The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968: Interpreting the historical myth of "good" Russians and "evil" Germans (presentation on the Conferense)
Abstract
The author explores a certain myth that has repeatedly been raised in the memoirs of former Soviet military men on the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. The memoirs are a reminiscence of events that could never have happened: the brutal cruelty of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) National People's Army (NPA) in the Czechoslovak territory.
The author investigates the reasons for such false memories, their specific features, and offer some interpretation to this phenomenon. The likely connection of these "memories" with the collective memory is shown, and an attempt is made to place it in the wider cultural context.
A hypothesis is expressed about the genesis of the narrative, its composition, characters, and so on. The connection with the self-reflection of the storytellers, their self-esteem, and the assessment of their participation in the events of 1968 is shown as well.
The author uses the memoirs posted on the Internet forums including anonymous and unpublished ones. The author cites fragments from memoirs translated from the original Russian text by the author.
Considering the form of work, the author tries to minimize the methodological commentary, limiting it to brief remarks related to the concepts of collective memory, cultural trauma, and symbolic centers of national history