The Birthday of the Party Leader: Klement Gottwald’s Image on the Pages of the “Rudé Právo” Newspaper

Abstract

The process of constructing the image of Klement Gottwald on the basis of materials presented in the newspaper Rudé parvo on the occasion of the birthday of the leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia is analysed in the article. The mechanisms of formation of the personality cult, which were used by party functionaries and newspaper journalists, are shown. The role of language and its use in creating the image of Klement Gottwald, the chairman of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in the minds of citizens and in maintaining their sympathy to him was revealed. The evolution of the strategies utilised to influence public opinion was determined by the changes which took place in the state between 1945 and 1953. The set of practices developed in the media space which ensured the exaltation of Klement Gottwald and asserted his exceptional and sacral status are also shown.