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The term Communist terrorism has been used to describe forms of organized violence used by some Marxist, socialist, communist or similar left-wing groups during revolutionary struggle, or during the consolidation or maintenance of power after revolutionary victory (see state terror). The term derives from some early Marxists and socialists, who idealized the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution as an example of class struggle.

Left wing revolutionary groups which engage in violence generally predicate it on one of two grounds:

• The concept - adapted from historical materialism - that all remnants of the previous mode of production must be 'swept away' to solidify the new mode of production. This may continue on after the establishment of a left wing state (see Stalinism for an example).
• The belief among some later Marxists that lower classes lack an appropriate class consciousness (see false consciousness) and need to be shocked into awareness of their state. This kind of "liberating violence" is designed to spur the revolution on, often on the assumption that the lower classes will rise up once the weakness of the upper classes is exposed.

Communist terrorism was predominantly a feature of the middle of the 20th century, extending from the Russian revolution out through numerous third-world revolutions, militia organizations, and small-scale political movements in developed nations. Revolutionary Marxism faded In the latter half of the 20th century, and terrorist tactics were instead adopted by a broad range of other groups, particularly right-wing nationalist militias, totalitarian governments of any political stripe, and religiously-motivated groups like the IRA and Al-Queda.

Origin of Revolutionary terror

German Social Democrat Karl Kautsky trace the origins of revolutionary terror to the "Reign of Terror" of the French Revolution.

Western perspectives on terrorism committed by groups claiming adherence to Communist ideology

Terrorism in the form of 'communist fighting organizations' which operated in western Europe was seen as a threat by NATO and also by the Italian, German and British governments. In recent years, there has been a marked decrease in such terrorism, which has been substantially credited to the end of the Cold War and the fall of the U.S.S.R. However, at its apogee, communism was argued by some to be the major source of international terrorism (whether inspired by the ideology or supported by its states).

See also

• List of designated terrorist organizations

Further reading

• Deletant, Dennis (1999) Communist Terror in Romania, C. Hurst & Co, ISBN 1850653860
• Adelman, Jonathan (1984) Terror and Communist Politics: The Role of the Secret Police in Communist States, Westview Press, ISBN 0865312931
• Evgeni Genchev (2003) Tales from the Dark: Testimonies about the Communist Terror, ACET 2003, ISBN 9549320014

References

1. Martin, Gus (2009). Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues. SAGE. p. 44. ISBN 9781412970594. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
2. Alexander, Yonah; Pluchinsky, Dennis A. (1October 1992). Europe's red terrorists: the fighting communist organizations (1st ed.). Routledge. p. 183. ISBN 978-0714634883. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. Martin, pages 223-4
4. Karl Kautsky (1919). "Revolution and Terror". Terrorism and Communism. Kautsky said: "It is, in fact, a widely spread idea that Terrorism belongs to the very essence of revolution, and that whoever wants a revolution must somehow come to some sort of terms with terrorism. As proof of this assertion, over and over again the great French Revolution has been cited." (Translated by W.H. Kerridge) {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
5. The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
6. Paoletti, Ciro (30 December 2007). A military history of Italy. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 978-0275985059.
7. Wills, David C., The first war on terrorism: counter-terrorism policy during the Reagan administration, p. 219, Rowman & Littlefield, 2003
8. Crozier, Brian, Political victory: the elusive prize of military wars, p. 203, Transaction Publishers, 2005

• Articles to be merged from November 2010
• Terrorism by form