Not at all; but they do hope by deeds of violence to so attract attention to the theory of anarchy as to win followers;--in other words, murders such as those of Humbert, Carnot, and President McKinley were mere advertisements of anarchism.

In the words of Brousse, "Deeds are talked of on all sides; the indifferent masses inquire about their origin, and thus pay attention to the new doctrine and discuss it.

Let men once get as far as this, and it is not hard to win over many of them." Hence, the greater the crime the greater the advertisement; from that point of view, the shooting of President McKinley, under circumstances so atrocious, is so far the greatest achievement of the "propaganda of action." It is worth noting that the "reign of terror" which the Nihilists sought to and did create in Russia was for a far more practical and immediate purpose.

They sought to terrify the government into granting reforms; so far from seeking to annihilate the government, they sought to spur it into activity for the benefit of the masses.
The methods of the Nihilists, without the excuse of their object, were borrowed by the more fanatical anarchists, and applied to the advertising of their belief.

Since the adoption of the "propaganda of action" by the extremists, anarchism has undergone a great change.