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History as Convenient Pretext: The Use and Misuse of History in the Invasion of Ukraine

Event Type
Lecture
Sponsor
Phi Alpha Theta
Location
217 Noyes Laboratory
Date
Mar 3, 2022   7:00 - 8:15 pm  
Speaker
Stefan Djordjevic
Contact
Stefan Djordjevic
E-Mail
djordje1@illinois.edu
Views
48
Originating Calendar
History Department

War has returned to Europe with a scale and fury not witnessed since the last days of the Second World War. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to justify his wanton aggression against Ukraine by appealing to a catalogue of historical grievances and a fantastical historical narrative which denies Ukraine the very right to independent statehood. During this talk, we will situate Putin's pseudo-historical narratives in their proper context and work to understand how history can be misused and mobilized in the service of an expansionistic state. The terrible events unfolding in Ukraine today should remind us of history's vital role in the present and of the necessity to counter propaganda with thoughtful and precise scholarship.

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