terrorism, Calculated use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political objective. Terrorism has been used throughout history by political organizations of both the left and the right, by nationalist and ethnic groups, and by revolutionaries. Although usually thought of as a means of destabilizing or overthrowing existing political institutions, terror also has been employed by governments against their own people to suppress dissent; examples include the reigns of certain Roman emperors, the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union under Stalin, and the Dirty War in Argentina (1976–83). During the 20th century, technological advances in weapons gave terrorists new levels of mobility and lethality, and the ability to disseminate news of terror attacks instantaneously throughout the world magnified terrorism’s impact. The deadliest terrorist attack on American soil occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, when al-Qaeda operatives killed some 3,000 people.
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