Unpacking Information Wars: Historical and contemporary perspectives

The two-day workshop is organized by the multidisciplinary network Propagandistic Realities in War (PRW) and is supported by The Foundation for Baltic and East-European Studies (Östersjöstiftelsen). The aim of the network is to foster collaboration and exchange between researchers of related fields.

It is a tired old truism, that truth is the first victim of war. Nevertheless, the statement still resonates. This is probably because it touches upon a basic aspect of war: public perceptions are as important battlefront as any other. During the First World War, the British propagandist Lord Beaverbrook encapsulated this by emphasizing that the ‘munitions of the mind’ were no less important than armies or navies in fighting the enemy. While propaganda has always accompanied war, it became more important with the onset of popular politics during the modern era of nationalism and nation states, most apparently during the ‘total wars’ of the 20th Century, which gave unprecedented importance to the sympathies and antipathies of ordinary citizens. The war in Ukraine from 2014 and especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has acutely demonstrated the persistent importance of public opinion in existential conflicts.
As many European states have experienced in later years, information warfare is in no way limited to countries at war. The hybrid nature of the contemporary security treats increasingly blurs the distinction between war and peace, raising concerns in so-called ‘grey zones’ such as the Baltic Sea region and the Nordic countries. In recent years, these societies have frequently been alerted to problematic yet imaginative advances in the state and non-state actors’ ability to use the new digital technologies for spreading targeted disinformation or narratives with the goal of undermining trust, social cohesion, and societal stability. In Ukraine, the communicative aggression is more overt, with direct propaganda campaigns aimed at undermining Ukrainian statehood. The strategies and techniques of propaganda differ between open wars and non-kinetic conflicts; yet, in many instances, there exist substantial overlaps and commonalities. As Ukraine is a primary frontline in propaganda battles of contemporary Europe, it can serve as an important learning ground for Nordic and Baltic countries experiencing comparable challenges of malign interferences in the information domain and create grounds for societal resilience.
Even though much is new in our contemporary era of internet, social media and AI, successful communication strategies are most often informed by past strategic insights and historical practices. Rapid innovation of information technology and communicative strategies today echoes developments of past conflicts. It also reflects the complex historical interplay between mass-communication and revolutions in information technology, such as the breakthrough of the radio in the 1920s, television in the 1950s, or internet in the 1990s. Indeed, as the propaganda ‘arms race’ across different technological epochs and media contexts is dynamic, relational, and constantly evolving, historical perspectives have the potential to deepen our understanding of new trends in techniques, strategies and the human interaction with information technology in times of high-stake conflict. Furthermore, contemporary perspectives can fruitfully inform the questions directed towards the past. The aim of the workshop is to establish a constructive dialogue between historic and contemporary approaches to the dynamic battles over public opinion in times of war and high-stake conflicts.
The two-day workshop is organized by the multidisciplinary network Propagandistic Realities in War (PRW) and is supported by The Foundation for Baltic and East-European Studies (Östersjöstiftelsen). The aim of the network is to foster collaboration and exchange between researchers in history, social sciences, and media and communication studies, and create an arena for fruitful and innovative exploration of related research across academic fields and establish a platform for further exchange and cooperation. The workshop will take place on the 8-9 of October 2026 at the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies at Södertörn University (Stockholm).

Submission of abstracts
We invite participants with relevant research interests to send abstracts of their projects. We especially encourage the participation of early-career researchers and emerging scholars. The organizers will prioritize research with special relevance to the Baltic, Eastern European, and Nordic regions.
Please submit an abstract of a maximum of 300 words and a short bio by the 26th of May by filling out the online form (below). You will be notified about the results within 2 weeks.
If you require support for travel and accommodation expenses, please indicate this within the same form. Please note that as the Organizing Committee has limited funds, we may not be able to provide financial support for travel to all participants. Lunch and dinner will be covered by the organizers for all participants.
Participants chosen for the workshop will have the opportunity to present papers and receive individualized comments. The workshop will tentatively result in a multidisciplinary selection of articles for a special issue in an international journal.
If you have any questions, please contact the member of PRW Committee Dr Olena Podolian olena.podolian@sh.se.