2.3.5 The German Autumn

• RAF activities in the 1970's were known as the German Autumn. They killed more than 28 people, robbed over 30 banks to finance their activity and conducted kidnappings and assassinations of key establishment figures
• To ease fears of RAF activity, the FRG employed effective counter-terrorism forces such as GSG9 who successfully stormed a hijacked aeroplane in October 1977, releasing all the hostages
• Terrorist Incidents in the FRG:

  1. 1968 - RAF leaders fire-bombed 2 department stores in Frankfurt
  2. 1977 - RAF hijack an aeroplane
  3. 1979 - RAF attempt to assassinate the US commander in chief of NATO