Triumph and tragedy: the events of World War I n the ideology of the troubles participants (1969-1998)

The paper covers the specifics of the interpretation of the World War I events by radical unionist and republican groups during the Troubles in 1969-1998. The main sources are urban physical memorials in Northern Ireland. The author identifies the origins of the motives for the glorification of the figures of the World War I participants, in particular, the Battle of the Somme, and the Easter Rising. The mechanism of mutual influence of historical memory, narratives associated with collective trauma or collective triumph, and mythology constructed by radical groups to broadcast their own ideology is described. The author concludes that events of the past which have a special symbolic meaning for the identity of Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, are interpreted within the framework of radical Unionist and Republican ideology, and act as tools for legitimizing violence, mobilizing the population and preserving social polarization.