»Truth« and Fiction : Conspiracy Theories in Eastern European Culture and Literature / Peter Deutschmann, Jens Herlth, Alois Woldan

• Funder: University of Salzburg, University of Fribourg/Faculty of Humanities, University of Vienna
• HerausgeberIn: Deutschmann, Peter; Herlth, Jens; Woldan, Alois
• Author: University of Salzburg, University of Fribourg/Faculty of Humanities, University of Vienna
• Year of Publication: 2020
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Culture & theory ; 193.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (384 pages) :; digital, PDF file(s).

Several of the most prolific and influential conspiracy theories have originated in Eastern Europe. The far reaching influence of conspiracy narratives can be observed in recent developments in Poland or with regard to the wars waged in Eastern Ukraine and in former Yugoslavia. This volume analyses the history behind this widespread phenomenon as well the role it has played in Eastern European cultures and literature both past and present.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter 1 Contents 5 Introduction 9 Conspiracy Theories, Discourse Analysis and Narratology 19 The News and What Is Behind It: Social Disorder and Conspirational Reading in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature 35 Be on the Lookout! Soviet Conspiracy Drama of the 1920s and 1930s 61 Alternative Constructions of Reality in Maksim Kurochkin's Play Medea Type Fighter 87 "Thinking Spiritually" about the Last Tsar's Murder: Religious Discourse and Conspiracy Theories in Late Soviet Russia 99 Alternative Healing Practices, Conspiracy Theory, and Social Trust in Post-Soviet Russia 117 The Dulles Plan for Russia: Conspiracy Theories and Moral Panics in Post-Soviet Societies 131 Conspiracy Theory and Neoconservative PR Strategies in the 20002010s: The Case of Aleksandr Prokhanov 145 Plots against Russia: Conspiracy, Sincerity, and Propaganda 169 Odessa 2014: Alternative News and Atrocity Narratives on Russian TV 185 After the Final Full-Stop: Conspiracy Theories vs. Aesthetic Response in Milos Urban's Poslední teka za rukopisy (The Final Full-Stop after the Manuscripts) 211 Trauma, Conspiracy, Memento: Representations of the Munich Crisis in Czech Cinema 229 Treason and Conspiracy at the Polish-Ukrainian Border-Sava Chalyi/Sawa Czay 243 Norwid's Critique of Conspiratorial Reason 261 Truth under Attack, or the Construction of Conspiratorial Discourses after the Smolensk Plane Crash 279 Wallenrodian Conspiracy Revisited Twice and Not Quite: Marcin Wolski's Wallenrod and Szczepan Twardoch's Wieczny Grunwald 301 "The Conspiracy, or the Roots of the Disintegration of European Society." Danilo Kis's Fictionalization of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion 313 Spying on the Balkan Spy. Paranoia and Conspiracy in the Works of Dusan Kovaevi 333 Books and Leeches: Conspiracy Theory in Yugoslav and Post-Yugoslav Literatures 357 Contributors 377