War and national memory: Georgian, Polish, and British perspectives
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Journal Article (2025)
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Explores how war and national memory are intertwined in Georgia, Poland, and Great Britain, examining how these countries remember wars, create war narratives, and commemorate war victims.
In Georgia, the memory of war casualties plays a crucial role in shaping national identity and fueling nationalism. The country’s historical experiences, including the Second World War, the Abkhazia war, and the Russian-Georgian war of 2008, are instrumentalized to sustain nationalism and political discourse. The educational sector faces challenges in teaching history, with controversial reforms potentially removing narratives of resistance against Russia. Memorials, such as the Shindisi Heroes Memorial, commemorate Georgian soldiers’ resistance, reinforcing the narrative of ongoing resistance against Russian influence. In Poland, the politics of memory focuses on national freedom and the struggle for sovereignty, particularly during the Second World War. The narrative emphasizes civilian victims of Nazi and Soviet occupations, concentration camps, and resistance movements. Museums and memorials, like the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Warsaw Uprising Museum, highlight the universal nature of war crimes and the personalization of victims. The debate over the state’s role in shaping historical narratives reflects a desire to reassess national interpretations of history. In Great Britain, militarism and national memory are deeply intertwined, with the monarchy playing a central role in the armed forces. The culture of militarism glorifies war and military institutions, with memorials and museums perpetuating myths of ancestry, courage, and heroism. Remembrance Day and symbols like the red poppy evoke national pride and nostalgia. The National Memorial Arboretum and the Imperial War Museum reflect a narrative that glorifies military achievements while often omitting the civilian casualties of recent conflicts.
Key findings
- War narratives in Georgia are instrumentalized to sustain nationalism and political discourse, emphasizing resistance against Russian influence.Evidence
The Shindisi Heroes Memorial commemorates the 17 Georgian soldiers who died in the 2008 Russian-Georgian war, symbolizing ongoing resistance against Russia. The educational sector faces reforms that may remove narratives of resistance against Russia from curricula (Ambebi, 2024).
What it meansThe commemoration of war casualties reinforces the narrative of ongoing resistance, shaping national identity and political discourse in Georgia.
- Poland's memory politics emphasize national freedom and the struggle for sovereignty, focusing on civilian victims of Nazi and Soviet occupations.Evidence
The Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau commemorates Jewish victims of the Holocaust, while the Warsaw Uprising Museum highlights the armed resistance against the occupier. The narrative emphasizes the personalization of victims to evoke emotional responses (Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, 2025; Warsaw Uprising Museum, 2024).
What it meansThe focus on civilian victims and personalization of war narratives aims to create powerful emotional reactions and highlight the universal nature of war crimes.
- Great Britain's militarism and national memory are intertwined, with the monarchy playing a central role in the armed forces.Evidence
King Charles III holds several honorary ranks in the armed forces, and the National Memorial Arboretum hosts over 400 memorials dedicated to military divisions. The Imperial War Museum presents a narrative that glorifies military achievements while omitting civilian casualties (Royal Household, 2023; National Memorial Arboretum, 2023).
What it meansThe culture of militarism in Great Britain perpetuates myths of ancestry, courage, and heroism, reinforcing national pride and nostalgia.
- The debate over the state's role in shaping historical narratives reflects a desire to reassess national interpretations of history in Poland.Evidence
Some argue that the state should actively build a community around tradition, while others suggest it should provide a framework for independent scholarly debate (Tokarz, 2012).
What it meansThe debate highlights the tension between state involvement in shaping historical narratives and the desire for independent scholarly research.
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War and national memory: Georgian, Polish, and British perspectives
Cite this brief: Hamourtziadou, Lily. 'War and national memory: Georgian, Polish, and British perspectives'. Acume. https://www.acume.org/r/war-and-national-memory-georgian-polish-and-british-perspectives/
Brief created by: Dr Lily Hamourtziadou | Year brief made: 2025
Original research:
- Lukasik, P., Hamourtziadou, L., & Chapichadze, K., ‘War and national memory: Georgian, Polish, and British perspectives’ Journal of Global Faultlines 12(1) (pp. 23–42) https://doi.org/10.13169/jglobfaul.12.1.0003. – https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/jglobfaul.12.1.0003
Research brief:
Explores how war and national memory are intertwined in Georgia, Poland, and Great Britain, examining how these countries remember wars, create war narratives, and commemorate war victims.
In Georgia, the memory of war casualties plays a crucial role in shaping national identity and fueling nationalism. The country’s historical experiences, including the Second World War, the Abkhazia war, and the Russian-Georgian war of 2008, are instrumentalized to sustain nationalism and political discourse. The educational sector faces challenges in teaching history, with controversial reforms potentially removing narratives of resistance against Russia. Memorials, such as the Shindisi Heroes Memorial, commemorate Georgian soldiers’ resistance, reinforcing the narrative of ongoing resistance against Russian influence. In Poland, the politics of memory focuses on national freedom and the struggle for sovereignty, particularly during the Second World War. The narrative emphasizes civilian victims of Nazi and Soviet occupations, concentration camps, and resistance movements. Museums and memorials, like the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Warsaw Uprising Museum, highlight the universal nature of war crimes and the personalization of victims. The debate over the state’s role in shaping historical narratives reflects a desire to reassess national interpretations of history. In Great Britain, militarism and national memory are deeply intertwined, with the monarchy playing a central role in the armed forces. The culture of militarism glorifies war and military institutions, with memorials and museums perpetuating myths of ancestry, courage, and heroism. Remembrance Day and symbols like the red poppy evoke national pride and nostalgia. The National Memorial Arboretum and the Imperial War Museum reflect a narrative that glorifies military achievements while often omitting the civilian casualties of recent conflicts.
Findings:
War narratives in Georgia are instrumentalized to sustain nationalism and political discourse, emphasizing resistance against Russian influence.
The Shindisi Heroes Memorial commemorates the 17 Georgian soldiers who died in the 2008 Russian-Georgian war, symbolizing ongoing resistance against Russia. The educational sector faces reforms that may remove narratives of resistance against Russia from curricula (Ambebi, 2024).
The commemoration of war casualties reinforces the narrative of ongoing resistance, shaping national identity and political discourse in Georgia.
Poland’s memory politics emphasize national freedom and the struggle for sovereignty, focusing on civilian victims of Nazi and Soviet occupations.
The Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau commemorates Jewish victims of the Holocaust, while the Warsaw Uprising Museum highlights the armed resistance against the occupier. The narrative emphasizes the personalization of victims to evoke emotional responses (Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, 2025; Warsaw Uprising Museum, 2024).
The focus on civilian victims and personalization of war narratives aims to create powerful emotional reactions and highlight the universal nature of war crimes.
Great Britain’s militarism and national memory are intertwined, with the monarchy playing a central role in the armed forces.
King Charles III holds several honorary ranks in the armed forces, and the National Memorial Arboretum hosts over 400 memorials dedicated to military divisions. The Imperial War Museum presents a narrative that glorifies military achievements while omitting civilian casualties (Royal Household, 2023; National Memorial Arboretum, 2023).
The culture of militarism in Great Britain perpetuates myths of ancestry, courage, and heroism, reinforcing national pride and nostalgia.
The debate over the state’s role in shaping historical narratives reflects a desire to reassess national interpretations of history in Poland.
Some argue that the state should actively build a community around tradition, while others suggest it should provide a framework for independent scholarly debate (Tokarz, 2012).
The debate highlights the tension between state involvement in shaping historical narratives and the desire for independent scholarly research.