Course for international guest/part time students
- Faculty
- Faculty of Humanities
- Organization
- BTK Institute of Historical Studies
- Code
- MA-ERA-IHS-S-8
- Title
- War and Propaganda
- Usual semester
- Autumn
- Published semester
- 2026/27/1
- ECTS
- 8
- Language
- en
- Learning outcomes
- Mónika Mátay: War & Propaganda Aim of the course: Conflicts have shaped societies throughout history, and the narratives surrounding these events have been influenced by various forms of propaganda.
- Course content
- The study of war propaganda is essential to understanding how political narratives are constructed, disseminated, and received in times of conflict. The ongoing global tensions and the threat of a potential world war remind us of the important role of propaganda in shaping public opinion and influencing political decisions and outcomes. The word propaganda comes from the Latin word propagare, which means to spread, to enhance, to extend. In 1622, Pope Gregory XV founded the Sacra Congregatio De Propaganda Fide, a religious congregation dedicated to the propagation of the Catholic faith. During the French Revolution, the term lost its religious meaning and designated an ambitious political and ideological program aimed at the renewal of the French people. In the 20th century, propaganda developed further, becoming a central political tool of the communist and national socialist movements. In recent times, political propaganda and disinformation have gained new momentum through the use of social media and targeted methods. While disinformation cannot be legislated against, propaganda supporting war and incitement to genocide are illegal under international law.
- Assessment method
- Course Requirements and Assessment: Students are required to read the assigned texts and actively participate in class discussions. In addition, during the semester, course participants are required to complete short (1–2 page) assignments. The final grade for the course will be based on the assignments, class participation (75%), and the final PowerPoint presentation (25%).
- Bibliography
- War and Speech Adolf Hitler’s Deaclaration of War Against Poland (1939, altcensored) Stalin Speech on German invasion in WW2 (1941, YouTube) Stalin’s speech at the parade (7 November, 1941, YouTube) Stalin’s victory broadcast to the Soviet people (9 May 1945, YouTube) Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat – speech Winston Churchill (13 May, 1940, YouTube) Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s message tot he nation and the commonwealth on VE Day (8 May, 1945, YouTube) Laswell, Harold D., The Theory of Political Propaganda. The American Political Science Review 1927, vol. 21., no. 3. 627–631. October 2 The French Revolution and Creating the Enemy Hunt, Lynn, The Rhetoric of the Revolution. In Politics, Culture and Class in the French Revolution. Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1984. 19–51. Robespierre, Maximilien, In favor of an Armed People, of a War Against the Vendée. Club of Jacobins, May 8. 1793. October 9 The Spring of the Nations: 1848 Sperber, Jonathan, The European Revolutions, 1848–1851. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. 56–89. October 16 The Great War: Words & Images Véray, Laurent, 1914–1918, the first media war of the twentieth century: The example of French newsreels. Film History 2010. vol. 22., no. 4. 408–425. Demm, Eberhard, Propaganda and Caricture in the First World War. Journal of Contemporary History 1993. vol. 28., no. 1. 163–192. November 6 Politics, memory & propaganda: the Heroes’ Square Walk to downtown Budapest Gerő, András, Heroes’ Square Budapest. Budapest: Corvina, 1990. November 13 Interwar Hungary: Political Ritual Tradler,Henrietta, The Tower and the Heroes. Kőszeg: iASK, 2025. Pritz, Pál, Hungarian Foreign Policy in the Interwar Period. Hungarian Studies 2003, vol. 117. 13–32. November 20 Nazi Propaganda Against the Jews Martin, Tracey, article 8. Propaganda: How Germany Convinced the Masses. History in the Making, vol. 13. Harlan, Veit, Jud Süss Berlin, 1940. https://archive.org/details/jud-su-ss-english-subbed-1940 Hippler, Fritz, Der Ewige Jüde Berlin, 1940. 1940 Der Ewige Jude ( 1h 10m, 352x 256) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive Hitler, Adolf: War Propaganda. In Mein Kampf. London: Blackett Ltd. 156–162. (pdf file uploaded) November 27 WW2 and the moving image Rhodes, Anthony, Rule and Resistance in “The New Order,” 1936–1945.In Propaganda. The Art of Persuasion: World War II. New York & London: Chelsea House Publisher, 1976. 177–208. The WW 2 Film That Convinced The American Public To Support The War (YouTube) Reifenstahl, Leni, Olympia – Festival of Nations (1936, YouTube) December 4 The Weekly War: Vietnam & the US Landers, James, The Weekly War. Newsmagazines and Vietnam. Columbia and London: University of Missouri Press, 2004. 50–116. Internet.Archive A Nation Builds Under Fire. (1967, documentary, YouTube) December 11 Ukraine and Russia: Wartime Disinformation in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinformation_in_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine (Wikipedia) Inside Russia: How Putin’s Propaganda Machine Works (2025, documentary, YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avJsCcdVR_k