The Baader Meinhof Complex - Stefan Aust

I recently revisited the movie The Baader Meinhof Complex.

 

The logical next step was to re-read Stefan Aust's book of the same name, on which the film was based.  

Basically, this book chronicles the story of the Red Army Fiction, from its origins in the late 60s student protest movement, through to the aftermath of the so-called "German Autumn" of 1977.  The edition which I have also has a new preface, and updates on the more recent activities of the group.

The book is quite a curious one, because it sometimes feels as if corners are being cut, but after completing reading it, I still felt as if I had been told the story comprehensively and representatively.  The short, staccato chapters give the work a fast-paced appearance, as if superfluous information has been "boiled off", leaving just the crucial and necessary detail.  This was a wise strategy, as we are dealing here with occurrences which in essence spanned a decade or more.

The author was a close observer of events, and remains even-handed and dispassionate here.  The preface to the edition which I own does offer some moral judgements, but by and large analysis is that which surfaced at the time when the events took place, offered by the media, families, the state and others.

A large proportion of The Baader Meinhof Complex is dedicated to examining the events leading up to the formation of the RAF "proper", and its main actions.  Portaits of some of the members, concise but enlightening, are provided, and then the story of the late 60s student movement is documented, taking in the events of 2 June 1967.  We see how the various strands coalesced, how members became acquainted, and how the project acquired its momentum.

Some seminal episodes are dealt with, including the period 1969-70, before Andreas Baader was forcibly freed from custody, and the work undertaken to equip and build up the organisation "underground".

There is some real insight into the temperaments of the different protagonists, their original motives, their fears, and their occasional misgivings. The acrimony and dissent which occurred, particularly in those early days, is also detailed.  These passages offer a spotlight into the pressures and strains of the murky underground existence, and how some coped better than others with the lifestyle and the constant upheavals and dangers.

In time, we eavesdrop on the police and the judiciary of the Federal Republic, as they strove to confront this new and ominous threat. The two sides run in parallel, occasionally intertwining.

From going through the book again, and renewing my research on this topic generally, I have a clearer understanding of the Red Army Faction's grievances, although I still find their methods utterly repugnant. 

Also, it can be seen that the judiciary, and the state machinery, often damaged their own credibility and moral standing with heavy-handed, over-zealous or unnecessary measures. The defendants in the Stammheim trial sometimes held some semblance of high ground, but tended to squander it with their delusions, their well-worn and tired rhetoric, and their petulance in court and elsewhere. Less obduracy may have helped, but of course passions were running high, and it is easy to make these observations three and a half decades later.

The book's coverage of the so-called "German Autumn" in 1977 is very effective, conveying the drama, tension and emotions of all concerned.  The savagery and insecurity of the Schleyer kidnappers, the resourcefulness of the authorities, and the horror of the Lufthansa hijacking all come over very vividly.

We switch between the "theatres";the terrorist hide-outs, the corridors of power in Bonn, Stammheim and the hijacked airliner.  The pace quickens as the denouement is approached,brinkmanship, psychology, bargaining, stalling tactics, and blackmail all in evidence.

The underlying emotion which comes across in the aftermath of the events of October 1977 is one of emptiness and bleakness.  The book feels like it concludes abruptly, and perhaps this is no accident.

Throughout the book, Aust reproaches and questions those parties who he feels are at fault, or have a case to answer, be they terrorists, politicians, police or lawyers. The failings of all are laid bare, and he puts forward arguments and evidence lucidly, although some of the questions have never been fully or satisfactorily resolved.

If you are looking for endless passages of sociological dissection of causes and motives, then it may be best to look elsewhere. However, for an authoritatively researched and written, "all under one roof" account this is very good.