Thread by @Barbarella91

1|Good evening! My name is Barbara and I am a PhD student in Austria. In the following tweets I will tell you more about the British memory discourse on #WWI in current television period dramas. First, I start with some information about the previous discourse. #LegaciesFWW2019

2|Before, it has to be noted that in modern, complex societies the collective memory is influenced and changed through media. Media representations never (!) show reality, just media constructions of reality that are influenced by many factors. #LegaciesFWW2019

3|Previous media products (e.g. novels, memoirs, movies) are especially important, because narratives are always part of a bigger network of already existing stories. The Battle of the Somme (1916) was the first popular propaganda film about #WWI in GB. (pic. PD) #LegaciesFWW2019

4|At the latest in the mid-1920s the idea of #WWI was shaped by the film. Productions like Tell England (1930) and Journey`s End (1931) present this conflict as a futile slaughter. The myth of futility and more complex narratives reinforced after #WWII. (pic. PD) #LegaciesFWW2019

5|Other #WWI myths and narratives (e.g. sacrifice, western front) were passed on in the following decades in films (e.g. King & Country (1964)) until they were finally accepted uncritically by next generations as accurate representations of reality. (©BHE) Films #LegaciesFWW2019

6|Blackadder Goes Forth (1989) stresses several stereotypes and clichés regarding #WWI. The successful sitcom still plays an important part in the British collective memory. In the 1990s several media products started to deal with psychological traumata. (©BBC) #LegaciesFWW2019

7|The #WWI 100th centenary resulted in many war-related tv-films and -series (GB), e.g. Parade`s End (2012, pic.), Birdsong (2012), Testament of Youth (2014) and The Crimson Field (2014). The following developments in #WWI memory discourse were identified. (©BBC) #LegaciesFWW2019

8|Currently there is a trend towards micro-history. Many series (e.g. Downton Abbey) focus on one family and their social environment. This trend is often accompanied by a focus on the ‘home front’ and is also reflected in the titles (e.g. The Village). (©ITV) #LegaciesFWW2019

9|The western front and the Battle of the Somme (07-11/1916) still dominate the British memory discourse about #WWI in period dramas, e.g. Birdsong. Therefore, #WWI is presented as a solely West European conflict and is losing his international dimension. (©BBC) #LegaciesFWW2019

10|Today, almost every #WWI tv-film or -series has to contain a shell-shocked soldier. Symptoms of shell shock include e.g. anxiety disorders and paralysis. At the end of the 20th century shell shock became a symbol for the horror and injustices during #WWI. #LegaciesFWW2019

11|The interest in the life of women during #WWI reached a peak. Even though they took over many tasks (e.g. farming, charity work), women are still mainly portrayed as VAD nurses, like in Testament of Youth, which is based on the memoirs by Vera Brittain. (©BBC) #LegaciesFWW2019

12|The 1920s myth of a ‘lost generation’ is still present in current period dramas, like Downton Abbey. It is connected to the myth of futility and sacrifice as well as the image of numerous women that were condemned to a real or fictional widowhood. (©ITV) #LegaciesFWW2019

13|Nowadays, the poppy is the most popular #WWI symbol of commemoration in GB and firmly rooted in the collective memory. However, it is only visible in a few tv period dramas, like The Crimson Field, but is featured prominently in the opening credits. (©BBC) #LegaciesFWW2019

14|To conclude, new and well-known #WWI narratives, myths and symbols were picked up and developed in current tv period dramas. They probably also affected the ongoing national memory discourse in GB. More developments will follow. (TSNGO/©Warner Bros. Pictures) #LegaciesFWW2019

15| Last but not least, if you are interested in my latest #WWI research, dealing with Austrian newspapers, please take a look at the
@NewsEyeEU
homepage and my blog post (newseye.eu/blog/news/the-…). More coming up soon! #Newseye #LegaciesFWW2019