Abstract:

As the founding event of the modern Greek State, the 1821 War of Independence is a reference point for the political left and right. Both sides have claimed its memory, defending diverging readings of the national past that reflect contemporary challenges and political beliefs. On the eve of the Bicentenary of the Greek Revolution, radical ultranationalist and authoritarian interpretations of 1821 tend to dominate the public space. After a brief survey of key twentieth century milestones, I shall probe contemporary uses and appropriations of 1821 by the far right as a means to ensure political legitimacy and moral authority. The far-right approach implicates an “issue ownership” strategy that casts the right as the only authentic heir and vindicator of national history and identity. Our argument focuses on lay representations of history and its use by politicians and opinion leaders, i.e., on the kind of historical knowledge that circumvents academia and addresses the wider public.

摘要：

作为现代希腊国家的奠基人，1821年的独立战争是左右政治的参考点。双方都宣布了自己的记忆，捍卫了反映过去挑战和政治信念的关于民族过去的不同读物。在希腊大革命两百周年纪念前夕，激进的超民族主义和威权主义对1821年的解释倾向于主导公共空间。在简要回顾了20世纪的重要里程碑之后，我将探讨极右翼对1821年的当代使用和拨款，以确保其政治合法性和道德权威。极右翼的方法牵涉到“问题所有权”策略，该策略将权利投射为国家历史和身份的唯一真实继承人和辩护人。