National liberation movements and (state)terrorism

The paper examines the relationship between national liberation movements, terrorism, and state terrorism, focusing on the role of violence in struggles for self-determination. It argues that terrorism, defined as the strategic use of organised violence to generate fear for political ends, is not limited to non-state actors but is also employed by states as a method of repression. National liberation movements often arise in contexts of prolonged oppression and domination, where violence becomes embedded in a reciprocal cycle in which non-state terrorism provokes state terrorism and vice versa. The analysis is primarily conceptual, supported by empirical evidence from two historically significant cases: the Irish national movement and the Algerian War of Independence. Drawing on established frameworks in terrorism studies, these cases exemplify the ‘anticolonial wave’ of terrorism and demonstrate how violence functioned as a tactic for both liberation movements and colonial authorities. While acknowledging that self-determination can be achieved through nonviolent means, the paper shows that when political rule is maintained through state terror and coercion, the likelihood of violent resistance increases substantially. By linking historical cases to contemporary self-determination conflicts, it highlights the continued relevance of these dynamics for understanding current patterns of political violence, repression, and contested sovereignty.