Stefan Aust, the German journalist and editor of high-profile German periodical ‘Der Spiegel‘, wrote a book in 1989 called “Der Baader-Mainhof Komplex”. The book gives an accurate and horrifying picture of a radical and wanton leftist movement in the Western Germany of the 1970′s. A movement which was hitherto known as the RAF: “Die Rote Armee Fraktion”.

The initial motivation of this anarchist group was to draw attention to the crimes of western imperialism. They argued that the third world was abused and exploited in the name of large global economic growth in industrialist nations, from which only the rich would profit. They shouted in the press that underdeveloped countries, devastatingly poor in state capital but very rich in raw materials, were suffering wars and instability deliberately invoked by the rich superpowers who were greedy for the riches in their soil.

These were cries for true equality amongst the people of this earth: a noble motivation indeed.

The RAF was formed by students and journalists who shared similar very radical ideals, and were able to motivate many others to join their cause. It was quite an uprising, lauded and glorified by the less active students and by softer left-wing organisations. The RAF fought with gun in hand against imperialism and capitalistic greed. They were truly active, in the streets and in the press; and because of this they were heroes to the left-orientated youth of Germany, and had sister-and brother organisations in neighbouring countries.

But in truth, in their own country, Germany, the RAF turned into bloodthirsty terrorists, killing bankers, policemen and civilians at will. All was justified in their noble political cause. They identified with the Palestinian uprising and the terrorist tactics of these people. Bombs were thrown into offices where civilians worked, hostages were taken, and employees executed at point blank, all over Germany. In the name of their cause anyone was allowed to die. The members themselves even gave up their own children in order to continue their ‘political’ work.

Independent Films have just released the movie-version of Stefan Aust’s book “Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex”, which owes its name to two of the core founders of the RAF movement: young, political leader Andreas Baader and journalist Ulrike Meinhof, who hated each other. It is a very good film.

Until seeing this movie on the big screen last night I still harboured the idea that they had fought valiantly in the seventies and eighties of last century, to bring an end to global greed and capitalism. (I hadn’t read the book.) Now I have seen that they actually were just a bunch of criminals with no respect for justice or human life.

I now no longer make a mental link with the political struggle I have witnessed in the streets of Berlin myself, but see now instead how easy it is to brainwash young people into doing terrible things. The youth in that period in time were extremely susceptible to new, radical ideas. It was the hippie era – a time when everyone was straying from their parents’ moral values, desperately searching for better ones. Being ‘experimental’ was en-vogue.  The “stodgy” parents who bore these radical soldiers, were of the post-war generation – people who wanted to ‘keep the peace’, ask no questions, and have tea in silence. It is understandable that this new, roaming generation would easily latch on to a cause which advertised itself to make a real difference. These youths were easily indoctrinated, and I suspect they would have stopped also for causes less noble, as long as they represented some sort of ‘breaking out’.

Consider the sects and cults that were appearing like toadstools all over the western world at that time. Self-appointed gurus were (mis)leading young people into seeing the world as a place in need of healing, and themselves as ‘special’ and ‘appointed’ in this cause. Could the RAF-movement not have been a political flavour of this wave? Could this stream of do-gooders – who were actually not doing good, but causing havoc and death all over – also have settled itself in the radical left wing of western politics? I am inclined to think this way.

It was very difficult for the justice system to defeat Andreas Baader and his company because of the complexity of the law. And while awaiting trial they continued to be immensely popular with the youth. Eventually most of them did not survive long enough to recieve any sort of sentence, but put an end to their own lives in their cells before bowing before any representative of justice in a country they resented for its leadership.

I find it terrifying that a concept can infest a group of people so intensely as to cause a following which makes itself impenetrable to the virtues of the goodness of mankind. The initial book by Stefan Aust and the film they made of it certainly make clear that the RAF were barbarous twenty-something year-old monsters, who played judge and excecutioner in the name of an own brand of hideous civil righteousness. But, bizarrely, their reputation as “activists”, consequent in deed and conviction, is what they have generally been known and respected for ever since. The film “Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex” certainly clears up that misconception, as well as being a very well made and exciting film.
[ACN]