POLITICAL TERRORISM EMERGED AS A CONCEPT ONLY AS RECENTLY AS 1783 DURING THE REIGN OF TERROR IN FRANCE. ROBESPIERRE AND HIS FACTION RETAINED POWER NOT THROUGH MILITARY STRENGTH, BUT THROUGH FEAR; THE ONLY REASON TO FEAR THEM WAS THE FACT THAT OTHERS FEARED THEM AND WOULD, THEREFORE, EXECUTE THEIR ORDERS. HAD THEY BEEN IGNORED, THEIR POWER WOULD NOT HAVE EXISTED. SINCE THAT TIME, POLITICAL TERRORISM HAS BEEN USED TO DESTROY GOVERNMENTS RATHER THAN TO SUSTAIN THEM. TERRORISM ACTS TO MAKE HEROES OUT OF GUNMEN, AND THEREBY RALLY POPULAR SUPPORT TO THEIR CAUSE. A GOVERNMENT'S USE OF STRONG REPRESSION TO COMBAT TERRORISM MAY BACKFIRE, TURNING POLICEMEN INTO VILLAINS. EXAMPLES OF THIS PHENOMENON ARE DRAWN FROM THE IRISH REVOLT IN 1921, THE IRGUN (A JEWISH TERRORIST GROUP SEEKING TO EXPEL THE BRITISH FROM PALESTINE IN 1948), THE ALGERIAN NATIONALIST REBEL GROUP IN THE 1950'S, AND MODERN TERRORIST GROUPS OPERATING IN THE UNITED STATES, GREAT BRITAIN, URUGUAY, AND ELSEWHERE. THE OPPONENT'S OWN STRENGTH IS USED AGAINST HIM. THE STRATEGY OF ARAB TERRORISTS OF THE 1970'S HAS BEEN, IN THE FACE OF A FAILURE TO GOAD ISRAEL INTO SELF-DEFEATING REACTION, TO TURN TO TERRORIST ACTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE HOPE THAT THOSE OTHER NATIONS WILL TURN AGAINST THE ISRAELIS IN ORDER TO END INCONVENIENCES TO THEMSELVES. THEIR CAMPAIGN NEEDS PUBLICITY IN ORDER TO SUCCEED. MODERN TERRORISM ACHIEVES ITS GOAL NOT THROUGH ITS ACTS BUT THROUGH THE RESPONSE TO ITS ACTS; IT AIMS AT A PSYCHOLOGICAL, NOT A PHYSICAL, RESULT. TERRORISM IS OFTEN CONFUSED WITH GUERRILLA WARFARE, BUT, WHILE THE ACTIONS ARE THE SAME, THE PURPOSE IS DIFFERENT. A GUERRILLA MAY DESTROY A RAILWAY BECAUSE HE WANTS IT DESTROYED, WHILE A TERRORIST WILL DESTROY IT ONLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVOKING A PARTICULAR REACTION TO THE ACT. THE INHERENT VULNERABILITY OF THE STRATEGY OF TERRORISM LIES IN ITS VERY WICKEDNESS; PUBLIC OPINION CAN SO EASILY TURN AGAINST ITS CAUSE. THE WEAKNESS OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES CENTERS ON THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE FOCUSED UPON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM AND HAVE IGNORED THE CRUCIAL ISSUE THAT TERRORISM'S EFFECTIVENESS DEPENDS ON REACTIONS. THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF A TERRORIST ATTACK LIES IN THE HANDS OF ITS VICTIM; IT ACHIEVES ITS GOAL ONLY IF THE VICTIM REACTS IN THE DESIRED FASHION.