THE DEPARTMENT STORE FIRES IN SPRING OF 1968 WERE INTENDED TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE VIETNAM WAR AND WERE THE FIRST VIOLENT ACTS OF THE BAADER-MEINHOF GANG. THE OPPOSITION MOVEMENT OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT BROKE INTO SMALL GROUPS AFTER ITS CAMPAIGN AGAINST EMERGENCY LAWS FAILED; FROM THESE GROUPS THE RED ARMY FRACTION (RAF) EMERGED, WITH INTERMEDIATE STAGES SUCH AS THE HASHISH REBELS, THE STAFFELBERGER GROUP, AND THE SOCIALISTIC PATIENT COLLECTIVE. THE FURTHER COURSE OF THE RAF LED THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND, WHERE CONTACTS WERE ESTABLISHED WITH ITALIAN ANARCHISTS AND AL FATAH. THE VIOLENT STAGE ESCALATED WITH THE CAPTURE AND SPECTACULAR PRISON ESCAPE OF ANDREAS BAADER IN 1970. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GROUP THEN SPREAD FROM BERLIN TO OTHER PARTS OF GERMANY, ESPECIALLY TO HAMBURG, AND IN 1972 OFFENSIVE ACTIONS (E.G., MURDERS AND BOMBINGS) WERE UNDERTAKEN ON A SUPRAREGIONAL LEVEL WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A SYMPATHIZER NETWORK. IN THE PUBLICITY SURROUNDING THESE ATTACKS, THE GROUP ENCOURAGED OTHER COMMANDO GROUPS TO JOIN THEM IN THEIR TERROR DIRECTED AT INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY TEACHERS, JUDGES, AND PROSECUTORS. MEMBERS OF THE GROUP TENDED TO BE MIDDLE-CLASS STUDENTS OR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS; THEIR BEHAVIOR WAS INFLUENCED BY MULTIPLE FACTORS (THE GENERATION CONFLICT AND NEGLECT OF THE POST-WAR GENERATION THROUGH PARENTS' FOCUS ON MATERIAL OBJECTS) BUT REMAINS POORLY UNDERSTOOD. AN UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBER OF WOMEN, BOTH IN GERMANY AND ABROAD, HAVE BEEN MEMBERS AND LEADERS OF TERRORIST GROUPS, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THEIR SUBSERVIENT POSITION IN SOCIETY. IN GERMAN. (KMD)