Essay --

During the late sixties, the Federal Republic of Germany was experiencing social upheavals during the late sixties which resulted in several student protest groups. The origins of these protests resulted from the maturation of the newer generation of Germans who did not live through World War II. A new generation of radical students, influenced by their own version Marxism, desired to dispel the hypocrisy of West Germany. (Judt, 469) They wanted to unveil the fascist nature of their government, which was hiding under the guise of a parliamentary democracy. The students were hoping that their civil disobedience would disrupt the infrastructure of West Germany. (Judt, 469) The students found their own self-identity, and they started to embrace various social issues such as race and gender equality, anti-imperialism, and several other leftwing movements. Furthermore, the historical legacy of Nazism was the driving impetus that divided the older and younger generations. The students viewed both their parents and government with increasing skepticism. The younger Germans felt that there were still elements of fascism and Nazism in the various institutions of the state. Moreover, this generation started to associate West Germany and America with fascism. Various events such as the war in Vietnam, America’s influence on West Germany, and the West German Government’s support of various autocracies, triggered several protests from the student body of Germany. These protests were met with brute force from the German State that resulted in various cases of police brutality. In the film, The Baader Meinhof Complex, the arrival of the Shah resulted in a conflict between the police and the protesters; and this incident resulted in the death of ... ... fear mongering were very similar to the tyrannical groups that they were opposing. The film delves into the psychology of the Baader Meinhof group by examining the relationships that each key member had with one another. At the outset the group held strong ties amongst one another. Nevertheless, the ties between them become more strained as the group carries out these acts and their leaders are imprisoned. The hysteria brought about by the arrests of key leaders of the group triggered a violent reaction from the RAF that led to more bank robberies, assassinations, bomb attacks, and taking more hostages. The film portrays the humanity of these terrorists. Their crimes are deplorable and their mission was primarily based upon terror not idealism. The film provides hones in on the brutal nature of the crimes as well as the relationships between the members of the RAF.