CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Calhoun, Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate School Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2003-12 The Federal Republic of Germany and left wing terrorism Amador, Brian S. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/6236 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY AND LEFT WING TERRORISM by Brian S. Amador December 2003 Thesis Advisor: Daniel Moran Thesis Advisor: Maria Rasmussen Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 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 Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 2003 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: 5. FUNDING NUMBERS The Federal Republic of Germany and Left Wing Terrorism 6. AUTHOR(S) LT Brian S. Amador, USN 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION REPORT Monterey, CA 93943-5000 NUMBER 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A 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 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) From the late 1960s through the 1990s, West Germany confronted a domestic and international terrorist threat of considerable proportions; a threat that was unimaginable to many and a threat that caused considerable tribulations throughout the nation. This thesis analyzes how the transformation of radical student groups led to the ensuing left wing terrorism that arose within the fledgling democracy of the Bonn Republic, and the means by which the national government sought to suppress it. The thesis examines the evolution of official policy toward the terrorists and their supporting network as well as the sometimes highly critical public reaction that these efforts inspired. It also considers the adaptations and reactions of the terrorists to official measures taken against them by the state. The thesis concludes by considering alternative measures, offer recommendations, and suggestions that might have better served the German government during its thirty-year ordeal against the Red Army Faction, June 2 Movement, and other left wing terrorists. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Terrorism, West Germany, Anti-terrorist legislation, Red Army Faction, Left 15. NUMBER OF Wing terrorism, Baader-Meinhof. PAGES 81 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY AND LEFT WING TERRORISM Brian S. Amador Lieutenant, United States Navy B.A., University of Nebraska at Lincoln, 1997 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 2003 Author: Brian Scott Amador Approved by: Daniel Moran Thesis Advisor Maria Rasmussen Thesis Advisor James Wirtz Chairman, Department of National Security Affairs iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT From the late 1960s through the 1990s, West Germany confronted a domestic and international terrorist threat of considerable proportions; a threat that was unimaginative to many and a threat that caused considerable tribulations throughout the nation. This thesis analyzes how the ransformation of radical student groups led to the ensuing left wing terrorism that arose within the fledgling democracy of the Bonn Republic, and the means by which the national government sought to suppress it. The thesis examines the evolution of official policy toward the terrorists and their supporting network, as well as the sometimes highly critical public reaction that these efforts inspired. It also considers the adaptations and reactions of the terrorists to official measures taken against them by the state. The thesis concludes by considering alternative measures, offer recommendations, and suggestions that might have better served the German government during its thirty-year ordeal against the Red Army Faction, June 2 Movement, and other left wing terrorists. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 A. MAJOR RESEARCH QUESTIONS .............................................................2 B. ORGANIZATION ...........................................................................................6 II. THE BIRTH OF LEFT WING TERRORISM, THE RED ARMY FACTION AND OTHERS .............................................................................................................9 A. GRAND COALITION...................................................................................10 B. EXTRAPARLIAMENTARY OPPOSTION (APO)...................................12 C. EVENTS THAT INFLUENCED THE RED ARMY FACTION..............14 D. RED ARMY FACTION ................................................................................16 1. The First Generation .........................................................................16 2. The Second Generation .....................................................................20 3. The Third Generation........................................................................21 E. MOVEMENT 2 JUNE...................................................................................22 F. REVOLUTIONARY CELLS (RZ) ..............................................................22 III. MEASURES TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT..................................................25 A. ANTI-TERRORIST LEGISLATION..........................................................25 1. 17TH Amendment................................................................................26 2. "State of Tension” and “State of Defense”......................................27 B. LEVEL OR RESPONSE...............................................................................29 C. SCHLEYER AFFAIR ...................................................................................31 D. PROPAGANDA AND THE MEDIA ...........................................................32 E. BUNDESKRIMINALAMT AND THE BUNDESGRENZSCHUTZ........34 F. AMENDMENTS TO THE CRIMINAL CODE .........................................39 G. INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM..............................................................40 IV. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MEASURES....................................................43 A. WHY GERMANY? .......................................................................................45 B. WHAT SHOULD GERMANY HAVE DONE?.........................................47 C. WHAT WAS EFFECTIVE?.........................................................................52 V. CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................................55 A. MAJOR ARGUMENTS OF THE THESIS ................................................55 B. TERRORISM IN GERMANY TODAY......................................................57 BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................61 INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST .........................................................................................69 vii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to thank his thesis advisors, Dr. Daniel Moran and Dr. Maria Rasmussen. To Dr. Moran, thanks for the advice and comments during the writing process, as well as your careful editing and countless hours spent revising. Special thanks to the subject matter expert Dr. Rasmussen for ensuring all of my details were correct and thoughts were sound. Thanks also to my family and friends in the local area for support during my studies at the Naval Postgraduate School. Any mistakes are my own. DEDICATION For the five women in my life: My mother for raising me and giving me the guidance I needed and the discipline that was necessary to get me where I am today. Words cannot say enough. Thank You and I love you. My Wife and my love, Imee. If it were not for you, I would have never gotten the peace and quiet needed to finish my thesis. You are the reason for our success academically,