The Red Army Faction (RAF), also known as the Baader-Meinhof Group, was a far-left militant organization in West Germany founded in the early 1970s. It aimed to combat what its members viewed as capitalist oppression and U.S. imperialism. The group was involved in numerous violent activities, including bank robberies, bombings, and assassinations, which led to widespread fear and a significant police crackdown. The RAF was named after its founders, Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof. Over the years, the group underwent several phases and splintered into different factions. Its activities declined in the 1990s, and the organization officially disbanded in 1998, marking the end of a controversial chapter in German history.