The Image of the Transylvanian soldier in the Austrian-Hungarian Army during War World I in the Romanian Press from Transylvania
Soldatul ardelean din armata austro-ungară în timpul Primului Război Mondial în presa românească din Transilvania
Keywords: WWI; Transylvania; soldiers; Romanian press; military medals; mobilization
During WWI the most important source of information for the Romanian population from Transylvanian was the written press. Aware of the role the press played in influencing the public opinion, the Hungarian authorities have tried to use them not only to transmit factual information, but also as part of their strategy to manipulate the population. The general information refers to the official press releases concerning the mobilization procedures, or to the support offered by the authorities for the soldiers and their families. The second category of information, with a manipulative feel, specifies the facilities granted to soldiers (the right to wear national symbols, such as the Romanian flag, the loyalty towards the Austro-Hungarian Empire or the use of the Romanian language) and the medals awarded to the Romanian soldiers. This study aims to demonstrate how three of the Romanian newspapers from Transylvania reflected in their articles the above mentioned issues. The periodicals included in the study are: „Deşteptarea”, „Libertatea” and „Românul”.
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