INTERNAL SECURITY OF THE GERMAN FEDERAL REPUBLIC (FROM TERRORISM - INVESTIGATIONS OF STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE OF REVOLUTIONARY POLITICAL POWER, 1977, BY MANFRED FUNKE - SEE NCJ-53136)

• NCJ Number: 53147
• Author(s): H J HORCHEM
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 18 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: German
• Country: West Germany (Former)
• Note: REPRINT FROM BEITRAEGE ZUR KONFLIKTFORSCHUNG, N 4 (1976)

Annotation

THE EFFECTS OF FOUR DIRECTIONS OF EXTREMIST GROUPS, I.E., EXTREME RIGHT, ANARCHIST-TERRORIST, THE NEW LEFT, AND ORTHODOX COMMUNIST, ON WEST GERMAN INTERNAL SECURITY ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

RIGHT EXTREMISM IS REPRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF GERMANY (10,500 MEMBERS), THE YOUNG NATIONAL DEMOCRATS (1,200 TO 1,300 MEMBERS), AND THE NEW RIGHT (750 MEMBERS, AS WELL AS A FEW SMALLER GROUPS; ONLY NEO-NAZI ACTIVITIES, DRAWING PARTICIPANTS FROM ALL GROUPS, HAVE GAINED IN POPULARITY. NONE OF THE GROUPS ARE DANGEROUS TO THE DEMOCRATIC STATE, BUT THEY SEEK TO PLACE THE GOVERNMENT IN A DUBIOUS LIGHT ABROAD. ANARCHISM-TERRORISM HAS RECEIVED THE MOST ATTENTION OF THE LEFTIST MOVEMENTS; ITS UTOPIAN IDEOLOGY HAS INSPIRED A NUMBER OF GROUPS, STARTING WITH THE RED ARMY FRACTION. THE GROUPS ARE NOT CENTRALLY ORGANIZED BUT COOPERATE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WITH FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN EXCHANGING INFORMATION RELATING TO STRATEGY, AND CAN BE EXPECTED TO POSE A PROBLEM FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. THE COMMUNIST PARTIES WHICH GREW OUT OF THE NEW LEFT ARE SEPARATE ORGANIZATIONS DIVIDED IN THEIR VIEWS OF THE SOVIET UNION, ALTHOUGH ALL STRIVE FOR THE SOCIALIST REVOLUTION. THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF GERMANY (9,000 MEMBERS), AND THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF GERMANY--MARXIST/LENINIST (800 MEMBERS) HAVE NOT GROWN RECENTLY, ALTHOUGH THE COMMUNIST UNION OF WEST GERMANY (2,000 MEMBERS) HAS EXPANDED AND THE COMMUNIST UNION, AN ORGANIZATION OF RADICIAL YOUNG REVOLUTIONARIES HAS HAD THE MOST SUCCESS. THE GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL MARXISTS IS NOTED FOR ITS EXTENSIVE THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF MARXISM. THESE PARTIES OF PROFESSIONAL REVOLUTIONARIES PRESENT AN EXTREMIST POTENTIAL WHICH CAN BE MOBILIZED AGAINST THE STATE AT ANY TIME BUT ARE NOT IMMEDIATELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF EFFECTIVE SUPPORT ABROAD. THE STRONGEST EXTREMIST GROUPS IN TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP AND RESOURCES ARE THE ORTHODOX COMMUNISTS, THE GERMAN COMMUNIST PARTY (40,000 MEMBERS), THE YOUTH ORGANIZATION OF SOCIALISTIC GERMAN WORKERS' YOUTH (13,500 MEMBERS), THE MARXIST STUDENT UNION--SPARTACUS (4,700 MEMBERS), AND THE YOUNG PIONEERS. ALL ARE ALLIED WITH THE MARXIST VIEWS OF THE SOVIET UNION AND THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY SUPPORT AN IDEOLOGY PRACTICED IN OTHER COUNTRIES, BECAUSE MARXISM-LENINISM IS EXTENSIVELY DISCUSSED IN JOURNALS, AND BECAUSE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC WISHES TO NORMALIZE ITS RELATIONS WITH THESE COUNTRIES. IT IS CAUTIONED THAT THE GERMAN STATE SHOULD PROTECT AGAINST PENETRATION OF ITS INSTITUTIONS BY COMMUNISTS PREACHING PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE AS A GUISE. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)