Between Fear and Laughter: The Tactics of «information Attacks» in the Anglo-French Press During the Crimean War

The article identifies similarities and differences in the tactics of anti-Russian propaganda deployed by the British and French press during the Crimean War. The comparison focused on two British and two French publications, typologically and genetically related: The Illustrated London News vs. L’Illustration, and Punch vs. Le Charivari. Observations revealed that British anti-Russian propaganda during the Crimean War was more virulent and cynical than its French counterpart. This was explained by a combination of factors. The British army suffered high combat and non-combat losses in Crimea; British public opinion was not prepared in advance for war against Russia; and a small, but still noticeable, segment of British society did not share the government’s military plans. Public sentiment had to be fostered «in an emergency» and fueled by extremely harsh «information dumps» that evoked horror and rage in the face of the «Russian threat.» Overall, propaganda tactics in England and France followed a similar pattern: on the one hand, fear of the «Russian threat» was instilled, while on the other, Russia was ridiculed, convincing the average person of an easy victory