The 1970s marked a tumultuous period of radical activism that emerged from the unfulfilled promises of 1960s social movements. As the Vietnam War dragged on and government surveillance intensified, many revolutionaries took their struggles underground. From the Weather Underground’s bombing campaign to international terrorist networks, these movements reflected a global phenomenon of disillusionment and militant resistance. This list chronicles the most significant revolutionary groups, actions, and figures that shaped this explosive decade of political violence and ideological fervor.
30. Weather Underground Formation (1969-1970)
The Weather Underground emerged from the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in 1969 and went underground in early 1970. Led by Bernardine Dohrn, Bill Ayers, and Jeff Jones, they adopted revolutionary violence to protest the Vietnam War and racism. Their manifesto, “Prairie Fire,” outlined their vision of overthrowing the U.S. government through armed struggle.
29. The Weather Underground’s Days of Rage (October 1969-1970)
“Days of Rage” began on October 8, 1969, when 300 Weathermen rampaged through Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, smashing windows and battling police. This violent demonstration signaled the group’s split from peaceful protest tactics. Members spent the early 1970s learning bomb-making techniques and preparing for underground revolutionary warfare against the state.
28. The Townhouse Explosion (March 1970)
On March 6, 1970, three Weather Underground members died when their Greenwich Village townhouse exploded while building bombs. Diana Oughton, Ted Gold, and Terry Robbins were killed instantly. The catastrophic accident forced the surviving Weathermen to reevaluate their tactics, shifting focus to property damage while avoiding human casualties.
27. Black Liberation Army Emerges (1970)
The Black Liberation Army (BLA) was formed as a revolutionary underground movement in 1970, splintering from the Black Panther Party. Led by figures like Assata Shakur and Dhoruba bin Wahad, the BLA advocated armed resistance against police brutality. Between 1970 and 1976, they were linked to over 70 violent incidents, including police officer ambushes.
26. Weather Underground’s U.S. Capitol Bombing (March 1971)
On March 1, 1971, the Weather Underground bombed the U.S. Capitol building, causing $300,000 in damage but no injuries. The bombing protested the U.S. invasion of Laos, with warning given to evacuate the building. Despite an intensive FBI search, no perpetrators were immediately captured, demonstrating the group’s adequate clandestine operational security.
25. Angela Davis Trial (1970-1972)
Communist academic Angela Davis faced murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy charges after guns registered to her were used in a 1970 courthouse shootout that killed four people. Her imprisonment sparked international “Free Angela” campaigns. Despite overwhelming media conviction, the all-white jury acquitted her of all charges in June 1972.
24. The Attica Prison Uprising (September 1971)
On September 9, 1971, nearly 1,300 inmates at Attica Correctional Facility seized control, holding 42 staff hostage while demanding improved living conditions and political rights. After four days of negotiations, Governor Nelson Rockefeller ordered state police to retake the prison. The resulting assault killed 29 inmates and 10 hostages, becoming a rallying cry for prison reform movements.
23. Red Army Faction’s May Offensive (May 1972)
Germany’s Red Army Faction (RAF), led by Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof, launched the “May Offensive” with four bombings targeting U.S. military installations and police headquarters. The coordinated attacks killed four American soldiers and injured dozens. This campaign established the RAF as one of Western Europe’s most dangerous terrorist organizations, intensifying German police surveillance.
22. Munich Olympics Attack (September 1972)
On September 5, 1972, the Palestinian group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village in Munich, killing two Israeli athletes and taking nine hostages. A botched rescue attempt left all hostages dead. The attack demonstrated international terrorist networks’ growing sophistication and marked a turning point in global security approaches, leading to the formation of specialized counter-terrorism units worldwide.
21. Wounded Knee Occupation (February-May 1973)
For 71 days, approximately 200 Oglala Lakota activists and American Indian Movement members occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota, demanding Senate investigations into reservation conditions and treaty violations. Armed federal agents surrounded the site, resulting in daily firefights. The standoff ended May 8 with government promises to review the treaty that went largely unfulfilled.
20. Weather Underground’s Pentagon Bombing (May 1972)
The Weather Underground claimed responsibility for bombing a Pentagon bathroom on May 19, 1972, specifically timed to coincide with Ho Chi Minh’s birthday and in response to U.S. bombing campaigns in Vietnam. The explosion caused flooding but no casualties, exemplifying the group’s post-townhouse explosion strategy of avoiding human targets while conducting symbolic attacks.
19. Symbionese Liberation Army Formation (1973)
The Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) emerged in California in 1973, led by escaped prisoner Donald DeFreeze (“Field Marshal Cinque”). Combining elements of urban guerrilla warfare, anti-imperialism, and radical feminism, the SLA announced its presence by assassinating Oakland school superintendent Marcus Foster on November 6, 1973, falsely claiming he supported student identification cards.
18. Patty Hearst Kidnapping (February 1974)
On February 4, 1974, the SLA kidnapped 19-year-old newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst from her Berkeley apartment. Initially held for ransom (demanding food distribution to California’s poor), Hearst later appeared to join her captors, participating in bank robberies under the revolutionary name “Tania.” The case sparked national debate about brainwashing and Stockholm syndrome.
17. The New World Liberation Front (1974-1978)
The New World Liberation Front (NWLF) conducted approximately 70 bombings throughout California between 1974 and 1978, primarily targeting corporate offices, government buildings, and utilities. The group demanded lower utility rates and improved prison conditions. Despite extensive property damage, they carefully avoided casualties, planting sophisticated time-delayed explosives during off-hours. The main perpetrators were likely Ronald Huffman and his longtime partner Maureen Minton, whom Huffman eventually murdered.
16. Weather Underground’s State Department Bombing (January 1975)
On January 29, 1975, the Weather Underground bombed the U.S. State Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., claiming solidarity with the Vietnamese people as peace talks collapsed. The explosion caused significant damage but occurred at night, resulting in no injuries. Despite years underground, the group’s communiqué demonstrated their continued commitment to international revolutionary movements.
15. SLA Shootout in Los Angeles (May 1974)
On May 17, 1974, Los Angeles police surrounded a house containing six SLA members, including leader Field Marshal Cinque. The ensuing gun battle, broadcast live on television, resulted in a fire that killed all six occupants. The unprecedented police response included over 400 officers and 9,000 rounds of ammunition. Patty Hearst, watching from a motel, remained underground.
14. FALN Church Street Bombing (January 1975)
The Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN), fighting for Puerto Rican independence, detonated a bomb at historic Fraunces Tavern in New York City on January 24, 1975, killing four and injuring 53. The attack represented the FALN’s escalation from symbolic property damage to deadly violence. Between 1974 and 1983, the group claimed responsibility for over 120 bombings across the United States.
13. Japanese Red Army’s Embassy Siege (August 1975)
On August 4, 1975, members of the Japanese Red Army seized the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, taking 52 hostages. The crisis ended when the Japanese government released five imprisoned comrades. This operation demonstrated the international coordination between revolutionary groups, as the JRA maintained operational ties with Palestinian militants and European urban guerrillas.
12. Weather Underground Prairie Fire Organizing Committee (1975)
In 1975, the Weather Underground created the “Prairie Fire Organizing Committee” as its above-ground support network, attempting to reconnect with broader left movements. This strategic shift reflected recognition that years of clandestine bombing had failed to spark mass revolution, prompting a return to public organizing while maintaining underground leadership.
11. George Jackson Brigade Emerges (1975-1977)
The George Jackson Brigade conducted approximately 20 bombings and bank robberies across the Pacific Northwest between 1975 and 1977. Named after the slain Black Panther prison leader, the Brigade was unusually diverse, comprising white, Black, gay, and straight revolutionaries. Their 1975 attack on the Washington State Department of Corrections highlighted their prison abolition focus.
10. Carlos the Jackal’s OPEC Raid (December 1975)
Venezuelan revolutionary Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (“Carlos the Jackal”) led a six-person team that stormed the OPEC headquarters in Vienna on December 21, 1975, taking 70 hostages, including 11 oil ministers. The operation, funded by Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, demonstrated the growing interconnections between revolutionary groups and state sponsors of terrorism.
9. RAF Leaders Die in Stammheim Prison (October 1977)
On October 18, 1977, three imprisoned Red Army Faction leaders—Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, and Jan-Carl Raspe—were found dead in their cells at Stammheim Prison. Officially ruled suicides, their deaths sparked conspiracy theories about government assassination. The “German Autumn” crisis culminated with their deaths, marking a pivotal moment for European left-wing terrorism.
8. Italian Red Brigades Kidnap Aldo Moro (March-May 1978)
On March 16, 1978, the Red Brigades kidnapped former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, killing his five bodyguards. After holding Moro for 55 days and issuing demands for prisoner releases, the group executed him and abandoned his body in a car trunk in Rome. The assassination shook Italian democracy, highlighting the unprecedented threat posed by revolutionary violence.
7. MOVE Confrontation in Philadelphia (August 1978)
On August 8, 1978, Philadelphia police attempted to evict the radical Black liberation group MOVE from their headquarters, resulting in a firefight that killed one officer. Nine MOVE members received 30-100-year sentences. The confrontation foreshadowed the catastrophic 1985 bombing of MOVE’s new headquarters, when police dropped explosives from a helicopter, killing 11 people.
6. Assata Shakur’s Prison Escape (November 1979)
On November 2, 1979, BLA member Assata Shakur (born JoAnne Chesimard) escaped from a New Jersey women’s prison with help from armed comrades. Previously convicted of killing a state trooper, Shakur eventually received political asylum in Cuba in 1984. Her autobiography became a foundational text for Black revolutionary thought, influencing subsequent generations of activists.
5. Armed Resistance Unit’s Senate Bombing (November 1983)
On November 7, 1983, the Armed Resistance Unit (containing former Weather Underground members) bombed the U.S. Senate building, causing extensive damage to a conference room and nearby offices. The attack protested American military intervention in Grenada and Lebanon. This late bombing represented the final gasp of 1970s-style revolutionary violence extending into the Reagan era.
4. Black Liberation Army’s Police Assassinations (1971-1972)
Between January 1971 and May 1972, the BLA claimed responsibility for killing 13 police officers in ambush attacks across New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco. These targeted assassinations represented the group’s strategy of “armed propaganda,” intended to inspire wider Black resistance while avenging perceived police brutality in Black communities.
3. International Revolutionary Solidarity (1972-1977)
Revolutionary groups established global networks throughout the mid-1970s, with the Palestinian PFLP providing training camps for the Japanese Red Army, the German RAF, and American radicals. Carlos the Jackal orchestrated operations involving multiple nationalities, while revolutionary groups issued joint communiqués expressing solidarity. This internationalism distinguished 1970s terrorism from earlier nationalist movements.
2. The Family (1975)
Former Weather Underground and BLA members formed “The Family,” robbing a Brink’s truck in Nyack, New York on October 20, 1981, killing two police officers and a guard. Though occurring in 1981, this action represented the culmination of 1970s revolutionary violence, directly connecting Weather Underground leadership with armed expropriation tactics and marking the final major action of the era.
1. Revolutionary Underground Network Collapse (1977-1980)
By 1980, most revolutionary underground networks had collapsed through arrests, deaths, or voluntary surrenders. FBI’s COINTELPRO operations, despite being exposed as illegal in 1971, successfully infiltrated and undermined radical groups. As economic conditions shifted and Vietnam ended, public sympathy evaporated. The revolutionary dream of overthrowing the American government had definitively failed.