RT Article
T1 On the Pathway to Violence: West German Right-Wing Terrorism in the 1970s
JF Terrorism and political violence
VO 33
IS 1
SP 49
OP 70
A1 Manthe, Barbara 1980-
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1748353543
AB West German society faced the emergence of a new calibre of right-wing terrorism in the 1970s. Right-wing terrorist groups evolved that showed themselves willing and able to commit violent attacks such as bombings and murder. This article explores the genesis and development of right-wing terrorism in West Germany between 1970 and 1980 while examining 22 identifiable groups and lone actors and taking into consideration the radicalization within the far right as well as the prevailing social conditions. West German right-wing terrorism until 1990 has remained a blind spot in historiography to this day. This article contributes to historical terrorism studies as well as to studies into the far right while applying historical-qualitative methods and interpreting primary sources. Using an approach informed by social history, this paper sheds new light on the individual participants, groups, and networks of right-wing terrorism as well as on its topics and targets. While taking into account a more dynamic definition of right-wing terrorism, this paper disengages from definitions that identify terrorism solely as a threat to the state itself. This makes possible a multidimensional approach employing contemporary history and studies in both terrorism and right-wing extremism.
K1 Radicalization
K1 far- right
K1 Historical Study
K1 1970s
K1 Germany
K1 Right-wing extremism
K1 Right-wing terrorism
DO 10.1080/09546553.2018.1520701