propaganda of the deed

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Calque of French propagande par le fait rendered into idiomatic English, from propagande (“propaganda”) and fait (“deed, act, action”); a phrasal usage originating among 19th century insurrectionary anarchist communists.

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: prŏ'-pə-gănʹ-də əv thə' dēdʹ
  • IPA(key): [ˌpɹɒ.pəˈɡæ̝ˑn.də əʋ ˌðə ˈdiːd]

Noun

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propaganda of the deed (uncountable) (politics, historical)

  1. A politically motivated act of violence, meant to broadcast an ideological message and serve as catalyst to ignite a spirit of socialist revolution among the proletariat against perceived oppressors.
  2. (broadly) The theoretical principle of using acts of violence in the struggle to achieve radical left-wing political goals.

Usage notes

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  • Older direct translations of the French phrase render more literally as propaganda by the deed, which may also be used in some general contexts for those unfamiliar with the phrase to emphasize the meaning of "propaganda by (means of) a deed"; however as a developed term of art for the anarchist precept, in native English contexts the idiomatic construction propaganda of the deed is preferred.

Translations

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See also

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Further reading

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