The founding generation of the red army faction raf, a west german terrorist group, spent two frenzied years in the underground followed by five years in prison, culminating with the suicides of the groups leaders in 1976 and 1977. Raf or rote armee fraktion the red army faction was the name that the baadermeinhof gang chose for itself. Raf, red army faction, revolutionary cells, carlos, pflp, terrorism, 1970s, germany, 1980s, red brigades, autonomism, antinuclear movement coeditor j. Red army factionwest germanys most notorious urban guerillascovers the period immediately following the organizations near total decimation in 1977. Three fugitives of germanys farleft red army faction have been blamed for at least six supermarket heists including the most recent one in may. Projectiles for the people provides a history of the rafs development through the words of its letters and communiques. Police had earlier linked the militants to money transporter attacks. The blew up two bombs at the american base in frankfurt, killing a lt.
Its ideology was an obscure mix of marxism and maoism, with a committment to armed struggle as such. Buy red army faction blues here peter green provides the thematic thread drawing the novels diverse elements into focus, mapping out the constant points of this fascinating reimagining. Red army faction synonyms, red army faction pronunciation, red army faction translation, english dictionary definition of red army faction. The raf was founded in 1970 by andreas baader, gudrun ensslin, ulrike meinhof, horst mahler, and others. Request pdf failure and disengagement in the red army faction this article examines the factors that have contributed to the end of the red army. Find 2016 the prism of the red army faction, reflections. However, she went on to claim a historical identity with the jews of the warsaw ghetto, who had tried without arms to start a. Red army faction quotes author of the urban guerilla concept. Sep, 2016 the rad army faction was a leftwing terrorist group in germany. The weather underground, the red army faction, and revolutionary violence in the sixties and seventies, berkley. Projectiles for the people the first in a twovolume series, this is by far the most indepth history of the red army faction ever made available in english. Red army faction blues site for the novel by ada wilson.
Volume 1 presents the manifestos and communiques issued by the raf between 1970 and 1977. The group referred to itself as the raf, and i will use that term here. Horst mahler born 23 january 1936 is a german former lawyer and political activist. Publications national criminal justice reference service. The first in a twovolume series, this is by far the most indepth history of the red army faction ever made available in english. Learn about the goals and actions of these leftwing terrorists and how german society and politicians dealt with the ongoing attacks over a. Rote armee fraktion, in its early stages commonly known as baadermeinhof group or baadermeinhof gang, was one of postworld war ii germanys most prominent leftwing militant groups. The red army faction is also known as baadermeinhof gang and baadermeinhof group.
Artistic portrayals of the baadermeinhof gang the guardian. German red army faction trio wanted by dutch police this article is more than 3 years old. The red army faction is often referred to by the names of two of its primary activists, andreas baader and ulrike meinhof. As of 2005, the group has been excluded from the u. The group was organized into hardcore cadres, which carried out many attacks with the aid of a network of supporters who provided logistic and propaganda support.
Some in the group would later claim that the name was created almost as a joke. Like the rejection of sabotage in the metropole, based on the argument that it would be better to take. The baader meinhof complex world socialist web site. The red army faction raf has changed the structure of its organisation several times. Ideology urban terrorism, left wing terrorist groups marxist, terrorism and governmental policy. Red army faction a marxist and maoist terrorist organization in germany. Initially founded in the 1960s by takaya shiomi and fusako shigenobu, and advocated on 1969 the violent overthrow of japans monarchy and instigate worldwide revolution via terrorism.
He once was an extremeleft militant and a founding member of the red army faction raf, also known as the baadermeinhof group but later became a maoist before switching to neonazism. The third generation of the red army faction was active from 1982 until the group dissolved itself in 1998. Smith, andre moncourt, bill dune, russell maroon shoats on. German red army faction trio wanted by dutch police world. Two more generation of leftist terrorists should follow until 1998. Smith and andre moncourt pm press was founded in 2007 as an independent publisher with a veteran staff boasting a wealth of experience in print and online publishing. Red army faction definition of red army faction by the free. The red army faction and the provisional ira, 196886, palgrave macmillan 1991, isbn 9780312047610. In 1989, the wall is coming down and urbach is breaking cover to track down peter green, the genius behind british blues rock band fleetwood mac. While all of the first generations leaders were arrested in 1972, they would remain active in a command and control role until their suicides in 1977. Red army faction blues and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Sep, 2016 germany faced leftwing terrorism from 1970 to 1998. Why wasnt there more support for the red army faction in. Red army faction definition of red army faction by the.
Pdf the red army faction a documentary history download. The rad army faction was a leftwing terrorist group in germany. Failure and disengagement in the red army faction request pdf. As though the green god has the answers the code to what happened to why the urban guerrilla youthquake all went wrong. The red army faction, or raf, was also often referred to as the baadermeinhof gang with reference to two of its founding members, andreas baader and ulrike meinhof. The red army faction raf existed in west germany from 1970 to 1998, committing numerous crimes, especially in the autumn of 1977, which led to a national crisis that became known as the german autumn. An age of murder jeffrey herf university of maryland. Germany faced leftwing terrorism from 1970 to 1998.
The following people were members of, or associated with, the german red army faction, also known as the baadermeinhof gang, a militant revolutionary leftwing organization. Pdf throwing bombs in the consciousness of the masses. The red army faction and the urban guerilla represent the only faction and practice which draws a clear line between ourselves and the enemy, and is therefore subject to the sharpest attack. The usual translation into english is the red army faction. Although the red army faction was claimed to have formed in 1978, its roots can be traced back to the late 1960s, according to published reports. This barcode number lets you verify that youre getting exactly the right version or edition of a. Rote armee fraktion, also known as the baadermeinhof group or baadermeinhof gang german. However, baadermeinhof group became the organizations assigned name for the period 19681977. Strong rejection of the red army faction by the majority of the people. But now she was making it clear, and it was on these grounds that the action of the black september in munich was to be praised. Schleyer is one name on a list of more than 30 people killed by the baadermeinhof gang or red army faction as it later became known during a campaign against members of the german elite and us military personnel which started in the late 1960s. Between 2000 and 2003, he was a member of the farright national democratic party of germany. The red army faction eventually became one of europes most feared guerilla groups. The raf was founded in 1970 by andreas baader, gudrun ensslin, horst mahler, and ulrike meinhof.
Red army faction raf bader meinhof gang, also known as baadermeinhof gang, baadermeinhof group is an inactive group formed c. The group undertook a violent terrorist campaign in the hopes of sparking a. The first generation of the organization was commonly referred to by the press and the. Red army faction, west german radical leftist group formed in 1968 and popularly named after two of its early leaders, andreas baader 194377 and ulrike meinhof 193476. The red army faction raf was a german radical leftist group that engaged in terrorism during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The raf described itself as a communist urban guerrilla group. This happened usually after setbacks in its operations which were regarded by sympathisers and supporters as. In a confusing interplay of names, the red army faction was the original name of the baadermeinhof group.
The baader meinhof complex a superficial treatment of the history of the red army faction by peter schwarz 30 october 2008 directed by uli edel, screenplay by edel and bernd eichinger, based on. The red army faction story, ak press, 1994 isbn 9781873176474. Baader, born in 1943, spent his late teens and early twenties as a combination of a juvenile delinquent and stylish bad boy. It was from this revolt that the red army faction emerged, an underground organization devoted to carrying out armed attacks within the federal republic of. This requires that one have a political identity, and it presumes that a learning process has already occurred. Find 2016 the prism of the red army faction, reflections and refraction. Mar 19, 20 the red army faction loosely followed a communist ideology. After andreas baader escaped from jail in 1970, the media began referring to the baadermeinhoff gang. Aug 05, 2005 the terrorists of that time were german, primarily a group of former students, journalists and intellectuals called the baadermeinhof gang, also known as the red army faction. The people of the third world should wait for their revolution until the masses in the metropole catch up. German red army faction radicals bungled armed robbery 19 january 2016. German red army faction trio wanted by dutch police.
Key early figures included andreas baader, gudrun ensslin, horst mahler and ulrike meinhof, among. Despite this title, the group became almost instantly known as the baadermeinhof gang. Jan 19, 2016 german red army faction radicals bungled armed robbery 19 january 2016. Soon, highminded political activism will move to the terrorism of the red army faction. The intent was to portray themselves as faction of a much larger revolutionary army. When baader and meinhof were arrested, they became known as the red army faction. Balz and others published throwing bombs in the consciousness of the masses. Jul 26, 2016 former red army faction members linked to botched robbery read more between 46,000 and 100,000 were stolen in each holdup except on 7 may, when the robbers escaped with a guards. Failure and disengagement in the red army faction taylor. The red army faction a documentary history volume 1. In the heart of a european forest, a young private dreams of home and rock n roll. The red army faction raf or rote armee fraktion in german, also known as the baadermeinhof gang or baadermeinhofbande after two of its members, was a west german maoist terrorist group, chiefly active in the 1970s, which performed a variety of robberies, bombings, and kidnappings. This article examines the factors that have contributed to the end of the red army faction raf, and places particular emphasis on the causes and. But after that poll got released, things turned grimmer for the red army faction.
Aka red army faction rote armee fraktion the red army faction, shortened to raf german rote armee fraktion, in its early stages commonly known as baadermeinhof group or gang one of postwar west germanys most violent and prominent militant leftwing terrorist groups. The group targeted german business and political leaders, as well as u. The red army faction s 1977 campaign of desperation. Like the rejection of sabotage in the metropole, based on the argument that it would be better to take things over instead of destroying them, is based on the dictum. Smith of the threevolume documentary history of the emblematic urban guerrillas will be in town to discuss his work, the life, times and enduring relevance of the raf. Home the red army faction, a documentary history vol. This is a collection of more than 1,200 digitized documents by and on the rote armee fraktion red army faction, raf. Director armin petras, in january 2015, brought christa wolfs east german novel. The group undertook a violent terrorist campaign in the hopes of sparking a broader revolutionary movement.
The first part provides a brief overview of the genesis of the red army faction. This requires that one have a political identity, and it presumes that a. This book about the red army faction of americanoccupied germany is one that should be read by any serious student of antiimperialist politics. Projectiles for the people starts its story in the days following world war ii, showing how american imperialism worked hand in glove with the old pronazi ruling class, shaping west germany into an authoritarian anticommunist bulwark and launching pad for its aggression against third.
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