„Günstige Lage unserer Truppen in der Entscheidungsschlacht” - österreichische und russische Berichte zur Ostfront in den ersten Monaten des Großen Krieges. (German)

"Favorable Condition of Our Troops in the Decisive Battle": Austrian and Russian Reports on the Eastern Front During the First Months of the Great War. (English)

This article describes the significance of front line reporting as a propaganda instrument in the Austrian and Russian press at the beginning of the First World War. The focus is on the Eastern Front, initially the most important theatre of war for both states. The manipulative function of the various reports is analysed in the light of war events. Despite the restrictions imposed by censorship and state news policy, journalists still had some scope for interpretation. Nevertheless, the press coverage of both states was very similar in terms of the propagandistic strategies employed. The primary aim was to motivate the population for war and to boost their confidence in victory. The reports in the first months of the war characteristically conveyed the hope that the war would be short. Newspaper reports thus presented the larger battles as decisive conflicts, highlighted the achievements of their own troops and, by concentrating on the successful areas of the front, gave the impression that the war was progressing favourably. Defeats were frequently passed over or presented as strategic withdrawals. The military-strategic appraisals were often accompanied by ideological-moral interpretations, portraying the war as one of liberation or defence. Despite all the attempts to gloss over military setbacks, developments on the war front led to a certain disillusionment, and people gradually began to realise that the war was not going to be as short as hoped. This resulted in a more cautious press coverage of the war fronts; nevertheless, there are numerous examples which show continuity in the propaganda strategies followed in the further course of the war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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