Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 1994-03 Martyrs in revolution: can the symbol sustain the struggle? Allgrove, Donald Coulter Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/28344 K :s00i Approved for Public Release, distribution is unlimited Martyrs in Revolution: Can the Symbol Sustain the Struggle? by Donald Coulter Allgrove Captain, United States Army B. S., United States Military Academy, 1984 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MARCH 1994 11 REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to U'ashingon headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports. 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, V'A 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED March 1994 Master's Thesis TITLE AND SUBTITLE: MARTYRS IN REVOLUTION: CAN THE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS SYMBOL SUSTAIN THE STRUGGLE? 6 AUTHOR: Donald C. Allgrove 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION Monterey CA 93943-5000 REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. *A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) Martyrs have long been lauded as effective tools of mass persuasion. Once firmly identified with a variety of religious faiths, the martyr has just recently emerged within the secular world of politics, and in particular, within states embroiled in revolution. This thesis is a descriptive and analytical exercise which researches a number of areas concerning revolutionary martyrs. First, it examines the evolution of the martyr's character throughout its history. Next, it determines both the necessary and sufficient conditions which are present in the creation of martyrs in revolution. Third, the study suggests that some revolutionary martyrs possess a greater potential to arouse an incipient, latent community to support revolutionary movements. Finally, it offers a measurement scale to determine the effectiveness of a revolutionary's martyrdom to incite action and identifies those bureaucratic controls which may enhance and politicize the image within a population in turmoil. In so doing, it is the author's hope that this research can be fruitful to policy makers and operators within the Departments of State and Defense in their on going efforts to more clearly understand and effectively employ psychological operations in revolutionary conflicts throughout the globe 14. SUBJECT TERMS Martyrs, Revolution, Psychological Operations, Propaganda, Political 15. NUMBER OF Violence, Revolutionary Heroes and Patriots, Messiamsm, Millenanan Expectation, Mimetic PAGES 130 Desire; Political Symbolism; Myth Making; Symbol Formation, Social Paradigms of Reality, 16. PRICE CODE Bureaucratic Strategies of Persuasion. 17. SECURITY CLASSIFI- 18. SECURITY CLASSIFI- 19. SECURITY CLASSIFI- 20. LIMITATION OF CATION OF REPORT CATION OF THIS PAGE CATION OF ABSTRACT ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 ABSTRACT Martyrs have long been lauded as effective tools of mass persuasion. Once firmly identified with a variety of religious faiths, the martyr has just recently emerged within the secular world of politics and, in particular, within states embroiled in revolution. This thesis is a descriptive and analytical exercise which researches a number of areas concerning revolutionary martyrs First, it examines the evolution of the martyr's character throughout its history. Next, it determines both the necessary and sufficient conditions which are present in the creation of martyrs in revolution. Third, the study suggests that some revolutionary martyrs possess a greater potential to arouse an incipient, latent community to support revolutionary movements Finally, it offers a measurement scale to determine the effectiveness of a revolutionary's martyrdom to incite action and identifies those bureaucratic controls which may enhance and politicize the image within a population in turmoil. In so doing, it is the author's hope that this research can be fruitful to policy makers and operators within the Departments of State and Defense in their on going efforts to more clearly understand and effectively employ psychological operations in revolutionary conflicts throughout the globe. ill TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. OBJECTIVES 2 B. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 4 C. ORGANIZATION 6 D. A NOTE ON SOURCES 7 II. THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF THE MARTYR 9 A. THE UNITARIAN FAITHS 11 B. THE SECTARIAN AND COMMUNAL FAITHS 16 C. THE SECULAR IDEOLOGIES 25 D. THE REVOLUTIONARY FAITHS AND FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGIONS 33 E. SUMMARY 37 F. CONCLUSIONS 38 III. THE MARTYR'S CONSTRUCT 40 A. NECESSARY CONDITIONS 41 B. SUFFICIENT CONDITIONS - THE SACRED "X" FACTORS 48 C. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 55 IV. THE MARTYR'S PARADIGMATIC PROPORTIONALITY 57 A. SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF PARADIGMATIC MARTYRS 60 B. THE MARTYRDOM OF ROBERT "BOBBY" SANDS 66 C. THE MARTYRDOM OF JOSE RIZAL 74 D THE MARTYRDOM OF MUSAL AL SADR 81 iv DUDLE E. BUREAUCRATIC CONTROLS - MANIPULATING MARTYRS 93 F. SUMMARY 99 V. CONCLUSION 100 APPENDIX A: REVOLUTIONARY MARTYRS A SAMPLE POPULATION 104 APPENDIX B: REVOLUTIONARY MARTYRS: A DATA BASE 105 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 106 INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST 113 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I owe thanks to so many for assisting me in preparing and writing this thesis. My first thanks must go to my family, particularly to my wife Becky who gave me the time and encouragement to probe the phenomenon of martyrdom in revolution and assisted in the typing of this manuscript To my children, D'Artagnan, Coulter, and Janica, I owe my gratitude and recognition for the all too infrequent interruptions that enabled me to enjoy the more mundane and worldly responsibilities of fatherhood while researching and writing this treatise. My thesis could not have been possible without the help of two professors in the National Security Affairs Department of the Naval Postgraduate School. These individuals, Maria Jose Moyano and Glenn Robinson, unselfishly shared their time and expertise with me in my efforts to examine a subject that most professors have either little courage to explore or have only limited knowledge. They tirelessly read through more than one version of each chapter of the thesis, offered constructive criticism, and were pivotal in most decisions about content, organization, and style. Next, I would like to offer my gratitude to four of my fellow graduate students. Major James Coffman, United States Army, Special Forces was always there with keen insight and first hand experiences to either help prove or offer contentious arguments against many of my ideas and observations. Needless to say, he inspired me to seek out answers to many questions that have been hitherto ignored. Captains Lloyd T. Navarro and Curtis Boyd proved to be invaluable comrades in sharing information and advice vi especially in regards to the final structure of my paper and components of my models. Finally, I would like to thank Captain Glenn R Walker whose friendship, wit, and wisdom provided me with a new outlook on the world of academia. Others who have offered helpful guidance and suggestions include Professor James T. Morris at the Defense Resource Management Institute in Monterey, California, Professors Donald Abenheim, Roman Laba, Dana P. Eyre, Bert Patenaude, Frank Teti, and Russ H. S. Stolfi of the Naval Postgraduate School. Professor Kenneth Jowitt of the Political Science Department, University of California - Berkeley, urged me to consult the classic sociological works written by Max Weber and Mircea Eliade and offered pointed comments for me to consider while composing my thoughts Also, I would like to recognize the help and direction of Father Joseph Donovan, MM of the Maryknoll Fathers in San Francisco and Rabbi Norman T. Mendel of Congregation Beth Israel in Carmel Valley, California whose knowledge of theology were invaluable in my venture to analyze the martyr's evolving character throughout history VII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Persuasion has long been lauded as an essential tool to induce communities to adopt a specific behavior. In non-hostile, economically competitive environments, such as the commercial marketing field, persuasion manifests itself in mass advertising campaigns to convince potential purchasers to buy a particular product. The most successful of these marketing strategies involve sensational, glitzy campaigns to attract notice. As evidence,