“They Scare with Terror”: On the History of the Language of Violence in 1917

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Task of the study is analysis of the specific features of political language of conflict during the revolutionary epoch. Such an approach helps analyze the processes of verbalization of violence, understand the logic of brutalization and social polarization. Without studying this problem it is hard to explain how the cult of terror targeting political adversaries became possible. The article examines the application of the concept of “terror” during the Revolution of 1917. Based on a study of speeches by materials of discussions at various levels, newspapers, diaries the author demonstrates what arguments were used for legitimation and delegitimation of the terror. The author of the article analyzed the processes of infiltration of culture of violence into the mass culture in 1917. The conflict culture, formed during the 1917 revolution under the impact of various factors (influence of the revolutionary underground subculture) increasingly widespread use of terror. The conclusion reached was that all political forces used the collocation “terror”, and they utilized the fear of terror for their own purposes. Special attention is paid to the memory policy of socialist revolutionaries. The articulation of the terror became an important factor that prepared it — concept “terror” legitimised the use of violence, formalised and structured the increasingly political conflicts. The various crisis situations of the revolutionary epoch led to escalation of the struggle against enemies: destruction (political and even physical) of the adversary was described as the means for exiting the crisis. Influence of this cultural factor reduced contributed to the processes of dehumanization, alienation of the enemy, and set up a specific framework in which various political actors had to operate. In 1917, the language of violence spread, which had an impact on the course of the revolution.