Yugoslavia in the British Imagination: Peace, War and Peasants before Tito

Samuel Foster's book explores how the cultural pessimism and social anxiety of Britain in the 20th century shaped perceptions of other cultures, particularly those in Balkan territories that formed the first Yugoslavia. It demonstrates how the popular image of the region's peasantry evolved from foreign to historical victim, coinciding with an emerging moralistic sense of British identity during the First World War. The book offers a nuanced analysis of how Yugoslavia was legitimized as the solution to peasant victimization and enabled Britain's imagined revival as civilization's moral arbiter.

Format: Hardback
Length: 242 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Britain's ascendancy to global dominance in the early 20th century was accompanied by a pervasive cultural pessimism and escalating social unease. In his insightful study, Samuel Foster delves into the profound impact of this shifting domestic climate on perceptions of other cultures and Britain's relationship with them, particularly during the formative years of the first Yugoslavia (1918-1941).

Yugoslavia in the British Imagination: Exploring Connections and the Evolution of the Peasantry's Image explores these intricate connections and sheds light on how the popular image of the region's peasantry evolved from a foreign Other to a historical victim, enduring the atrocities of modernity and symbolizing Britain's perceived decline. This transformation coincided with the emergence of a moralistic sense of British identity during the First World War. As Foster's nuanced analysis reveals, Yugoslavia was perceived as the solution to peasant victimization, enabling Britain to project an image of its revival as the moral arbiter of civilization.

Drawing on a wealth of previously unexplored archival sources, this compelling transnational analysis makes a significant contribution to the study of British social history and the complexities of statehood in the modern Balkans. It sheds new light on the complex interplay between cultural perceptions, historical narratives, and geopolitical dynamics, providing a rich and nuanced understanding of this pivotal period in world history.

Weight: 526g
Dimension: 165 x 243 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350114609