POLITICAL TERRORISM
Political Terrorism PAUL WILKINSON Lecturer in Politics, University College, Cardiff Macmillan Education
Government and Opposition 1974 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1974 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission. First published 1974 by THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD London and Basingstoke Associated companies in New York Dublin Melbourne Johannesburg and Madras SBN 333 16812 7 (hard cover) 333 17469 0 (paper cover) ISBN 978-0-333-17469-2 ISBN 978-1-349-15550-7 (ebook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-15550-7 For Rachel, John, and Charles Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 74-18470 The paperback edition of this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other 'than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Contents Preface 7 1 Concepts of Terror and Terrorism 9 2 An Elementary Typology of Political Terrorism 32 3 Revolutionary and Sub-revolutionary Terrorism 45 A. The righteous assassins 45 B. Terror against indigenous autocracy 55 C. Liberation from foreign rule 74 D. Resistance against totalitarianism 107 E. Terror against liberal democracies 109 F. International and sub-revolutionary terrorism 120 G. Pathology and Theory 125 4 Counter-measures 136 Bibliography 152
Preface The extended essay which follows is primarily concerned with the theoretical and comparative analysis of revolutionary terrorism, that is to say, with the use of terrorist tactics by revolutionary movements. It does not, however, exclude consideration of terroristic usages of war and the repressive terrorism of the state. Indeed it is argued here that each of these major sources of terror is intimately related both to the emergence of revolutionary terrorism and the conditions for its success or failure. Rather less space is given to the discussion of what we have termed 'sub-revolutionary' terrorism, that is to say, individual or isolated acts of terror which do not appear to be undertaken for revolutionary motives. In some, though by no means all, cases sub-revolutionary terrorism belongs to the realms of psychosis and crime rather than to political activism. This is not to deny that such acts may have unforeseen political consequences. I should like to thank my College and my colleagues in the Department of Politics, Dr j. A. Cross, Mr R. E. jones and Mrs G. jones, for enabling me to spend the summer in British Columbia, where most of the book was planned and prepared. I owe a special debt to Professor Ghita Ionescu for encouraging me to write this book, and for his invaluable Editorial criticisms. My thanks also to the staffs of Simon Fraser University Department of History and the libraries at Simon Fraser, University of British Columbia, and University College, Cardiff, for their patience and assistance. The following are among those who have given generous encouragement and advice: Dr E. McWhinney, Simon Fraser University, Dr Leslie Paul, and Mr Richard Emery. My warmest thanks also to Mrs Sheila Spencer of University College, Cardiff, for typing the manuscript so meticulously, and to Mrs Elizabeth Bottomley of Macmillan. The faults and shortcomings of the book are, of course, the sole responsibility of the author. Last but not least, I thank my wife Susan for her invaluable help and for skilfully diverting three boisterous children. December, 1973 P.w.