Logotyp: till Försvarshögskolans hemsida

This thesis examines how German-supported Flemish activist press, as part of the German occupation policy known as Flamenpolitik, tried to construct a Flemish national identity during the First World War. Flamenpolitik aimed to exploit existing linguistic and political tensions in Belgium to weaken Belgian national unity and redirect Flemish loyalty away from the Belgian state. The thesis compares the civilian newspapers Gazet van Brussel and Het Vlaamsche Nieuws with the front propaganda paper Door Vlaanderen Heen. Based on an analysis of approximately 900 relevant articles, the study uses Anderson’s and Hobsbawm’s theories of nationalism to contextualise the role of press, language and political power in national identity formation, while Lasswell’s propaganda categories are used to analyse the recurring narratives and rhetorical mechanisms through which the press sought to construct an alternative Flemish imagined community. The analysis shows that this imaginary community rested on the portrayal of Belgium as an artificial, French-dominated and anti-Flemish state, the presentation of Flanders as a distinct political and linguistic community, and the depiction of England and France as responsible for the outbreak of the war. It was further built through references to linguistic injustice, criticism of the Belgian government, depictions of Germany as a possible protector of Flemish rights, and a double expectation of victory: both Germany’s military success and Flanders’ future political emancipation. At the same time, the comparison shows that the message was adapted to different audiences: the civilian press focused more on political reform, historical arguments and the future of Flanders, while the front propaganda emphasised soldiers’ suffering, injustice and betrayal. These findings suggest that the propagandistic expression of Flamenpolitik could be relatively coherent while still being adapted to different audiences, which nuances the historiographical discussion of Flamenpolitik as either a strategically coordinated policy or a more improvised occupation practice.