Verbal Manipulation in Political Discourse: Metaphors, Clichés, Emotions and Symbols in F. Tuđman’s Speeches During Wartime Period 1990-1995
Verbal Manipulation in Political Discourse: Metaphors, Clichés, Emotions and Symbols in F. Tuđman’s Speeches During Wartime Period 1990-1995

Summary/Abstract: This article examines verbal manipulation used in the public speeches of Croatian president Franjo Tuđman between the years 1990-1995 in the beginning of Breakup of Yugoslavia and during the Croatian War of Independence. He had to lead his country through turbulent period of changes and conflicts, and he had to persuade the nation and the international community to believe in his plans and his vision. This analysis presupposes that language is intentionally used instrument, not a random group of words and it is important and interesting to have a closer look on what the leaders are saying. Speechwriting is a specific process of creating a speech tailored to given audience because only then it will serve its purpose of persuasion. The speaker must know to whom and at what occasion he or she is talking to and adapt accordingly. For this thesis, four types of verbal manipulation – metaphors, clichés/stereotypes, emotions, and symbols – used by the president are analysed because they have vast manipulative potential. All of them are put into the context of the events happening around the time they were delivered. Direct excerpts from Tuđman’s speeches are provided as an example of this phenomenon with an attempt to explain their manipulative potential.

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