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Terrorism — GCSE History Definition | GradeGen

Home
History
Key terms
Terrorism

GCSE History · key term

Terrorism

Definition

Violence or threats of violence intended to advance political, religious or ideological aims by creating fear.

Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR

How each exam board covers it

AQA GCSE History · 8145

Paper 1

Violence intended to intimidate a population or influence political decisions, often through attacks on civilians. Global terrorism operates across national borders.
Understanding its connection with global terrorism requires distinguishing these grievances from the decisions of particular organisations to use violence. Neither Palestinian identity nor sympathy for Palestinian rights automatically implied support for terrorism.
Revise: Regional Instability
The use of violence and intimidation to pursue political or ideological aims.
Revise: Al-Qaeda

Exam tips

1
Distinguish a grievance cited to justify terrorism from a justification you accept. Support for Palestinian rights does not itself imply support for violence.
2
To assess the Palestinian conflict’s contribution to global terrorism, use bin Laden’s February 1998 declaration as evidence, then explain that US troops in Saudi Arabia, sanctions on Iraq and extremist ideology were also motives.

Related key terms

Al-Qaeda
Annexation
Ceasefire
Crime rate
Crime Survey for England and Wales

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AQA History past papers

Edexcel GCSE History · 1HI0

Paper 2

Violence or threats, particularly against civilians, intended to create fear and pressure governments or societies into political change.
International responses combined opposition to terrorism with differing views about Palestinian national rights. The hijackings drew Western governments directly into the conflict, while Munich brought worldwide attention to attacks against Israeli civilians.
Revise: Aftermath of 1967

Edexcel History past papers

OCR GCSE History B · J411

Paper 1

Terrorism uses violence or threats to create fear and advance political, religious or ideological aims. It is therefore distinguished by its purpose, not simply by the weapons used or the number of people harmed.
Revise: Changes in crime

OCR History B past papers

Decriminalisation