Degree: Fil. Dr.

DegreeYear: 1990

Institute: Lunds Universitet (Sweden)

Publisher: MH Publishing, PO Box 419, S-401 26 Gothenburg, Sweden.

This is a study of Soviet political language prior to the Gorbachev period. It deals with Soviet media comments on neutrality in general, as well as the peacetime policies pursued by Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Austria. More specifically, Soviet comments on neutrality are dealt with from two perspectives. In the first part of the thesis, language is presumed to be used instrumentally. Persuasion is deemed to be the central objective and it is thought to be undertaken in order to change, reinforce, or shape the conduct of the states concerned. From this vantage point, four empirical cases are examined, namely Soviets comments on Austria''s EC policy 1961-1972, Swedish and Swiss military spending, Austria''s initiatives in the late 1960s and early 1970s promoting the CSCE idea, and, finally, Finland''s international position.