History

Terrorism has always been a major part of history. From the Vikings of the 8th century to today’s Middle Eastern terrorists, there is comparatively little difference between their actions. Vikings may have been the world’s first recorded terrorists aside from the Zealots of Judea. Using violence and fear to conquer lands in such places as Northern England and Scandinavia, they were able to settle down and begin their own homes in places where they frightened the original settlers to leave. From this, however, the Catholic Church’s army is seen beginning to practice their own form of terrorism. Charles the Great sent his forces to convert the pagan Vikings to Christianity using the very own terror the Vikings instilled upon their enemies. Both the motives of these two parties and the motives of the modern terrorists are virtually the same. When a party “feels their culture is threatened, they will do anything to defend it”. The Vikings raids that induced their settling likely stemmed from this and expanded into greater conquests as they saw fit. ("Vikings") As history moves on, more and more traces of terrorism are seen. During the French Revolution, the word “terrorist” as we know it came to be, initiated by the Reign of Terror in 1795. The members of the Committee of Public Safety were referred to as terrorists by the people. Those who opposed these “terrorists”, however, were the real terrorists. Via assassination and scare-tactics, they provided a healthy resistance to the French government’s regime. Parisian mobs also helped in the resistance, killing officers and wealthy members of the government. (“Terrorism Research”)

Thus, today’s modern terrorism is seen to be practically the same as events the world has seen in the past.