Tearing Down Propaganda:  A Case Study on the ‘What You Should Know About the Wall’ Brochure

Muhterem Akgüden

Makale detayları

Tearing Down Propaganda: A Case Study on the ‘What You Should Know About the Wall’ Brochure

Yazarlar:

Muhterem Akgüden

Yayıncı:

Kirsehir Ahi Evran University

Dergi:

Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 3, pp.655-669

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

11/2023

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001304491

pISSN:

2149-0767

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Contemporary history is full of remarkable Cold War brochures which were not given considerable attention at their times due to the perception of them as the ridiculous words of enemy. Although they were not classified documents in the depths of national archives, they were not seen significant or worth to be taken seriously to be studied along with more popular materials. This study supports the re-discovery of such propaganda materials with a general belief that the historical significance of some materials may only be realized in the study of international propaganda when the ideas that once labelled them as the products of the enemy have disappeared. With this aim, this study presents a qualitative case study on the What You Should Know About the Wall brochure, which was an early example of the official East German brochures about the Berlin Wall in English. It was published to inform the international community about the situation in Berlin after the construction of the wall from the official East German perspective. Nevertheless, it was not possible for this brochure to create a popular understanding among the English-speaking target groups who live in the Western countries. Even though the brochure had potential of persuading its target groups in favour of the East German causes through its well-prepared turn of expression or responses to common critiques, there were certain disadvantages for its achieving this purpose. In this context, this article questions why this brochure was not able to justify the construction of the Berlin Wall among the English-speaking target groups in the West. In this way, it focuses on this remarkable but understudied propaganda material and addresses the gap in the literature on the Berlin Wall which tends to study the building and collapse of the wall, rather than its weakening or strengthening through propaganda.

 Contemporary history is full of remarkable Cold War brochures which were not given considerable attention at their times due to the perception of them as the ridiculous words of enemy. Although they were not classified documents in the depths of national archives, they were not seen significant or worth to be taken seriously to be studied along with more popular materials. This study supports the re-discovery of such propaganda materials with a general belief that the historical significance of some materials may only be realized in the study of international propaganda when the ideas that once labelled them as the products of the enemy have disappeared. With this aim, this study presents a qualitative case study on the What You Should Know About the Wall brochure, which was an early example of the official East German brochures about the Berlin Wall in English. It was published to inform the international community about the situation in Berlin after the construction of the wall from the official East German perspective. Nevertheless, it was not possible for this brochure to create a popular understanding among the English-speaking target groups who live in the Western countries. Even though the brochure had potential of persuading its target groups in favour of the East German causes through its well-prepared turn of expression or responses to common critiques, there were certain disadvantages for its achieving this purpose. In this context, this article questions why this brochure was not able to justify the construction of the Berlin Wall among the English-speaking target groups in the West. In this way, it focuses on this remarkable but understudied propaganda material and addresses the gap in the literature on the Berlin Wall which tends to study the building and collapse of the wall, rather than its weakening or strengthening through propaganda.

 Contemporary history is full of remarkable Cold War brochures which were not given considerable attention at their times due to the perception of them as the ridiculous words of enemy. Although they were not classified documents in the depths of national archives, they were not seen significant or worth to be taken seriously to be studied along with more popular materials. This study supports the re-discovery of such propaganda materials with a general belief that the historical significance of some materials may only be realized in the study of international propaganda when the ideas that once labelled them as the products of the enemy have disappeared. With this aim, this study presents a qualitative case study on the What You Should Know About the Wall brochure, which was an early example of the official East German brochures about the Berlin Wall in English. It was published to inform the international community about the situation in Berlin after the construction of the wall from the official East German perspective. Nevertheless, it was not possible for this brochure to create a popular understanding among the English-speaking target groups who live in the Western countries. Even though the brochure had potential of persuading its target groups in favour of the East German causes through its well-prepared turn of expression or responses to common critiques, there were certain disadvantages for its achieving this purpose. In this context, this article questions why this brochure was not able to justify the construction of the Berlin Wall among the English-speaking target groups in the West. In this way, it focuses on this remarkable but understudied propaganda material and addresses the gap in the literature on the Berlin Wall which tends to study the building and collapse of the wall, rather than its weakening or strengthening through propaganda.

 Çağdaş tarih, düşmanın saçma sözcükleri olarak algılandıkları için kendi zamanlarında yeterince ilgi gösterilmemiş, ama kayda değer Soğuk Savaş broşürleriyle doludur. Bunlar, ulusal arşivlerin derinliklerinde gizli döküman olarak sınıflandırılmamış olmalarına rağmen, daha popüler materyallerin yanında önemli görülmeyip veya ciddiye alınmayıp çalışılmamışlardır. Bu çalışma, bazı broşürlerin uluslararası propaganda çalışmalarındaki tarihsel öneminin sadece bir zamanlar onları düşman ürünü olarak etiketleyen fikirler ortadan kalktığında anlaşılabileceğine dair genel bir inançtan yola çıkarak, bu doğrultudaki materyallerinin yeniden keşfedilmesini desteklemektedir. Bu amaçla, bu çalışma, Berlin Duvarı hakkında İngilizce yazılan ilk resmi Doğu Alman broşür örneklerinden olan Duvar Hakkında Bilmeniz Gerekenler broşürü üzerine nitel bir vaka çalışması sunmaktadır. Broşür, duvarın inşasından sonra Berlindeki durum hakkında uluslararası toplumu bilgilendirmek için resmi Doğu Almanya perspektifinden yazılmıştı; ancak Batı ülkelerinde yaşayan İngilizce konuşan hedef gruplar arasında popüler bir anlayış yaratmayı başaramadı. Broşürün iyi hazırlanmış ifade biçimi veya yaygın eleştirilere verdiği yanıtlar aracılığıyla insanları Doğu Alman davası lehine ikna etme potansiyeline sahip olmasına rağmen, amacına ulaşma konusunda bazı dezavantajları vardı. Bu bağlam içerisinde, bu makale, broşürün Batıdaki İngilizce konuşan hedef gruplar arasında Berlin Duvarının inşasını neden haklı gösteremediğini sorgulamaktadır. Bu şekilde, makale, kayda değer ancak az çalışılmış bu propaganda materyaline odaklanıyor ve duvarın propaganda yoluyla zayıflaması veya güçlendirilmesinden ziyade, duvarın inşasını ve yıkılmasını inceleme eğiliminde olan Berlin Duvarı ile ilgili literatürdeki boşluğu dolmayı amaçlıyor.

Makale detayları

Tearing Down Propaganda: A Case Study on the ‘What You Should Know About the Wall’ Brochure

Yazarlar:

Muhterem Akgüden

Yayıncı:

Kirsehir Ahi Evran University

Dergi:

Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 3, pp.655-669

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

11/2023

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001304491

pISSN:

2149-0767

August 13

Berlin Wall

Cold War

East Germany

propaganda13 Ağustos

Berlin Duvarı

Soğuk Savaş

Doğu Almanya

propaganda

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Muhterem Akgüden

Yayıncı: Kirsehir Ahi Evran University

Dergi: Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 3, pp.655-669

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 11/2023

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001304491

pISSN: 2149-0767

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Muhterem Akgüden

Yayıncı:

Kirsehir Ahi Evran University

Dergi:

Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 3, pp.655-669

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

11/2023

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001304491

pISSN:

2149-0767