Left-Wing Extremism and Violence

Abstract

The extreme Left tends to consider that violence is instrumental for revolution. Violent deeds may help to mobilizing the masses and raising revolutionary consciousness. Extremist left-wing violence adopts two different forms: the underground (or terrorist) and the insurgent. The former is more frequent in developed countries and the latter in developing ones. While underground violence has been an unmitigated failure everywhere, insurgencies show a more positive record, with some successful cases. The implications of each form of violence for mobilization are examined. Keeping constant left-wing extremist ideology, there is wide variation in the adoption of violence depending on the political and economic conditions, as illustrated by the manifold forms of violence (and lack of it) that accompany Maoism. During the twenty-first century, extremist left-wing violence has declined significantly, particularly armed violence, though political polarization might resuscitate it.