Ulrike Meinhofin tie terroristiksi: kaupunkisissitaktiikka poliittisen intervention välineenä

Authors

• Katriina Lehto

Abstract

On May 14, 1970 Ulrike Meinhof jumped out of the framework of the legal democratic system and started to build up an armed group called Red Army Faction, or RAF in short (Rote Armee Fraktion in German). In this work she was accompanied by Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin and three other activists who became the hard core of the first generation of RAF. The enigma of Meinhof is, however, why a highly respected journalist and opinion leader of the West German New Left made this choice. Why did a mature woman and mother of two decide to join a political battle that was becoming marginalised? My historical analysis aims to point out how central were Meinhof’s experiences as a woman in this respect. Having divorced in 1968, she became aware of the fact that not only low-income women were repressed and exploited, but she as well. Although she was a career woman, she could not see her ideas make an actual difference either in her private or her public life. This finding was in her case the factor leading to the extreme decision that made the political slogan ”Private is political” become true.