The largest terrorist attacks in history. There was also a woman among the initiators

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, the news about the shooting of the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, spread throughout the world. Shots were fired at the Slovak leader in front of his house in Handlová. The politician took part in an away government meeting. Photos and recordings from the scene appeared on the Internet. One of the bullets hit the head of the Slovak government, who was transported to hospital.

Terrorist attacks most often took place during riots, a takeover of power or political changes taking place in the country. One of the greatest terrorists in history was, for example, Ulrike Meinhof – a German anarchist born in 1934 in Oldenburg and co-founder of the RAF, the Red Army Faction. It was one of the most murderous armed groups operating in post-war Germany. She created it together with Andreas Baader. The beginnings of Meinhof’s activity date back to the 1960s. Since the 1970s, she has been involved in bank robberies, her group planted bombs and carried out attacks. They led to the death of 4 people and over 50 were injured.

The biggest attacks in history. American presidents have died from assassins’ bullets

However, the most memorable event in German history was the assassination of Hanns Martin Schleyer, a member of the CDU party and president of the German Employers’ Association in 1977. The industrialist was kidnapped by RAF militants who, in exchange for his release, demanded the release of members of their organization from prison. However, the kidnappers’ plans did not come true because those who were to be exchanged for him committed suicide. So RAF members murdered the politician, having previously subjected him to torture.

Going back in time, it is impossible not to mention the assassination of US President William McKinley in 1901. It was made by Leon Frank Czolgosz, an American anarchist. Czolgosz came from a family of Polish immigrants who settled in Michigan. It was there that he was born. A man fired two shots at the head of state during the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, fatally wounding the president. After a short trial, he was sentenced to death. – I killed the president because he was an enemy of righteous people – righteous workers. I don’t regret my actions, he allegedly said before the execution.

Assassination of John F. Kennedy

Another attack that shocked the whole world took place on November 22, 1963. The 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in downtown Dallas on Elm Street. Texas Governor John Connally also died. The head of state was in a government limousine with the first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. Established after the death of the president, the so-called The Warren Commission concluded that the attacker was former US Marine Lee Harvey Oswald.

Assassination attempt on John Paul II

The next attack that made the whole world hold its breath was the assassination of Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1981. Fortunately, the head of the Church survived the attack. The attack was carried out by Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot the Polish Vatican hierarch in the stomach and in the hand. The attack took place during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, around 5:19 p.m. The injured pope underwent a 6-hour operation. After regaining his strength, he allegedly said: “One hand was shooting and the other was directing the bullet.”