Remembering the First World War: Armistice Day in the Belgrade Interwar Press

This paper examines the commemoration of Armistice Day, November 11, to mark the end of the First World War, as represented in the Belgrade’s press during the interwar period. The analysis draws on articles published in Politika, Vreme, Pravda, and the Beogradske opštinske novine, with the aim of reconstructing the forms and meanings of commemorative practices and sites of memory in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes/Yugoslavia, from the perspective of capital city press narratives. Armistice Day was primarily commemorated by remembrance ceremonies held at military cemeteries, and to a lesser extent through monument unveiling ceremonies, most notably the unveiling of the Monument of Gratitude to France on Armistice Day in 1930. As a result of the coverage of these events in daily newspapers, we are able to analyze the formation of collective memory in postwar society, particularly the evolution of ideas, values, and perceptions of the war experience within both public and media discourse. The study offers a concise overview of the key characteristics of Armistice Day commemorations in the Kingdom of SCS/Yugoslavia, focusing on the scope of press presentation, forms, and ceremonial practices, as documented in the contemporary press. It further examines the representation of foreign states in the public discourse, explores narratives of national self-perception and identity, and finally considers the place and role of private grief and public sorrow.