History knows some examples when government was based on fear. This made it possible to strengthen power and destabilize society, the soul in the bud any revolutionary moods.
Essence
An exact definition beginning with the words "terror is ..." does not yet exist. Not every politically motivated murder and even mass repression falls under this concept. Nevertheless, it is worth trying to understand what it is.
First of all, it is worth saying a few words about the etymology of this word. In Latin, terror is horror, fear. And this is precisely the essence of this phenomenon. Ozhegov’s dictionary defines the same word as intimidation of the civilian population, expressed in physical violence up to destruction. Indeed, this may manifest itself in different ways, but nevertheless, in this definition an important point is missed - the goal.
This may be physical or psychological pressure, repression, approval of denunciations, or something else, but this process is always aimed at destabilizing and generating an atmosphere of general anxiety. The goal in this case is not violence per se, it is only important to intimidate people so that they are easier to manage. This can be achieved by a variety of methods. But they themselves are not terror. These are just tools for manipulating the masses.
Nature
There are 3 different views on what terror is. This allows us to consider various aspects of this phenomenon. Moreover, they do not contradict, but complement each other. On the one hand, terror can be seen as a specific armed conflict of low intensity. Another point of view focuses on the criminal component and perceives this phenomenon as a type of criminal offense. Finally, the socio-political aspect allows us to say that terror is a type of struggle aimed at changing the existing order of things.
Types and Methods
First of all, it is necessary to distinguish between individual and mass terror, which, obviously, differ in the number of objects. Of course, there is also a set of techniques to help realize your goals. Moreover, it is not necessary to resort to murders and mutilations, in the end, almost every person has something to lose - work, property, freedom. Yet physical abuse in various forms is the most popular form of exposure.
Moreover, almost any scare tactic has a rather simple algorithm: you just need to organize an action where a small number of people will be harmed, and then let others know that the same thing can happen to them. It is not necessary to use a person who is a symbol of something, on the contrary, accidental victims of terror can be even more effective in the sense that each representative of society will associate himself with them.
Effects
Besides the fact that terror is always human sacrifice, there are less obvious results. Frequent and sudden attacks not only cause fear, but also entail the destruction of spiritual and moral values, including in the long term. There is a deformation of public consciousness, expressed in a decrease in tolerance. The fundamental civil rights are being destroyed, the authority of the authorities is falling, distrust is growing, and even hatred of other ethnic groups is being born . In addition, in some cases, as a result of terror, not only people are destroyed, but also the culture that they were carriers of. Society in a short time falls by several stages of development, and it is impossible to bridge this gap even for several generations.
History examples
First of all, the terror in the USSR and the famous Stalinist repressions come to mind . But, unfortunately, human history knew many more similar and even more terrible examples.
For the first time, the concept of terror was applied to the events of the French Revolution, when, according to various estimates, from 16 to 40 thousand people were executed within 13 months. Some also believe that the practice of decimation, used in ancient Rome, can be attributed to this concept.
A little later - in the second XIX century - social political terror finally took shape from the point of view of ideology. During this period, the world experienced a wave of anti-colonial and separatist unrest, as a result of which India, Vietnam, Korea and others gained independence.
In the USSR, in addition to the Stalinist repressions, the so-called red terror, which was expressed in the destruction of social groups declared class enemies, is widely known. As a result, the intelligentsia almost completely disappeared, and the imperial family was also shot.
In the 21st century, social and political terror does not cease. And the worst thing is that more and more advanced weapons and technologies give cruel people new opportunities to realize their cunning plans.