Where did terrorism come from? A brief excursion into the history of terrorism
As a specific phenomenon of socio-political life, terrorism has its own history, without knowledge of which it is difficult to understand the causes and driving forces of current terrorism.
The history of terrorism goes back centuries. An endless series of terrorist acts of violence accompany the development of civilization.
One of the first mentions is related to the terrorist attacks committed in 66-73. BC Jewish political group of Zealots (literally “zealots”), who fought against the Romans using terror methods for the autonomy of Thessalonia.
In the 1st century AD In Judea, a sect of the Sicarii (sika - dagger or short sword) operated, destroying representatives of the Jewish nobility who collaborated with the Romans.
In the Middle Ages, representatives of the Muslim sect of the Assoshafins killed prefects and caliphs. At the same time, political terror was practiced by some secret societies in India and China.
In Europe, even Thomas Aquinas and the fathers of the Christian Church accepted the idea of killing a ruler who, in their opinion, was hostile to the people.
In subsequent history one can find examples of terrorism of various types. The Inquisition, St. Bartholomew's Night, the Great French Bourgeois Revolution, and the Paris Commune went down in history as symbols of cruelty and unjustified violence. It is characteristic that the very concept of “terror,” according to some experts, arose precisely during the Great French Bourgeois Revolution.
At the beginning of the 19th century, terrorist organizations began to emerge in Europe, mainly of a revolutionary, criminal and nationalist nature. It was then that the mafia, the kalyura, and the brotherhood of party pariahs first appeared.
A number of terrorist organizations bore a romantic revolutionary overtones (the Carbonari in Italy, populism in Russia). Their ideological leaders, captivated by illusions, believed that through terror one could achieve social justice and general welfare. Unfortunately, these misconceptions still exist today.
In the middle of the 19th century, their own theorists in the field of terror appeared. These include the German radical Karl Heinzen. In his article "Murder" he rejected the concept of morality and proclaimed the legitimacy of terror against the ruling class. He believed that the strength and discipline of the reactionary troops must be countered with such weapons with which a small group of people can create maximum chaos. And here Heinzen relied on poison gas, missiles, and also demanded the search for new methods of destruction. This is the so-called “bomb philosophy”.
The concept of the "philosophy of the bomb" was developed further and deepened in Bakunin's "theory of destruction" (poison, knife and rope).
In the second half of the 19th century, terror flourished especially magnificently based on anarchist and nationalist views. The victims of terror were such high-ranking officials as King Louis Philippe of France, Emperor Frederick William, Emperor Alexander II and others. Terrorism is becoming a constant factor in public life. Its representatives are Russian populists, radical nationalists in Ireland, Macedonia, Serbia, anarchists in France, as well as similar movements in Italy, Spain, and the USA.
Before the First World War, terrorism was considered a tool of the left. But, essentially, it was resorted to by nationalists and individualists without political platforms.
After the October Revolution, “White Terror” broke out in Russia. The Bolsheviks responded with “Red Terror.” Russian anarchist movement 1917-19 also came down to expropriations and open terror, and bandits and adventurers often acted under the guise of anarchists.
With the end of the First World War, terrorism was adopted by the right - national separatists and fascists in Germany, France, Hungary, and the Iron Guard in Romania. The dictatorship mechanism created in fascist Germany included a terrorist apparatus that was extremely harsh: the SA, SS, Gestapo, People's Tribunal, etc. Fascism was a mortal threat to all humanity, calling into question the existence of many peoples. A carefully developed system of mass extermination of people was used; according to some estimates, about 18 million people of all European nationalities passed through concentration camps.
In the middle of the 20th century, a new type of terrorism emerged, which is less interested in defending political ideas, and is focused on committing a large-scale act of retaliation against civilians at any cost. The motives in this case are often distorted forms of religion, and the performer hopes to receive imaginary rewards in another world.
At the end of the 20th century, the problem of terrorism acquired particular importance. Terrorism has become multifaceted in nature. It is committed not only by extremist organizations and lone criminals, but in a number of totalitarian states - by their intelligence services. The greatest threat to the world community is international terrorism, the rapid growth of which has brought suffering and death to a large number of people. According to the Economist magazine, the number of victims of international terrorism from 1968 to 1995 amounted to 9 thousand people.
In 70-80 terrorism in our country was associated in the minds of Soviet people, mainly with the hijacking of aircraft, carried out mainly by citizens for the purpose of illegal flight abroad.
But there were not many such attempts, they all ended unsuccessfully for the terrorists, they were immediately classified (we are only learning about some now), but in the era of glasnost, one terrorist attack, on the contrary, was widely covered by the media. This is the hijacking of a bus with children on December 1, 1989 (story if necessary).
But, oddly enough, after the visa regime was simplified and leaving our country, and even the collapse of the country itself, terrorist attacks on air transport did not stop, but on the contrary, their number increased. Judge for yourself:
1991 – 12.
Total: 37 terrorist attacks in 11 years.
At the turn of the millennium, Russia was the first among large states to become a victim of international terrorism. Explosions of residential buildings in Buynaks (1998), Volgodonsk (1999) and Moscow (1999) led to the death of more than 300 people, more than 700 were injured.
The beginning of the 21st century entered the history of mankind with the terrorist attack in New York on September 11, 2001, by religious extremists, which was unprecedented in terms of the number of human casualties.
In Russia, the new century was marked by the terrorist attack on May 9, 2002 in Kaspiysk (Dagestan), when 45 people were killed, by the taking of hostages in the Dubrovka Theater Center in Moscow on October 28, 2002, during the liberation of which 129 people died, by the hostage taking on September 1, 2004 schools in Beslan (North Ossetia) with more than 1000 hostages from among students and teachers, during the liberation of which more than 300 people died.
The rapid development of modern civilization has led to the exacerbation of many global problems affecting the destinies of the whole world, among which international terrorism occupies a leading place.
Terrorism as a political phenomenon has its roots in the deep past. By its origin, the Latin term "terror" means "fear, horror." It was introduced into the political lexicon of France by the Girondins and Jacobins, who united to prepare a popular uprising and overthrow "by intimidation and terror" the cabinet of ministers under King Louis XVI.
However, terrorism as a phenomenon appeared long before it received its name.
The earliest known terrorist group in human history, the Sicarii sect, operated in Palestine in 66-73. AD.
In the 11th century, assassins operated in the East. The secret sect, whose name is still considered synonymous with insidious murder, was founded by Hassan al-Sabbah, whom historians consider the founder of the ideology of terrorism. He was called the genius of evil. He founded not only the ideology of terrorism, but also created the prototype of a state of a new formation - a terrorist state, in which there was a clear hierarchy of subordination and there were no common borders or clearly defined territory. Al-Sabbah's possessions consisted of individual castle-fortresses. The territory of his state could not be captured, conquered or conquered. His supporters wandered from fortress to fortress.
Secret societies of ancient terrorists were also known in the Far East, in India.
They were very warlike in China. Their members were engaged in traditional extortion, and professional killers, of whom there were also many, served anyone who paid.
The Great French Revolution gave a powerful impetus to the spread of terrorism. Here, for the first time in its history, humanity faced political terror.
Starting from the second half of the 19th century, terrorist attacks in Europe became systematic, but they were not as global as at the end of the 20th century.
A special issue is the development of the terrorist movement in Russia. Among the numerous terrorist organizations, "People's Will" stands out. In just three years of its existence, the People's Will committed many terrorist attacks. In this series is the murder of the Governor General of St. Petersburg, the chief of the Third Division, General Mezentsev, and Tsar Alexander II. Among the terrorists were Vera Zasulich. Stepan Khalturin. Sofya Perovskaya and others. The ideas of the Narodnaya Volya inspired more than one generation of terrorists both in Russia and abroad.
The Social Revolutionaries became the successors to the terrorist ideas and traditions of the Narodnaya Volya. Almost all the murders in Russia in the first decade of the 20th century, from 1901 to 1911, were committed by Socialist Revolutionary terrorists. Among the performers were Stepan Balmashev, Grigory Gershuni, Evgeniy Shuman and others. And in total over these years, 263 terrorist attacks were carried out. The targets of the terrorist attack were 2 ministers, 33 governor-general and vice-governor, 16 mayors, heads of district departments, police chiefs, prosecutors, 7 generals and admirals, 15 colonels, 8 attorneys at law.
In June 1918, the Socialist Revolutionary Sergeev killed the Commissioner for Press, Propaganda and Agitation Volodarsky, in July the Socialist Revolutionary Blumkin shot at the German Ambassador to Russia Count Wilhelm Mirbach, and in August the Chairman of the Petrograd Cheka, Moses Uritsky, died at the hands of the Socialist Revolutionary Kannegiser. On the same day, Socialist-Revolutionary Fanny Kaplan shot at Lenin. In response to this, in September 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a resolution on the Red Terror as an emergency measure to protect the young Soviet state.
Western and Eastern civilizations also did not lag behind Russia in this regard. In America, US Presidents McKinley and Garfield were killed by terrorists. Attempts were made on the life of Bismarck, the German Kaiser. In 1894, the President of France Carnot was assassinated, in 1987 the Prime Minister of Spain Canovas, in 1898 the Austro-Hungarian Empress Elizabeth, in 1900 the King of Italy Umberto.
In the 20th century, before the First World War, terrorism was seen exclusively as a sign of the leftist movement, although neither Irish nor Macedonian independence fighters, nor Armenian or Bengali terrorists had anything to do with socialism.
After the First World War, terrorist organizations found support primarily from right-wing and separatist groups, for example, the Croatian Ustasha received help from Italy and Hungary. Terrorism was also cultivated on the periphery of numerous fascist movements. An example of this was the Romanian Iron Guard.
In the 30-40s of the 20th century, terrorism was adopted by right-wing extremist organizations: the Muslim Brotherhood and Young Egypt.
Even in India, with its traditional denial of violence, the terrorist group "Bhagat Singh" gained unexpected popularity.
After World War II, the activities of terrorists faded into the background. They were supplanted by the so-called low-intensity conflicts - the war in Korea, in Vietnam. Terrorist groups have now become part of the guerrilla movement or army units. This was the case with Jewish terrorist groups, which, with the outbreak of the civil war in Palestine and the invasion of Arab troops, became part of the Israeli army.
However, already in the late 60s - early 70s. The 20th century saw a sharp intensification of the terrorist movement. These years are a special milestone in the history of terrorism.
It is symbolic that the most high-profile terrorist attacks occur precisely at moments of the highest unity of humanity, in particular, during the Olympic Games. The start of the terrorist rampage was given by Munich, which hosted the 1972 Olympic Games. On September 5, 1972, militants of the terrorist group "Black September" took Israeli athletes hostage. Athletes, terrorists, and German police were killed during the assault.
In the last thirty years, terrorism has become especially sophisticated, bloody and ruthless. He resorts to various types of violent acts. Explosions in public places, trains, stations, restaurants, during celebrations. The use of cars filled with explosives has become especially popular. We all remember the terrible explosions of residential buildings in Moscow and Volgodonsk...
Kidnappings of government officials, diplomats, and party leaders have become more frequent, as have murders, robberies, and hijackings of government institutions, embassies, and airplanes. New, unprecedented areas of terrorism are emerging: air, nuclear, biological, environmental, information. All of them bear obvious features of political terrorism. Its goal is not to obtain ransom money or release of arrested militants from prison. It is much larger and grander - to bring entire nations and states to their knees.
History shows that all the major terrorist events of our time fit into the last decade of the 20th century. It was during this period that the strategy of modern terrorism was developed, its tactics were improved and honed. Terrorists begin to unite into international "brigades", put the latest scientific achievements of mankind at their service, invent and put into operation unprecedented terrorist "know-how".
As the investigation progresses, there is no longer any doubt - and many did not have them initially - that the latest terrorist attack in St. Petersburg was the work of terrorists, inspired in their war against modernity by one of the world religions - Islam. For short, these are called today Islamic terrorists.
True, this not entirely impeccable term causes acute allergies in some, primarily in Muslim circles, who argue that Islam is a religion of peace and goodness, that in general terrorism cannot be associated with this or that religion or nationality, since criminals are criminals, and nothing else. Of course, this pressing problem of our time can be looked at from this angle. Many Muslims, liberals and leftists often do this. Some are sincere and some are not at all sincere.
But the rest, seeing the close connection between modern political Islam and terrorism, reject this kind of “political correctness” that leads to a dead end. Moreover, the terrorists themselves constantly refer to Allah when committing their crimes, and swear allegiance to their religion, perceiving the world around them through the prism of jihad. And specialists and experts from among critics of Islamic terrorism, in a dispute with opponents who insist on the peacefulness of Islam, can prove, with references to the same Koran and specific terrorist attacks committed by Islamists around the world, that Islam is, on the contrary, a religion of war.
Therefore, the term “Islamic terrorism”, alas, still has a right to exist. The link between Islam and terrorism is a fact that does not depend on our subjective desires. Whether we recognize it or not, it exists. We will not wage a war of quotes confirming or denying this. If only simply because the Koran contains everything, just like the Bible, any act can always be justified. The Holy Book of Christians (the Gospel of Matthew), for example, even says that Christ brought into the world “not peace, but a sword,” and it also inspired participants in the Crusades in its time. We do not deny that, in addition to heavenly motivation, they were also possessed by purely earthly passions, that the crusaders often committed crimes?
Not all Muslims are terrorists, but are all terrorists Muslims?
There is a popular saying: “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims.” It claims to be true, but does not possess it. There are different types of terrorists. Sometimes terrorists are inspired by ideology, sometimes by ethnicity, sometimes by religion. Sometimes it's a mixture of both. It is always the weapon of the weak. As a rule, their goal is not to win directly, but to intimidate the enemy, make him afraid, experience fear, sow panic and discredit power, and create the preconditions for its seizure.
Sri Lanka. January 1, 1991 Armed conflict in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan army sappers clearing fortified positions of extremists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) group near the town of Talaimanar, almost completely abandoned by the civilian population, on the northern tip of the island. Latyshev L./TASS Photo Chronicle
The quasi-state of the Liberation Tigers in the northeast of Sri Lanka, which existed for almost 20 years, and the bursting at the seams ISIS (banned in Russia) in Syria and Iraq are exceptions. Terrorism is also always about finances, since without money, alas , no one in this world will achieve anything. Very often, terrorists receive funding from other countries, which use them for their own purposes against their rivals. Sometimes the terrorists themselves impose voluntary-forced “taxes” on their fellow tribesmen or self-finance through criminal activities, most recently in recent times. through the production and sale of drugs...
What types of terrorists are there?
Ideological terrorists, thriving under savage capitalism and in conditions of blatant social injustice, are represented today mainly in Latin America and Asia. The most obvious example is the left-wing rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - Army of the People (FARC-AN), which controls almost half of Colombia's territory. She is inspired by the ideas of Marx, Lenin and Bolivar, and fights “for a socialist society” and “restoration of justice.” Religion does not play a big role in this project, unless, of course, you count communism as a religion. But many ordinary members, nominal Catholics, might say with former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: "For me, Christmas is Christ. Christ is a rebel, Christ is a revolutionary, Christ is a socialist."
A phenomenon typologically very similar to Colombia is observed in... India, in most of whose states, especially in the eastern and southern regions of the country, Maoist Naxalite rebel groups operate. Often arising on a tribal basis to protect the local population from the exploitative tyranny of capitalists and police brutality, they created a huge “red belt” in which they became the real power. Indian authorities consider the Naxalites, who fly a red flag with a hammer and sickle and are a kind of “Robin Hood” for the local population, as the main threat to national security. Therefore, in many places in India, it is better to fly by plane than to travel by train or road.
The most obvious example of terrorism on ethnic grounds, which is also usually based on socio-economic claims to the existing order, can be considered the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka or numerous Kurdish groups with the participation of the leading countries of the world by the Sri Lankan armed forces. Naturally, they did not and do not consider themselves terrorists, preferring the term “national liberation movement.” But despite the fact that their claims are often fair, the methods of achieving their goals remain terrorist.
The Kurds, no different religiously from the Turks, Syrians, Iraqis and Iranians, are active in three of these countries, scattering their efforts and demonstrating, for all their strengths and natural belligerence, a persistent inability to create their own state, which, of course, Neighbors also interfere, not wanting to part with part of their territory. But the Sri Lankan Tamils actually succeeded. The LTTE, which professed Tamil nationalism and socialism, still remains a “model” terrorist organization. This group had an effective administration, all types of armed forces - even military aviation and navy, it was engaged in education, propaganda, and work with the Tamil diaspora. All the most deadly terrorist know-how that terrorists around the world use today came from the Tamil “tigers,” primarily suicide bombers, often women, who were hung with explosives. One of them blew up Rajiv Gandhi, who was preparing to return to power in India, at an election rally. No one can still compare with the “tigers” in the number of prominent political figures and military leaders killed in a given country. Every Tamil militant in Sri Lanka, whether nominally Hindu or Christian, it did not matter, carried an ampoule of potassium cyanide. Therefore, they were very rarely captured alive by the “Sinhalese army” - in this determination to die they are still superior to all other terrorists.
Why are Islamic terrorists special?
However, these types of terrorism are only a problem within individual countries. Terrorists who appeal primarily to ideology or ethnicity are not a global problem today.
This was the case at first with terrorism, which is now called Islamic. The emergence of the state of Israel in the Middle East in 1948, which won all the wars with its Arab neighbors, and the infringement of the rights of the Palestinian population in the Jewish state naturally led to a surge in terrorist activity and the emergence of Palestinian terrorist groups. With the support - finances and weapons - of external forces, their numbers multiplied and they became increasingly radical, launching a fight against Israel and the Israelis not only in the region, but throughout the world, be it Munich, Paris or Entebbe. But overall it was still a struggle between the Israelis, who were helped by their allies, and the Palestinians, who were helped by other Arabs and other allies.
A series of terrorist attacks in Kabul killed more than 30 people. Photo: Rahmat Gul/AP/TASS
Islamic terrorism has become truly global in connection with Afghanistan. The United States managed to lure the USSR into this country by playing on Moscow’s fears of the likely emergence of an American-backed regime hostile to the USSR in Kabul, which could destabilize Soviet Central Asia from there. Having intervened in intra-Afghan civil strife and planted its puppets in Kabul, the USSR found itself in the position in which the United States and its allies now find themselves. Even at worst. Not only numerous Afghan regional kings, but also all states neighboring Afghanistan spoke out against the “shuravi”. From them, as well as from leading Western countries, as well as China, streams of funding and weapons flowed to the Afghan mujahideen across porous borders, and volunteers reached out to them. An explosive mixture of Islam was created, the attempt on which was blamed on the USSR, which sought to transform Afghanistan into a more modern state and develop its economy in the interests of the Afghans themselves, and terrorism. This cocktail, after the USSR was forced to leave Afghanistan, spread from there throughout the Islamic world. The new enemy of this politicized Islam, implicated in terrorism, turned out to be - in addition to Russia - the former sponsors of this project. Namely the USA and other Western countries, as well as secular or not too radical Arab regimes. States with a Muslim population, such as China.
This is how this global threat emerged - Islamic terrorism, which is causing such concern throughout the world today. Almost everyone is to blame for this - the USA, the USSR, Israel, China, and other countries that tried to realize their goals by relying on the “weapons of the weak” or a war by proxy. But it is not only external players and foreign provocateurs who are to blame for this. Muslims must pay attention to themselves. Do they do everything the right way? Are the problems they blame others for not also rooted in them? For example, how can Muslims in any country be provided with a decent standard of living when the birth rate is the same as in the Gaza Strip or Pakistan and Afghanistan? No economy in the world can support it! And it’s not the Germans, not the Americans, not the Russians, or even the global economy that is to blame for this.
Our conclusions
Everyone recognizes that Islam has a powerful mobilization potential. This is the youngest and therefore the most demanding, the most proselytizing of all world religions. And when it is combined with the terrorist infrastructure that has been tested over the past decades, mass discontent with socio-economic conditions, corruption in various countries, and the natural weakness of their economic base, we get what we have. It is unlikely that it will be possible to create heaven on earth. Nevertheless, Muslims are increasingly beginning to hate those who allegedly prevent them from living with dignity. And they dream of quickly getting to their Muslim paradise in order to enjoy the blessings that are absent in real earthly life and “behold Allah” there. And the most accessible way for most impatient Muslims to achieve this is, alas, the path of the martyr. This is how Islamic terrorists appear in increasing numbers: they do not cling to a life that they do not value - both as regards themselves and others - and are ready to die at any moment for their falsely understood faith for the sake of the supposed bliss of the other world.
September 3 is the Day of Solidarity in the Fight against Terrorism. We would like to draw the attention of travelers to the problem of terrorism by compiling a self-explanatory list of just five countries where 90% of all terrorist attacks in the world occur.
Iraq is in first place in the terrorist rating by a large margin from its closest “competitors.” Every year, tens of hundreds of terrorist attacks occur in the country, which invariably lead to casualties. The difficult political situation, many warring factions and ideologies against the backdrop of poverty and insecurity of the local population provoke such methods of conflict resolution. The main organizer of terrorist attacks in Iraq is the Al-Qaeda group, which is also involved in many terrorist attacks in other countries.
Pakistan
Pakistan is a country that has supported terrorism at the state level since the early seventies. Pakistani terrorists are operating in the Middle and Far East, thus trying to seize territories. Pakistani terrorists have also made their mark in European countries and the United States. Pakistan has built many training bases for terrorists and also hosts a large number of headquarters for coordinating the activities of terrorist organizations. It is not surprising that the country is faced with a response from the victim countries, which respond symmetrically: by organizing terrorist attacks on the streets of Pakistani cities. The result of this policy is hundreds of innocent victims on both sides of the barricades.
Afghanistan is a country where wars never end. Terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking - people living in Afghanistan have to deal with all this every day. Almost all of the existing infrastructure in Afghanistan, which was built by the Soviet Union at the time when Afghanistan decided to join the bloc of socialist countries, has now practically turned into dust. Since the late seventies, there has been an ongoing civil war in the country, which provokes so many terrorist attacks.
India
The country, where 22% of all the world's poor live, cannot help but be included in the rating of terrorist-prone countries. Its territory accounts for about 10 percent of global terrorist activity. According to this indicator, India shares second, third and fourth places in the dismal ranking with Pakistan and Afghanistan. Incredible social tension amid overpopulation leads to the fact that up to five thousand terrorist incidents occur in the country a year. The bulk of all cases of terrorism are associated with the Naxalite organization, which uses such methods to fight for social equality in the country.
Separatists, Shiites, al-Qaeda, the interests of the government of Yemen itself and the United States - all this is mixed into an explosive mixture that annually claims the lives of hundreds of people. Yemen received fifth place on the list of dangerous terrorist countries after the president of the republic announced in 2010 that he was going to eradicate terrorism with the support of the United States. After this, the country was hit by a wave of terrorist attacks.
Modern civilization is a movement away from death, wrote the wise Stanislav Lem. This is why a truck rushing along the embankment on the Cote d'Azur, a man with an ax in the carriage of the Treuchtlingen-Wurzburg train, and the shooting of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge cause such horror.
The perpetrators of these actions were killed, They won't talk about their motives. We judge what prompted them to take these actions only by indirect evidence. But it is necessary to find out the reasons. In order to understand how it is possible to stop terrorists or at least reduce the level of threat posed by them.
But rising in recent times months, a wave of terror is not such news. Half a century ago, militants from various Brigate Rosse and Rote Armee Fraktion terrorized Europe. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Combat Organization of Socialist Revolutionaries shook the entire state mechanism of the Russian Empire. “...We have long been accustomed to taking bombs into account as an everyday phenomenon,” flaunts the character in the story by Alexander Kuprin, who was appointed “the head of one of the western provinces.”
However, "red terrorism" was business of organizations. And the weak point of even the most conspiratorial organization lies in the very principle of conspiracy. As Niccolò Machiavelli wrote, “a conspirator... cannot come to an agreement with anyone except those whom he considers dissatisfied. But by opening up to the dissatisfied, you immediately give him the opportunity to become one of the satisfied... by betraying you, he can secure all sorts of benefits for himself.” The story of Yevno Azef, who actually organized several major terrorist attacks and at the same time was the most important informant for the Russian secret police, is a vivid example of how terrorism can be intertwined with both politics and the actions of the secret services.
But the terror of loners - it's a different matter. How to determine at what moment and in what city a person will take up a knife or get behind the wheel of a car? And to what extent does he realize that his retribution will be death at the scene of the crime? And if he is consciously seeking death, then what can be used to scare him to stop him?
A suicide bomber is not a phenomenon new. Their motives are also repeated from century to century. One of the most famous historical terrorists, Balthazar Gerard, who shot Prince William of Orange in the summer of 1584, was nevertheless captured and during interrogation stated that he was happy to earn the Kingdom of Heaven by killing the main heretic. And Nikolai Rysakov, who blew up the carriage of Emperor Alexander II, claimed that he fought not against autocracy, but “against the system that is called liberal.”
Unfortunately, count on it is not true that progress and order will protect us from this kind of action. There will be plenty of people willing to write their names in the history of terror. As Leo Tolstoy bitterly noted, “among the people there will always be tens of thousands of people who have lost their social position, reckless people who are always ready - to join Pugachev’s gang, to Khiva, to Serbia...”
What is the our days, the loss of that very social position, which, according to Tolstoy, is ready to push a person to Serbia or to Pugachev’s gang? Modernized society has solved many problems that were previously considered a private matter of the individual - in the modern West you have to try hard to live on the street as a sick and poor vagabond. To ensure a comfortable life, a European resident, even one without education or qualifications, does not need to stand at a machine or swing a shovel. Religion? But modern society gives full scope to religion, pray from morning to night. Maybe the traditions of our ancestors?
What if everything is simpler? Russian philosopher Igor Efimov said: “In every country there are people with a passion for killing. They were born that way. And in any country they will find one way or another to quench their passion. Where it is fashionable to kill for faith, they will join the detachments of holy martyrs, where it is fashionable to kill for exploitation, they will join the “red brigades,” and where it is fashionable to kill for money, they will join gangsters.” If, Efimov continues his thought, such people do not find a use for themselves, “they will have no choice but to seize the supreme power in the country and take the monopoly of murder into their own hands.”
This is what it could be truly scary. And only Fyodor Dostoevsky can add optimism to this situation, explaining the motives of the nihilists who greatly frightened the great writer’s contemporaries: “There is no money to hire a mistress, that’s all.”
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