The Cause:
The cause of the rise of the RAF was the slow realization by
the younger generation that though the Nazi’s were kicked out of power, there
were a great deal of them still holding positions in government. The members in
the beginning were heavily influenced by Che Guevara and Mao Zedong, and
Meinhoff was even active within the communist party.
Generation One:
Baader, Ensslin,
Meinhof, Holger Meins, and Jan-Carl Raspe were the heads, they borrowed some
phrases from the Americans and crafted a careful image of the group. Being anti
imperialist, and outlaws. They even had a flag designed. Eventually they were
all arrested and Meinhoff killed herself. (Doesn’t help the me thinking she’s a
coward thing) and Meins died of starvation.
Generation Two:
A bunch of
sympathizers of the first generation, their great claim to fame was kidnapping
a candidate for mayor of Berlin in an attempt to release the fellas already
arrested. Luckily for all of us Generation one was sentenced to life in prison.
Generation Three:
With the fall of the
Soviet Union the RAF took a huge hit. (Hooray!!!) In 1990 it was revealed that
the East Germans had been providing funding to the RAF. The government in a
huge mistake said they would release some of the RAF prisoners they had
captured should violence deescalate.
Comparison to Terrorism Today
I feel like terrorism today is a little more suicidal. The
RAF still had the mentality for self preservation. Willing to die for the cause
sure. But only as a last resort. Where as most of the terrorist attacks you
hear about today end with suicide bombing. Today to die for the cause is preferable
to living and fighting tomorrow.
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