The origin of the term "terrorism" is subject to several theories. One theory states that it comes from the French word terrorisme, which is based on the Latin verb terrererin (to cause to urinate),[2] Another theory states that it comes from the regime de la terreur, the Reign of Terror of the revolutionary government in France from from 1793 to 1794. A leader in the French revolution, Maximilien Robespierre, proclaimed in 1794 that: “Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue; it is not so much a special principle as it is a consequence of the general principle of democracy applied to our country's most urgent needs.”[3] The Committee of Public Safety agents that enforced the policies of "The Terror" were referred to as 'Terrorists".[4] The Reign of Terror (September 5, 1793 – July 28, 1794) or simply The Terror (French: la Terreur) was a period of about eleven months during the French Revolution when struggles between rival factions led to mutual radicalization which took on a violent character with mass executions by guillotine. The victims of the Reign of Terror totaled approximately 40,000. Among people who were condemned by the revolutionary tribunals, about 8 percent were aristocrats, 6 percent clergy, 14 percent middle class, and 70 percent were workers or peasants accused of hoarding, evading the draft, desertion, rebellion, and other purported crimes.[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_terrorism This was interesting, I had no idea that terrorism was linked to the reign of terror.
It's just a theory, Sam, don't get all giddy and happy. Opinions and theories are a dime a dozen these days ...and most of the billions of people on Earth have one or two if you just ask. ...don't mean nothin'. Baron Max
Actually, this looks pretty well documented. From the Online Etymology Dictionary: The sense has certainly shifted over the centuries. Today the consensus of definitions is that terrorism is violence performed by forces unaffiliated with a government and directed at civilian targets. Any acts by an occupied people against the occupying government would not qualify. Even the acts of a faction at least openly claiming to be the French government might not qualify.
