“The War of the Spirits” in the East. Propaganda and Science in the Service of National Movements Cover Image
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„Wojna ducha” na Wschodzie. Propaganda i nauka w służbie ruchów narodowych
“The War of the Spirits” in the East. Propaganda and Science in the Service of National Movements

Author(s): Włodzimierz Borodziej, Maciej Górny
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, History, Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: I wojna światowa; propaganda; nacjonalizm; rasizm; antropologia fizyczna; geografia

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the issue of the political involvement of people of science andculture in Central and Eastern Europe during World War I and in the immediate aftermath.In comparison with the phenomenon of the “war of the spirits” known in the historiography,so far observed mainly in France, Germany and Great Britain, the regional variation of thisphenomenon was characterized by a greater informational value and a stronger relationshipbetween journalistic writing and professional science. In particular, the representatives ofsuch disciplines as physical (racial) anthropology and geography in the service of theirnational movements and governments engaged the whole arsenal of scientific means ofpersuasion: they used the language of a particular science, created coherent and logical,formally correct theories, argued, while maintaining the appropriate forms, with ideologicalopponents. These features of the discourse, among other things, contributed to the viabilityof their scientific theories from World War I, which – unlike analogous creations of WesternEuropean luminaries of art and science – still retain the right to exist in a professionalacademic and journalistic communities in Central and Eastern Europe.

  • Issue Year: 463/2018
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 111-133
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Polish