Between Europe and Asia: Croats and Hungarians in the 1848/9 propaganda war

Koristeći uglavnom novine kao izvor za analizu, autorica je prikazala segment slike o Mađarima i Slavenima (Hrvatima) u javnosti banske Hrvatske 1848./49. On se temelji na onodobnim tumačenjima o porijeklu naroda, tj. na suprotnosti slavenske (europske) i mađarske (azijske) civilizacije, što je u propagandne svrhe iskorišteno u ratu 1848./49.Propaganda activities played an important role in the revolutionary events of 1848/49. Newspapers and other printed media stressed the differences between Hungarians and Croats (Slavs) and so helped affirm and shape stereotypes. The origin of these two peoples provided both the main source of and the building foundation for stereotypes. The nineteenth century saw the acceptance of theories proposing the Asiatic origin of Hungarians and the Hungarians’ descent from Huns and Avars. These theories of origin implied a set of defined and mostly negative characteristics ascribed to Hungarians. By contrast, the theory of the Croats’ Slavic origin from the Balkans peninsula purported to demonstrate the positively connoted affiliation of the Slavic peoples with the European civilization. Supporters of the National Party (Narodna stranka) in Banska Hrvatska communicated these oppositions in newspapers (Narodne novine, Saborske novine, Slavenski jug, Südslawische Zeitung i Agramer Zeitung), to acquire support of local as well as international public, which in turn meant the support for their political goals