the negotiations for Schleyer's release became stagnant and the RAF decided to take joint credit for Palestinian Group's hijacking of a plane of 90 people flying from Spain to Frankfurt Germany. This only worsened negotiations as the group demanded the release of 11RAF members as well as the release of 2 Palestinian militants. [...]
[...] While this was successful at first, the imprisoned RAF members began bringing the states abusive treatment to light and began inspiring fellow revolutionaries through the use of hunger strikes (ARL1:10). Thus the RAF's bombing campaigns and hunger strikes allowed the group to slightly demonize the state in accordance with their ideology. However this was only the beginning as the next large offensive became initiated as a result of the hunger strikes. While the leaders and other imprisoned RAF members continued their hunger strikes one of their members finally succumbed to his malnourishment. [...]
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