Terrorism

            This essay will discuss the past and present of Terrorism. From the Jewish Zealots of the 1st Century committing incidents of terrorism against the Romans to Hitler's Germany's committing atrocities against the people to the acts of terrorism that Ireland's IRA commit(ed) against the British Government to the ultimate act of Terrorism on the World Trade Centre, Terrorism has always existed. This essay will start with a brief summary of terrorism from the 1st century the early 20th century. Then it will conduct a brief case study on Nazi Germany. Furthermore it will conduct a case study on Ireland's IRA and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Finally it will conclude on the ultimate terrorist act on the World Trade Centre of September 11th, 2001.
             The word terrorism' came into use a couple of centuries ago. During the French Revolution it was used to describe a very violent and bloody period from 1793-1794 known as the Reign of Terror' (Terrorism, pg 18). Terrorism is the use of violence, or the threat of violence, to create a climate of fear in a given population. Terrorist violence targets ethnic or religious groups, governments, political parties, corporations, and media enterprises. Through publicity and fear generated by their violence, they seek to magnify their influence and power to affect political change on either a local or an international scale. (Encarta Encyclopedia, pg 234) The main objective of terrorism is usually to gain publicity for some cause, although there can be other motives, too, such as the desire to obtain concessions or bring about social change.   It is also motivated by the disapproval with a political or social system or political and an inability to change it through non-violent means. Their goals are always political due to extremists driven by religious or ideological beliefs usually seek political power to push society to share their views.
             Acts of Terrorism date back to at least the 1st century, when the Zealots, a Jewish religious group, who believed that the only way the Romans could be overthrown was with violence.