Through the ages, various forms of terrorism, such as assassination, kidnapping, and bombing, have been utilized by small splinter groups with political, religious, or sociological intent to force a regime change, dispose of a dictator or tyrant, to gain national independence, or to institute social reformation.
Assignment Guidelines
- Address the following in 3-5 pages:
- Select a specific historical terror campaign and answer the following questions (a good example would be the French Revolution; however, you are not limited to this selection):
- What were the antecedents, or leading causes, of this campaign of terror? Explain.
- What were the motivations of the terrorists? Explain in detail.
- What actions were taken against the victims/targets during this terror campaign?
- Explain the terrorist action and the outcome or consequences as a process of identifying and analyzing the historical explanations of domestic and international terrorism.
- Generally speaking, what is the psychological makeup of a terrorist? Explain.
- What types of people typically become part of a terrorist organization? Explain.
- Consider mental disorders, age, education, etc. in your responses.
- A constant given in terrorist motivation is to cause sociological reform. There may not be a mass movement as witnessed in the uprisings in the Middle East, but simply small groups defying the entrenched government.
- What are the sociological explanations for motivations of domestic and international terrorism?
- Consider religion, family, and governmental influence.