Introduction: Russia’s Approach to (ab)use of History
Introduction: Russia’s Approach to (ab)use of History

Author(s): Ivo Juurvee
Subject(s): International relations/trade, Politics and communication, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions, Geopolitics, Politics of History/Memory
Published by: NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence
Keywords: Falsification of history; Russia; use of historical propaganda; foreign policy; shaping perceptions; manipulation; influence;
Summary/Abstract: This study deals with the growing trend of Russia’s use of historical propaganda to further its foreign policy goals. It contains chapters written by experts in the field in the respective countries of Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Poland. The methodological aspects of the project were discussed in detail during a seminar in Riga on 11 December 2018. It was agreed that, for the integrity of the compendium, at least the central theme should be commonly understood as Jowett and O’Donnell conceptualise it: propaganda is a deliberate and systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behaviour to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist. Its systematic nature requires the longitudinal study of its progress. Because the essence of propaganda is its deliberateness of purpose, considerable investigation is required to find out what this purpose is.

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