Death Orders: The Vanguard of Modern Terrorism in Revolutionary Russia

by Anna Geifman

Overview

This fascinating study shows how terrorism as developed and practiced in Romanov Russia has, over the past century, manifested itself as the template for modern and postmodern terrorism as a universal sociocultural, psychological, and existential experience, irrespective of particular political causes, ethnic distinctions, and ideological boundaries.

Arguing that Russia is the birthplace of modern terrorism, Death Orders: The Vanguard of Modern Terrorism in Revolutionary Russia uses the nation as a case study of psycho-historical patterns of worldwide terrorist activity during the past century. Key features of early-20th century Russian political extremism serve as models for terrorist experiences in other periods and regions as author Anna Geifman builds a typology of a universal phenomenon.

The book shows how, in Russia and elsewhere, terrorists' objectives have degenerated from punishment of individual adversaries and attempts to intimidate political elites to indiscriminate acts of political violence. It shifts attention from ideology to practices that had been previously hidden, ignored, or rationalized, demonstrating that what terrorists say about their motives may not be what actually drives them to brutality. By looking closely at Russian precedents for the general experience of modern political violence, the book helps illuminate many obscure aspects of terrorism today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275997526
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/20/2010
Series:	Praeger Security International
Pages:	229
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Anna Geifman, PhD, is professor of history at Boston University and research associate at the University of Bar-Ilan, Israel.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 A Birthplace of Modern Terrorism
Chapter 2 The Uniform as Symbolic Target
Chapter 3 Civilians under Fire
Chapter 4 Ideology Abused
Chapter 5 Terrorists as Common Criminals
Chapter 6 Camouflaged Suicide
Chapter 7 A Fatal Attraction
Chapter 8 When Terrorists Become State Leaders
Chapter 9 The Culture of Death
Epilogue
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

Jean-François Colosimo

"A vital contribution to the historical, political, philosophical, and psychological understanding of terrorism. Anna Geifman has written an indispensable sequel to the Devils, conceptualizing, updating, and completing Dostoyevsky's prophecy on contemporary nihilism".

Jean-François Colosimo

“A vital contribution to the historical, political, philosophical, and psychological understanding of terrorism. Anna Geifman has written an indispensable sequel to the Devils, conceptualizing, updating, and completing Dostoyevsky’s prophecy on contemporary nihilism”.

Paul Hollander Professor Emeritus of Sociology

"This highly original, and thoroughly researched, comparative study of modern political terror illuminates the apocalyptic beliefs of its perpetrators and brings together the psychological, cultural and political dimensions of the phenomenon.

Focusing on the dislocations of modernity the author provides exceptional insight into the mentality and methodology of 19th century Russians terrorists, present day Islamic suicide bombers and political extremists in general.

A unique case study of the connections between the personal and political realm, and the transformation of consuming hatred into potent political energy and action."

—

Paul Hollander Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst;

Associate, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University;

Author of Political Pilgrims and The End of Commitment: Intellectuals, Revolutionaries and Political Morality

Paul Hollander Professor Emeritus of Sociology

"This highly original, and thoroughly researched, comparative study of modern political terror illuminates the apocalyptic beliefs of its perpetrators and brings together the psychological, cultural and political dimensions of the phenomenon. Focusing on the dislocations of modernity the author provides exceptional insight into the mentality and methodology of 19th century Russians terrorists, present day Islamic suicide bombers and political extremists in general. A unique case study of the connections between the personal and political realm, and the transformation of consuming hatred into potent political energy and action."
— Paul Hollander Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Associate, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University; Author of Political Pilgrims and The End of Commitment: Intellectuals, Revolutionaries and Political Morality

Jean-Franois Colosimo

"A vital contribution to the historical, political, philosophical, and psychological understanding of terrorism. Anna Geifman has written an indispensable sequel to the Devils , conceptualizing, updating, and completing Dostoyevsky's prophecy on contemporary nihilism".

— Jean-Franois Colosimo, scholar, writer, Director of CNRS Editions, The publishing house of the French National Center for Scientific Research. Author of Dieu est américain, de la théodémocratie aux Etats-Unis; L'Apocalypse russe, Dieu au pays de Dostoievski; Le Paradoxe persan, un carnet iranien . Jean- Franois Colosimo has been made "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur" by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008.

Richard Pipes

"This is a wide-ranging insight into terrorism, the bane of modern life. It analyzes the psychology of terrorists in Russia, where this scourge began, as well as Palestine, Chechnia and elsewhere to bring out the common mind-sets of people perpetrating this kind of criminal activity. As such it is of great value to anyone concerned with the massive and often indiscriminate assaults on human life that have become a feature of modern life."

—

Richard Pipes, Baird Professor of History, Harvard University

Richard Pipes

"This is a wide-ranging insight into terrorism, the bane of modern life. It analyzes the psychology of terrorists in Russia, where this scourge began, as well as Palestine, Chechnia and elsewhere to bring out the common mind-sets of people perpetrating this kind of criminal activity. As such it is of great value to anyone concerned with the massive and often indiscriminate assaults on human life that have become a feature of modern life."

— Richard Pipes, Baird Professor of History, Harvard University

Jean-Franois Colosimo

"A vital contribution to the historical, political, philosophical, and psychological understanding of terrorism. Anna Geifman has written an indispensable sequel to the Devils, conceptualizing, updating, and completing Dostoyevsky's prophecy on contemporary nihilism".

—

Jean-Franois Colosimo, scholar, writer, Director of CNRS Editions, The publishing house of the French National Center for Scientific Research. Author of Dieu est américain, de la théodémocratie aux Etats-Unis; L'Apocalypse russe, Dieu au pays de Dostoievski; Le Paradoxe persan, un carnet iranien. Jean- Franois Colosimo has been made "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur" by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008.

Paul HollanderProfessor Emeritus of Sociology

"This highly original, and thoroughly researched, comparative study of modern political terror illuminates the apocalyptic beliefs of its perpetrators and brings together the psychological, cultural and political dimensions of the phenomenon. Focusing on the dislocations of modernity the author provides exceptional insight into the mentality and methodology of 19th century Russians terrorists, present day Islamic suicide bombers and political extremists in general. A unique case study of the connections between the personal and political realm, and the transformation of consuming hatred into potent political energy and action."

Steven Emerson

"Anna Geifman's most recent book is a must read for anybody seeking to decipher the psyche of today's international terrorists. Approaching the issue from a psychohistorical perspective, Professor Geifman traces the historical ascension of terrorism from 20th Century Russia to modern day Israel, drawing fascinating parallels along the way. Through an in-depth analysis, Professor Geifman shows that the Russian extremists of days past are to a large extent the forefathers of today's Islamic fanatics."
— Steven Emerson, Executive Director of The Investigative Project on Terrorism, author of American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Amongst Us , and producer of the documentary "Jihad in America"

Steven Emerson

"Anna Geifman's most recent book is a must read for anybody seeking to decipher the psyche of today's international terrorists. Approaching the issue from a psychohistorical perspective, Professor Geifman traces the historical ascension of terrorism from 20th Century Russia to modern day Israel, drawing fascinating parallels along the way. Through an in-depth analysis, Professor Geifman shows that the Russian extremists of days past are to a large extent the forefathers of today's Islamic fanatics."

—

Steven Emerson, Executive Director of The Investigative Project on Terrorism, author of American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Amongst Us, and producer of the documentary "Jihad in America"

Editorial Reviews

…a striking counterweight to today's dominant scholarly understanding of terrorism as a rational act. Her argument is exhaustively documented, and Geifman writes with clarity and verve…” —Choice

From the Publisher