Propaganda in Czechoslovakia 1948-1956. Images of external enemy - production and reproduction

The dissertation thesis studies images of external enemies, which were part of the social and media discourse in Czechoslovakia between 1948-1956. These images are set in the context of contemporary Czechoslovak propaganda. Enemy images are sets of negative ideas and stereotypes that social groups form about competing communities. They appear in all human groups, including present Czech society. Enemy images form individual identity, identifying with one's own group, and defining oneself against the evil one. The literature usually distinguishes between two types of enemies - internal and external. Due to the wide breadth of the topic, the dissertation thesis focuses only on the dominant images of external enemies, that were represented as the primary rivals, objects of the most significant events in the Czechoslovak discourse. The dissertation consists of a theoretical and analytical part. The first chapter presents a theoretical introduction to the issue and deals with the phenomenon of propaganda. It briefly describes the historical development of propaganda, its various definitions. Furthermore, this section contains the concepts of the enemy image, its functions and the main typologies of the enemies. The second chapter puts the enemy images in the context of contemporary propaganda and deals..