Global Image in the Making: 1960s Polish Foreign Propaganda Targeting Africa and Asia

Abstract

Recent literature on globalizing Eastern Europe dedicates much attention to the relationship between ideological commitments (socialist internationalism) and economic interests in the countries’ outreach activities toward various regions of the Global South. This article zooms in on one such aspect of Poland’s engagement, as it offers an analysis of Polish propaganda outreach through the publications of a major publishing house, with readerships in various Asian and African settings. The Polonia publishing house was one of the most important institutions that disseminated Polish foreign propaganda in the 1960s, closely following the institutionalization of the Non-Aligned Movement. It published various journals in foreign languages, including the Polish Review/La Revue Polonaise. The journal was distributed for about a decade in Asia (1961–1972) and Africa (1962–1972). Drawing on the journal’s content but also the letters to editors, contributions to various competitions organized by the journal, and internal communication, the article interprets the desired image of Poland in Africa and Asia in the 1960s as it was being transmitted in these platforms. Furthermore, the article also focuses on the readership: assessing their social status and beliefs, identifying the issues that were meant to resonate with them, as well as analyzing their composition and motivations. Thus, the analysis situates the Polish propaganda efforts within the global discussion on print culture, cultural wars, and decolonization. The inclusion of issues targeting audiences in these different geographies opens up the opportunity to compare the African and Asian cases.