مجلة إشكالات في اللغة و الأدب
Volume 14, Numéro 2, Pages 499-513
2025-06-02

Linguistic Strategies Of Power And Persuasion: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Putin’s War Declaration And Federal Assembly Speeches

Authors : Tobbi Saida .

Abstract

This study applies Critical Discourse Analysis to analyze two key speeches by Russian President Vladimir Putin: his declaration of war against Ukraine and his annual address to the Federal Assembly. Using Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework, it examines the linguistic features, rhetorical strategies, and sociocultural contexts of Putin’s discourse. The research reveals a shift from a militaristic, defensive tone in the war declaration to a nation-building, resilience-focused narrative in the Federal Assembly speech. The study highlights how Putin’s language evolves to influence public opinion and strengthen authority. It also explores themes like historical revisionism, populist rhetoric, and ideological framing, offering new insights into the strategic use of discourse by one of the world’s most influential leaders.

Keywords

Critical Discourse Analysis ; Fairclough’s framework ; rhetorical strategies ; ideological framing ; power dynamics ; authoritarian discourse