What does this research mean for the field?

Language and the contestation of terms played a central role in European civil wars between 1917 and 1939 by enabling armed confrontation, legitimizing violence, constructing enemy images, and shaping the memory of the conflicts. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine how language, conceptual framing, and political identity shaped the emergence, conduct, and memory of European civil wars between 1917 and 1939.

August 23, 2026HistoryOpen Access

Languages and Concepts of European Civil Wars, 1917–39: An Introduction

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Authors

KTKonstantin TarasovUniversity of Nottingham

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Implication

Comparative historical analysis reveals how political terminology shaped armed conflicts in interwar Europe, highlighting discourse as a key driver for legitimizing violence.

Key Points

To examine how language, conceptual framing, and political identity shaped the emergence, conduct, and memory of European civil wars between 1917 and 1939.
Comparative historical analysis across five European case studies: Russia, Finland, Ireland, Austria, and Spain.
Evaluation of how historical actors strategically utilized, contested, or avoided terms such as 'civil war', 'rebellion', and 'intervention'.
Conceptual battles and 'wars of words' actively enabled armed confrontation and shaped the legitimization of physical violence.
Linguistic choices critically drove the construction of enemy images, the mobilization of emotional responses, and the post-conflict historical memory.

Cite This Study

Konstantin Tarasov (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8aad417677a34114445667 https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-229x.70147

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Implication

Comparative historical analysis reveals how political terminology shaped armed conflicts in interwar Europe, highlighting discourse as a key driver for legitimizing violence.

Languages and Concepts of European Civil Wars, 1917–39: An Introduction

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Languages and Concepts of European Civil Wars, 1917–39: An Introduction

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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