Outline

Hoffman, Bruce. 1998. "Defining Terrorism." Terrorism and Counter Terrorism. 1(1): 3-23.

I. What is Terrorism?

A. Many people have a vague idea of what terrorism is, but don’t truly understand what it means.
B. The Oxford English Dictionary gives an unsatisfactory definition of the word.

II. The Changing Meaning of terrorism.

A. The word was first popularized during the French Revolution.
1. During this time the word had a positive connotation.
2. Terrorism was ironically associated with democracy.
3. Like today’s terrorism, the reign of terror was organized and had a specific goal.
B. Carlo Pisacane popularized the sort of ant-state terrorism we see today.
1. Pisacane stated: "Ideas result from deeds, not the latter from the former, and the people will not be free when they are educated, but educated when they are free.
2. Narodnanya Volya, the Russian ant-tsarist group, was the first group to put this idea into action
3. This idea eventually influenced Gavrilo Princip, who is credited with setting off the First World War.
C. By the 1930’s, the meaning of terrorism shifted again, this time encompassing the repression of the population by authoritarian or totalitarian regimes.
1. Stalin’s regime began to be associated with terrorism, along with many authoritarian regimes in Central and South America.
D. Terrorism has regained its revolutionary context, although now the word has a much broader meaning.
1. Terms like "nacro-terrorism" and "gray-area phenomenon" have further served to complicate the meaning of terrorism.

III. Why is terrorism so difficult to define?

A. Modern terrorist groups have moved away from the trend of calling themselves "terrorist" groups.
1. Modern groups use the guise of liberation, an organized military, self- defense, or righteous vengeance to deter being called a terrorist organization.
B. Even though many terrorist groups see themselves as freedom fighters, they do violate the so-called "rules of war."

IV. Destinction as a path to definition.

A. Terrorist should be distinguished from guerillas and criminals.
1. Guerillas usually are in larger numbers and hold some form of territory.
2. Criminals goals are purely selfish, and are not intended to have any effect beyond the act itself.