Radical Histories, Distorted Pasts: The Far Right and the Political Instrumentalisation of History (open)

In recent years, historiography and history education have been deeply affected by a troubling phenomenon: the intensification of a widespread dynamic of political instrumentalisation of the past by the new far right. Strongly supported by new media, this dynamic has been accompanied by a systematic delegitimisation of scholarly historical knowledge, with academic historians often portrayed as “leftist ideologues.” It is a transnational and radical offensive, operating with remarkable speed and intensity through sophisticated strategies of digital dissemination.

Within this context, social media platforms play a central role in shaping contemporary historical consciousness. As algorithm-driven environments, they favour the mass circulation of distorted historical content, often aimed at audiences lacking the critical tools necessary to assess the epistemological validity of the information they consume. Moreover, the uncritical embrace of new media by certain sectors of academia raises serious concerns about contemporary modes of transmitting historical knowledge.

While the political use of the past is by no means exclusive to the far right, the manner in which it is currently mobilised demands particular attention. Three features make this phenomenon especially alarming: (1) an aggressive anti-intellectualism hostile to universities, combining biased reinterpretations of the past with direct attacks on academic historiography; (2) attempts to relativise historical crimes and undermine democratic principles, thereby legitimising authoritarian and exclusionary discourses; and (3) an intensive communication strategy centred on social media and digital technologies, used both as channels of dissemination and as instruments of political mobilisation.

The new far right has recognised that history is a key terrain of symbolic and ideological struggle. In contesting the past, it seeks to shape subjectivities and legitimise a political project built upon an imaginary continuity between a glorious past, a threatened present, and a redemptive future. Such narratives aim to erase guilt, silence victims, and promote a distorted vision of history—often glorifying authoritarian figures, denying genocides, and rehabilitating oppressive practices such as colonialism, slavery, and 20th-century dictatorships. Additionally, we are witnessing the stereotypical appropriation of distant historical periods—such as Antiquity and the Middle Ages—with the aim of reinforcing chauvinistic, patriarchal, misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic identities, as well as erasing the presence of women and historically marginalised ethnic groups. This cultural war is fuelled by a broader crisis of epistemic authority, marked by the discrediting of traditional forms of producing and validating historical knowledge and by the advance of a post-truth logic—where nuance is dismissed, doubt is confused with weakness, and facts are rendered relative.

In view of this, a series of critical questions emerges: why is the contemporary far right so invested in controlling historical narratives? What role does history play in its broader strategy for power? What technologies and media structures sustain this offensive? And how does control over representations of the past translate into power over the present and the future?

Part of the difficulty historians face in addressing these questions may stem from the awareness that the discipline of history itself—since its inception—has often been entangled with the legitimation of power projects, the construction of origin myths, the justification of conquest, and the promotion of exclusionary identities. However, while professional history is not neutral, it is responsible. It is committed to critical rigour and to a form of public engagement that is mindful of its intellectual, social, and ethical responsibilities.

In this context, Práticas da História launches this dossier as an invitation to critical and collective reflection on the political uses of the past and the challenges currently facing contemporary historiography. It seeks to map the ideological instrumentalisation of history and to explore how the historian’s craft might resist dogmatic, propagandistic, and authoritarian discourses. It also aims to contribute to the development of collective responses that strengthen professional historiography, protect history education, and defend a plural memory as a tool for democratic resistance.

We therefore invite researchers to submit original article proposals (up to 500 words) by 17 September 2025 via the journal’s website. Accepted proposals will be announced by 10 October, and full articles must be submitted by 15 January 2026. Submissions are welcome in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French.