Controversial violence. Imperial expansion in the English and German press before the First World War

In the two decades before 1914, Great Britain and Germany fought numerous colonial wars. While these had devastating consequences for the local population, most people in Europe were only confronted with them when reading the newspapers. As a media topic, however, colonial wars and imperialist interventions were very present in the public eye, triggering political controversy and shaping perceptions of European expansion.

Based on the English and German press, the project examines how the telegraphic networking of the world and the rise of mass media influenced the reporting of imperial military operations, which self-images and images of others came to light and what influence the public debates on imperial expansion had on the political development of Great Britain and Germany.

The project was the focus of a dissertation that was submitted and defended at the University of Erfurt in 2013. The publication is part of the series "Peripherien. Neue Beiträge zur Europäischen Geschichte" published by Böhlau Verlag.

Funding:

Elsa Neumann Scholarship of the State of Berlin(May 2009-April 2012)
DAAD(top-up scholarship, November 2010-December 2010)

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