Propaganda in the World and Local Conflicts

Number 9 (2), 2022

48-56
‘An Essay on the Political History of the Almighty Don Host’ (1919): An Account of the History of Don Cossackdom for Readers from the Countries of the Entente. Part 2

Authors: Artem Yu. Peretyat’ko

Abstract

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This work analyzes ‘An Essay on the Political History of the Almighty Don Host’, a book released in 1919 by the Don government headed by Ataman A.P. Bogayevsky for readers from the countries of the Entente (there were plans to release the book in English and French; the Russian edition of the book was intended for the Slav allies). It is shown that the book consistently advanced the idea that the Cossacks were ideological allies of the British and the French and were committed to upholding the traditions of freedom and democracy. However, the book was inconsistent in terms of content – for the most part, the factual material did not align with the ideas; it was mainly reduced to describing Cossackdom’s military victories (the exception is the section on the Civil War). This can be explained by the fact that by 1919 there had been produced no summarizing works on the history of Cossackdom written from the standpoint of democratic and republican traditions, while it also was difficult to conduct meaningful research amid the Civil War in the country. Nevertheless, the key conceptual ideas in ‘An Essay on the Political History of the Almighty Don Host’ were subsequently elaborated in the work of Don émigré historian S.G. Svatikov, who very well may have been its real author.

57-67
The Methods and Principles of Propaganda Employed by the Soviet Pro-Nazi Collaborationists during World War II (Based on Materials From the Roul Newspaper)

Authors: Anvar M. Mamadaliev

Abstract

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Number of views: 26

This paper, which focuses on anti-Soviet propaganda during World War II, examines the methods and principles of agitation and propaganda employed by the Soviet pro-Nazi collaborationists at the time based on materials from the Roul newspaper. The study’s chronological scope is November 1943 through June 1944, i.e. the end of the war’s second stage, marked as the tipping point in it, and the start of its third stage, marked by the victory over the Nazis. The study produced the conclusion that the Roul newspaper was fairly effective as an ideological weapon employed in Soviet areas occupied by Nazi Germany. The target audience for this medium was opponents of the Soviet regime. Roul made use of the entire spectrum of the principles of military propaganda. The principles that were employed the most included ‘our adversary’s leader is inherently evil and resembles the devil’, ‘we suffer few losses, and the enemy’s losses are considerable’, and ‘our cause is sacred’. The strenuousness of the Nazi propaganda efforts unleashed to influence the residents of the USSR’s German-occupied areas is attested by the fact that the Russian collaborationists fought on until the end of the war. The research reported in this paper revealed that, despite similarities in the principles, technologies, methodologies, and methods of conducting ideological warfare employed by Nazi Germany and the USSR, the bulk of German propaganda was geared toward a more or less educated audience, whereas its Soviet counterpart was mainly oriented toward the working class. This conclusion was based on an analysis of phrases used in German and Soviet media reports at the time.

68-70
From the Experience of Using Powerful Sound Broadcasting Stations by the Red Army in 1943

Authors: Serhii V. Stelnykovych

Abstract

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Number of views: 22

The article considers some experience of the use of sound broadcasting stations by the Red Army in 1943 on the Eastern Front of World War II. The attention is paid to the circumstances of the emergence of a document on the conservation of sound broadcasting installations at the front − “A memo on saving loudspeakers and trench installations from enemy fire”. There were used as materials the documents from the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (Podolsk, Russian Federation). Case 91 was used – the Documents of the 7th department of the political department of the 33rd Army on the organization of propaganda and agitation (bulletin “Sharing of experiences”). 1944 year. After the Red Army's offensive operations in 1943, there were recorded among troops the cases of the destruction of sound broadcasting stations PLI-39. The fact of the destruction of these powerful loud-speaking installations led to the investigation of this case in the political department of the Red Army. During the proceedings, the reasons for the death of the equipment were clarified and, ultimately, on January 7, 1944, “A memo on saving loudspeakers and trench installations from enemy fire” was developed.

71-73
About the Organization of Russian Propaganda in Allied and Neutral States during the First World War

Authors: Sergei N. Nikitin

Abstract

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Number of views: 24

This paper examines Russian propaganda directed towards allied and neutral states during the First World War. The attention is paid to the experiences of both allies (England and France) and adversaries (Germany) in the realm of military propaganda. The sources for this study include documents from the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire (Moscow, Russian Federation) and the Russian State Military Historical Archive (Moscow, Russian Federation). These documents are introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time. The author states that during World War I Germany was the first country among the participating nations, which putthe periodical press at the service of the state and turn it into the fourth type of weapon. German agents not only in allied countries, but also in neutral ones, managed to create numerous printed publications that formed pro-German public opinion. In 1915−1916, this experience was actively applied by the Entente countries. In 1915−1916, the Entente countries began to actively apply this experience. By the end of 1916, Russian propagandists had planned to widely use not only the press, but also cinema for military propaganda purposes. There was also a project to send officers from each regiment of the Russian Army from the Eastern to the Western Front to build camaraderie between Russian, English, and French officers. However, the events of February 1917 prevented Russia from implementing these initiatives.