Propaganda Activities of the Norwegian Authorities in the Crisis Situation of the Early 20th Century: Fridtjof Nansen and Sven Hedin

This article examines the process of including representatives of the scientific and academic circles of Norway and Sweden — famous travelers and researchers Fridtjof Nansen and Sven Hedin — in the political struggle and propaganda activities. In the 19th — early 20th centuries, the scientist became a media personality, whose international and national authority gives him a new status of a national hero, includes him in the political struggle. The status and fame of the Swedish and Norwegian travelers were almost equal, as well as their weight in the international scientific community. Thats why their figures were used by the authorities of Sweden and Norway in a polemical discussion on the pages of the British press in 1905, defending their own positions in the Swedish-Norwegian conflict. The main source is the publications of F. Nansen and S. Hedin in “The Times”. The purpose of this work is to analyze their articles, identify the main discussion topics and the argumentation used. As a result of the research, the author comes to the conclusion that the publication activity of F. Nansen in the British press was essentially an unofficial diplomacy, the main task of which was to enlist the support of the British public and the authorities, to bring the Swedish-Norwegian contradictions from the status of a “private matter” to the international arena. Swedish propaganda, in fact, was defensive and exculpatory in nature, the main “trump card” of which was the factor of the “Russian threat”.

Keywords

Fridtjof Nansen, Sven Hedin, Swedish-Norwegian union, mass media, propaganda

Received

14.04.2021

Publication date

16.08.2021

Number of characters

52628

Cite

GOST	Sadova L. Propaganda Activities of the Norwegian Authorities in the Crisis Situation of the Early 20th Century: Fridtjof Nansen and Sven Hedin // ISTORIYA – 2021. – V. 12. – Issue 7 (105) [Electronic resource]. URL: https://history.jes.su/S207987840016481-8-1 (circulation date: 07.05.2024). DOI: 10.18254/S207987840016481-8
MLA	Sadova, Lyudmila "Propaganda Activities of the Norwegian Authorities in the Crisis Situation of the Early 20th Century: Fridtjof Nansen and Sven Hedin." ISTORIYA 12.7 (105) (2021) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840016481-8
APA	Sadova L. (2021). Propaganda Activities of the Norwegian Authorities in the Crisis Situation of the Early 20th Century: Fridtjof Nansen and Sven Hedin. ISTORIYA 12(7 (105)) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840016481-8

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 268

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Gritsenko S. A. «Progermanizm» v obschestvenno-politicheskoĭ zhizni Shvetsii (1905—1916). Dis. na soiskanie uch. st. kand. ist. nauk… M., 2016.

2. Gritsenko S. “Pro-Germanism” as a Political Phenomenon in Sweden in late 19th — early 20th Centuries // ISTORIYA. 2019. Vol. 10. Issue 7 (81). URL: https://history.jes.su/s207987840006302-1-1/ DOI: 10.18254/S207987840006302-1

3. Kasian A. “Russian threat” to Norway (XIX – early XX c.) in foreign historiography and home sources // ISTORIYA. 2011. Vol. 2. Issue 5. URL: https://history.jes.su/s207987840000114-4-2/

4. Musaev V. I. Predstavlenie o «russkoĭ ugroze» v Severnoĭ Evrope: istoriya i sovremennost' // Trudy kafedry istorii novogo i novejshego vremeni Sankt-Peterburgskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. № 17 (1). SPb., 2017.

5. Nansen-Kheĭer L. Kniga ob ottse. L., 1971.

6. Nil'sen Ĭ. P. Staraya Rossiya i novaya Norvegiya (1905—1917): Sosedstvo bez strakha? // Strakh i ozhidaniya. Rossiya i Norvegiya v KhKh v. Arkhangel'sk, 1997.

7. Rudchenko O. Sovremennaya Norvegiya i stranichka iz ee istorii // Russkaya mysl'. 1908.

8. Teplov V. Rastorzhenie shvedsko-norvezhskoj unii. SPb., 1905.

9. Khozikov V. I. Zabytyj kumir fyurera. M., 2004.

10. Berg R. “Det land vi venter hjælp af...” Norge og stormaktene 1905—1908. En holdninganalyse. Bergen, 1983.

11. Bergstrøm M. ”Norig for nordmenn, no eller aldri”. Den sentrale krinsen rundt Den 17de Mai og Studentmållaget og deira kamp mot unionen i 1905. Masteroppgåve i historie. Oslo, 2005.

12. Greve T. Fridtjof Nansen. 1905—1930. Oslo, 1974.

13. Hammerstad T. Svensk og norsk diplomati og virksomhet i Stobtitania i tiden rundt unionsoppløsningen i 1905. Hovedoppgave i historia. Oslo, 2002.

14. Huntford R. Fridtjof Nansen mennesket bak myten. Archehoug. 1996

15. Kolle A. Jugglery with words. Storbritannias og Tysklands politiske og diplomatiske reaksjoner på den svensk-norske unionskrisen i 1905. Hovedoppgave i historia. Oslo, 2004.

16. Lars- Engblom L Å. Pressen påskyndade och underlättade unionens upplösning // Nordisk Tidskrift. Årg. Häfte 1. Stokholm, 2005.

17. Lindgren E. R. Norway-Sweden: union, disunion and Scandinavian integration. Princeton, 1959.

18. Nansen F. Brev. 2: 1896—1905.Oslo, 1961

19. Nansen F. Norge og foreningen med Sverige. Kristiania, 1905.

20. Nansen røst: artikler og taler. 2: 1897—1915. Oslo, 1945.

21. Salmon P. En rerlig megler? Diplomati og maktbalanse i britisk Skandinaviapolitikk 1905—1907 // Stormaktene Sverige og Norge 1905—1907. Fra konsulatsak til integritetstraktat. Oslo, 2006.

22. Syversen Ch. W. Sven Hedin. Svensk nasjonalhelt eller politisk “storskrävlare”. En analyse av Sven Hedin som oppdagelsesreisende, nasjonalhelt og politisk aktør. Hovedoppgave i historie. Oslo, 2003.

23. Worm-Muller J. S. Fridtjof Nansen og 1905. Oslo, 1955.