Agitational and Propagandistic Measures to Activate Cossack Volunteer Movement in Don Region during Great Patriotic War
https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2024-13-5-353-370
Abstract
This study addresses the enhancement of agitational and propagandistic measures to activate Cossack volunteerism in the Don region during the Great Patriotic War. Various sources, including archival and published documents, periodicals, testimonies, and contemporaries’ memoirs, were utilized. A comparative-historical analysis of agitational and propagandistic activities conducted in the Don region from 1941 to 1945 indicates significant changes in Soviet approaches and methods of agitation during wartime. Initially, internationalism and socio-political motives (class-based approach) dominated Soviet propaganda at the war’s outset, akin to the pre-war period, leading to the primary involvement of communists, Komsomol members, and Civil War veterans in the Cossack volunteer movement. However, pre-war propaganda approaches quickly lost their effectiveness. By autumn 1941, national-patriotic motives took precedence in Soviet agitation and propaganda efforts. In the Don region, these changes manifested in propaganda appealing to the illustrious combat history of the Don Cossacks and exalting regional patriotism. It is demonstrated that adjusting agitational and propagandistic measures towards strengthening national-patriotic motives proved highly effective, ensuring a steady influx of volunteers into Cossack cavalry formations.
Supporting agencies: The study is supported by Russian Science Foundation, project number 24-28-01265, https://rscf.ru/project/24-28-01265/
About the Author
V. A. Bondarev
Don State Technical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Vitaliy A. Bondarev - Doctor of History, Associate Professor, Department of History and Cultural Studies.
Rostov-on-Don
References
1. Bequeathed to remember… Don Archives — the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory: a collection of documents and materials. (2015). Rostov on Don: Altair. 279 p. ISBN 978-5-91951-261-5. (In Russ.).
2. CDNI RO — Center for Documentation of the modern history of the Rostov region. (In Russ.).
3. Fighting at Khalkhin Gol. Party-political work in a combat situation. (1940). Moscow: Voenizdat. 527 p. (In Russ.).
4. In defense of the Motherland. The party organization of the Don in the Great Patriotic War of 1941—1945. Collection of documents. (1980). Rostov-on-Don: Publishing House. 376 p. (In Russ.).
5. In the battles for the Don. A collection of memoirs of participants of the Great Patriotic War. (1968). Rostov on Don: Publishing House. 335 p. (In Russ.).
6. Molotov, V. M. (1941). Radio performance on June 22, 1941. Pravda. June 23. (In Russ.).
7. Stalin, I. V. (1952). Comrade. To Demyan the Poor (excerpts from the letter). December 12, 1930. In: Essays, 13. Moscow: Gospolitizdat. 23—27. (In Russ.).
8. Stalin, I. V. (1952). On the tasks of business executives. Speech at the first All-Union Conference of workers of Socialist Industry. February 4, 1931. In: Works, 13. Moscow: Gospolitizdat. 29—42. (In Russ.).
9. Stalin, I. V. (1941). Radio performance on July 3, 1941. Pravda. July 3. (In Russ.).
10. Stalin, I. V. (1941). Speech at the parade on November 7, 1941. Pravda. November 8th. (In Russ.).
11. The Red Army is the native brainchild of the Soviet people. (1941). Pravda. June 25. (In Russ.).
12. Yaroslavsky, E. M. (1941). Bolsheviks — the continuers of the best patriotic traditions of the Russian people. Pravda. November 27. (In Russ.).
13. Yaroslavsky, E. M. (1941). For culture — against fascist barbarism. Pravda. November 18. (In Russ.).
14. Yaroslavsky, E. M. (1941). The war of the Soviet people — the justest war. Pravda. November 8th. (In Russ.).
15. Budnitsky, O. V. (2020). The Moscow People’s Militia: the reasons and features of its creation. Russian History, 3: 3—21. DOI: 10.31857/S086956870010139-3. (In Russ.).
16. Gorlov, A. S. (2009). Soviet propaganda during the Great Patriotic War: institutional and organizational aspects. Author’s abstract of PhD Diss. Moscow. 26 p. (In Russ.).
17. Gorshkov, S. I., Ovcharenko, I. V. (1985). Donskoy Guards: An essay on the heroic path of the 5th Guards Don Cossack Cavalry Red Banner Budapest Corps. Rostov on Don: Publishing House. 160 p. (In Russ.).
18. Ivlev, I. A., Yudenkov, A. F. (1988). The weapon of counter-propaganda: Soviet propaganda among the population of the occupied territories of the USSR 1941—1944. Moscow: Mysl. 285 p. ISBN 5-244-00100-0. (In Russ.).
19. Kolesnik, A. D. (1988). Militia formations of the Russian Federation during the Great Patriotic War. Moscow: Nauka. 266 p. ISBN 5-02-008432-8. (In Russ.).
20. Komkov, G. D. (1965). Ideological and political work of the CPSU in 1941—1945. Moscow: Nauka. 440 p. (In Russ.).
21. Kondakova, N. I. (1982). Ideological victory over fascism, 1941—1945. Moscow: Politizdat. 176 p. (In Russ.).
22. Livshin, A. Ya. (2015). Introduction to the collection of documents. In: Soviet propaganda at the final stage of the war (1943—1945). Collection of documents. Moscow: Political Encyclopedia. 17—24. ISBN 978-5-8243-0925-6. (In Russ.).
23. Livshin, A. Ya. (2007). Preface to the collection of documents. In: Soviet propaganda during the Great Patriotic War: “communication of persuasion” and mobilization mechanisms. Collection of documents. Moscow: Russian Political Encyclopedia. 5—24. ISBN 978-5-8243-0925-6. (In Russ.).
24. Malyshev, A. V. (2001). Mass media of the South of Russia during the Great Patriotic War (based on the materials of the Don, Kuban and Stavropol). PhD Diss. Rostov-on-Don. 189 p. (In Russ.).
25. Malysheva, E. M. (2000). Society and power: problems of interaction during the Great Patriotic War. Maykop: Adygea. 432 p. ISBN 5-7992-0084-5. (In Russ.).
26. Nevezhin, V. A. (2007). “If tomorrow we go on a campaign ...”: preparation for war and ideological propaganda in the 30s—40s. Moscow: Eksmo; Yauza. 316 p. ISBN 978-5-699-16625-1. (In Russ.).
27. Senyavskaya, E. S. (2006). Opponents of Russia in the wars of the XX century: the evolution of the “image of the enemy” in the minds of the army and society. Moscow: ROSSPEN. 287 p. ISBN 5-8243-0782-2. (In Russ.).
28. Soviet cavalry. Military historical essay. (1984). Moscow: Voenizdat. 319 p. (In Russ.).
29. The history of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 1938—1958. 1938—1945, 5 (1). (1970). Moscow: Publishing House of Political Literature. 2723 p. (In Russ.).
30. The ideological work of the CPSU at the front (1941—1945). (1960). Moscow: Voenizdat. 326 p. (In Russ.).
31. Trut, V. P. (2020). Don Cossacks during the Great Patriotic War. In: History of the Don Cos-sacks. In 3 vols. The Don Cossacks at the turning point of the epochs (XX — early XXI century), 3. Rostov-on-Don: Omega Publisher. 177—218. ISBN 978-5-902441-61-8. (In Russ.).
32. Yudenkov, A. F. (1971). Political work of the party among the population of the occupied Soviet territory (1941—1944). Moscow: Mysl. 358 p. (In Russ.).
33. Zemlyansky, K. A. (2018). Political propaganda and public consciousness during the Great Patriotic War of 1941—1945. (based on the materials of the Rostov region). PhD Diss. Rostov-on-Don, 2018. — 236 p. (In Russ.).
Review
For citations:
Bondarev V.A. Agitational and Propagandistic Measures to Activate Cossack Volunteer Movement in Don Region during Great Patriotic War. Nauchnyi dialog. 2024;13(5):353-370. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2024-13-5-353-370
Views:
290
Email this article 