International terrorism in the world-system: revisiting Rapoport's ‘four waves’ thesis

This article revisits David Rapoport's ‘four waves’ of terrorism through world-systems theory, critiquing the lack of a systematic framework in Rapoport's thesis to account for the structural triggers of each wave. Rapoport attributes the emergence of these waves to specific historical events or developments, such as technological advancements, the Versailles Peace Treaty, and significant geopolitical shifts, without integrating these elements into a broader structural context. By adopting a world-systems approach and the method of incorporated comparison, this study reconceptualizes international terrorism as a geocultural phenomenon deeply intertwined with world-systemic crises and world revolutions. It connects the historical timing of each terrorism wave with systemic crises and anti-systemic movements, highlighting how global structural dynamics, such as the Long Depression, post-World War I disruptions, the relative decline of US hegemony, and the neoliberal restructuring of the world economy, have facilitated the rise and evolution of terrorist activities.