Conspiracy Theories in Eastern Europe: Tropes and Trends

This collection of essays explores conspiracy cultures in post-socialist Eastern Europe, focusing on factors such as nationalism, socialism, transition, and globalization. It includes case studies of Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, the former Yugoslav countries, and the former Soviet Union. The book aims to counter disinformation and is a useful resource for scholars, students, politicians, educators, and journalists.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 310 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive collection of cutting-edge essays delves into the pervasive phenomenon of conspiracy cultures in post-socialist Eastern Europe,spanning from the nineteenth century to contemporary manifestations. Conspiracy theories concerning Freemasons, Communists, and Jews, as well as the Chernobyl disaster and the globalist elite, have exerted a significant influence in Eastern Europe, but they have also gained widespread attention on a global scale. Within the context of local Eastern European histories and discourses, this volume examines these conspiracy theories, identifying four major factors that have shaped their cultures: nationalism (including ethnocentrism and antisemitism), the socialist past, the transition period, and globalization. The research primarily focuses on the impact of imperial legacies, nation-building, and the Cold War on the emergence of conspiracy theories in Eastern Europe, as well as the consequences of the fall of the Iron Curtain and the rise of conspiracism in a new democratic setting. Additionally, the book explores the manifestations of viral conspiracy theories in contemporary Eastern Europe and their widespread circulation amidst the global rise of populism. By bringing together a diverse array of Eastern European conspiracism influenced by repeated exchanges with the West, the book offers case studies that examine the history, legacy, and impact of conspiracy cultures in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, the former Yugoslav countries, and the former Soviet Union.

This book appeals to scholars and students of conspiracy theories, as well as those in the fields of political science, area studies, media studies, cultural studies, psychology, philosophy, and history. Politicians, educators, and journalists will also find this book to be a valuable resource in their respective endeavors.

Weight: 570g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367566968