The Politics of War Commemoration in the UK and Russia

Wars do not simply vanish when politicians sign truces and weapons are set aside. Instead, society reimagines the war experience during annual ceremonies of war commemoration. This book sheds light on the political aspects of commemoration in Britain and Russia by investigating the media coverage of military fatalities, physical and virtual memorials, and national days of remembrance - Remembrance Day/Armistice Day in the UK and Victory Day in Russia. Nataliya Danilova argues that remembrance is a complex process of negotiating a political commitment towards fallen soldiers, national armed forces and the legacy of modern conflicts. By exercising a critical perspective on commemoration, this book explores the instrumentalisation of memory for managing civil-military relations, garnering public support for conflicts and government policies. This analysis advances our understanding of the nexus between remembrance, militarisation and nationalism thereby contributing to longstanding debates in memory studies, civil-military relations, political sociology, and international relations.