More than twelve years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, transnational terrorism from Al-Qaeda remains one of the greatest threats of the 21st century. Political scientist Peter Wichmann, who understands terrorism as a strategy of publicity and mobilization, examines the similarities and differences in the manifestations of terrorism since the 19th century and analyzes the development of Al-Qaeda from its founding in 1988 to the present. The author establishes connections between the Al-Qaeda mother organization and its affiliate organizations, as well as to the terrorist cells in the West, which, contrary to the popular thesis of a leaderless jihad, exhibit network structures. Furthermore, the author sheds light on the interconnections between Al-Qaeda's global jihad and the Salafist networks in the Federal Republic of Germany.