Dialektyka potęgi i słabości, czyli o Rosji imperialnej w propagandzie powstania styczniowego

• Authors: Marcin Wolniewicz

Title variants

EN

The Dialectics of Strength and Weakness. Imperial Russia in the Propaganda of the January Uprising of 1863

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The paper deals with an image of Russia which was used during the January Uprising of 1863 by the Polish propaganda in an effort to win both the support of governments and the public opinion in the West. The image of Imperial Russia was characterized by special dialectics of strength and helplessness: the very thing which once came to be identified as a source of Russia's strength was at the same time pointed out to be a source of the country’s weakness (despotism, barbarism). The dialectics was designed to leave the West “horrified” at the prospect of having its most vital interests jeopardized by aggressive tendencies of the Russian colossus, but also to show the way in which these expansionist ambitions could be held in check. In 1863 the West was already well-acquainted with such a picture of Russia. Insofar as this way of portraying Russia could be successful in terms of pure propaganda, it could hardly be relied on for obtaining some more tangible political profits. Since the defeat in the Crimean war, Russia has been able to command respect only as a part of international order, with no power, however, to disturb it.

Keywords

EN

image of Russia; January Uprising of 1863; despotism

• Publisher: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warmińsko-Mazurskiego
• Journal: Przegląd Wschodnioeuropejski
• Year: 2013
• Volume: 4
• Pages: 25-46

Dates

published

2013

Contributors

author

Marcin Wolniewicz

• Instytut Historii PAN

Identifiers

ISSN

2081-1128