What was the biggest or greatest terrorist attack in history? (Or at least in the 20th century) NOT 9/11?

Question

Due to much argument with my boyfriend I need the answer to this question. He believes it is 9/11, I disagree... being that there are other countries with terrorist attacks, such as: Spain with the ETA, Germany and the UK with Al Queda, Northern Ireland with the IRA, Ethiopia and Somalia vs. one another, the Chechynan rebels with Russia, etc.

Answer 1

If you're talking about an independant terrorist group influencing the course of history, 911 is up there but maybe not as big as the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand by the Black Hand group. That triggered WWI,and one could argue that without WWI, there would be no WWII.

Pearl Harbor wasn't really a terrorist act. It was carried out by marked planes of the Japanese Empire. There was a declaration of war briefly beforet the attack. It was a horrible sucker punch, but not a terrorist attack.

Answer 2

Well the attacks on September 11 killed more than any other single terrorist attack. Pearl Harbor can be taken as a terrorist attack but in all reality it was one military attacking another. Not to say that it wasn't a bad event or to justify it. Those two single events killed more people than any other single attack. Most terrorist attacks are bombs placed some where that generally don't kill into the thousands. Killing more than 50 at a time is a big attack.

Answer 3

9/11 more Americans die on 9/11 than any other day in our history.

20th century either Lockerbee and downing of the PanAm flight
or the Marine Barrack in Beruit.

Pearl Harbor was an act of war between US and Japan they attack a military base not targeting civilians.

Answer 4

In Hiroshima and Nagasaki's situations, there replaced right into a suitable assertion of conflict, and for the checklist, that assertion of conflict replaced into made through the jap Empire, in basic terms as they attacked Perl Harbor. 9/11 replaced right into a planned act that aimed, between others, very civilian homes (as nicely because of the fact the Pentagon). For the checklist, the hearth bombing of Tokyo, in the 6 months that preceded the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, brought about extra dying than pronounced atomic blast. in case you opt directly to coach your self, look at information and transcripts from 'reactions' from radical muslim states following 9/11: they have been rejoicing. it is the despicable terrorist physique of strategies.

Answer 5

If you limit to terrorism, events like Pearl Harbor don't count - that was a military action. The Bali bombings, the Madrid bombings both were terrorist attacks of truly evil intent.

Answer 6

Operation Barbarossa Nazi Germany’s invasion of Russia on June 22nd 1941

The number of Russians killed was beyond the ability to count. In the millions killed the first day/ The term Vast Causalities was prescribed to the event.


Go big Red Go

Answer 7

The bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem by jewish terrorists in 1947. The terrorists eventually formed their own government and formed the State of Israel.
The Middle east has never been peaceful since.

Answer 8

Pearl Harbor

Answer 9

Pearl Harbor

Answer 10

You are correct.
Looking at Europe in the last century, they too have had their share of terrorist attacks.
The difference between war and terrorist attacks, is when you are at war, you know who your enemy is.
You can if you choose to, declare war back like what happened with the US when Japan bomb Pearl Harbor.
Terrorist attacks have no distinct country, flag or political face to them.
You can usually only guess who it may be unless the country or group tells you who how when and why they bomb you.
Each country will say they had it worse.
The truth, no one has it easy when this happens.