Propaganda prin cultură a României în Marea Britanie (1936-1938)

Authors
SORIN ARHIRE
Pages
265-279
Abstract

In the interwar period, as today in fact, besides the political, economic and military relations, cultural relations have their own importance, and often, political goals can be achieved more easily when one resorts to means of propaganda related to culture. In the second half of the fourth decade of the last century, this reasoning was the more valid so as Romania was confronted with the hostile attitude of Hungary and Bulgaria, the small revisionist states, to which USSR could be added. In order to defend the Romanian interests one had to counter the effects that the Hungarian and the Bulgarian propaganda were having in the West. Under this reasoning, Britain was regarded as having a very special importance, and the efforts made by the government in Bucharest in promoting Romania’s image were cut out for this importance. Efforts have been made for the information on Romania to be as publicized as possible among the islander readers. Thus, whenever a British journalist wanted to come to Romania to document for writing an article about the Romanian realities, his application was favourably received, although, it should be noted that, previously, the Romanian authorities were always and thoroughly documenting both on the journalist as a person and on how he would write, in order to make sure that the materials to be published will have a favourable attitude towards Romania. Besides the newspapers, another type of publication through which cultural propaganda was done was represented by the publishing. This category included the English translations of some of the famous Romanian novels, the issue of some tourist guidebooks about Romania, but also of some biographical works. Some unusual for that time initiatives can be mentioned, within this category falling the BBC broadcast of some Romanian music works, and especially the development of documentary, colour films, which was a rarity at that time. The role played by the Anglo-Romanian Cultural Society in Bucharest should not be neglected. It was established in March of 1927 and it had an important role in fostering closer bilateral relations and, therefore, in the Romanian propaganda in the United Kingdom. However, taking into account that a long tradition of cultural relations between the two countries did not exist, but also due to the fact that it was always compared with the Hungarian cultural propaganda of the Anglo-Saxon world, the impression left in the epoch was that not enough had been done, which is partially true.

Keywords
British journalists, books translations, documentaries, „Casa Românească” in London, The Anglo-Romanian Cultural Society.