Weaponizing Civilizationalism for Authoritarianism

This book, based on a systematic analysis of leaders' speeches, examines how regimes in Turkey, India, Russia, and China strategically weaponize the concept of 'civilization' along with emotional appeals, such as pride, fear, and nostalgia, to challenge global liberal democratic norms. As the influence of liberal democracy wanes, these nations increasingly declare themselves ‘civilization-states’. By redefining national identity to include peoples living in foreign countries, justifying belligerence abroad, and reinforcing anti-democratic practices domestically, these regimes position themselves as guardians of transnational peoples with distinctive civilizational values. This is the first book to systematically explore how and why these states leverage civilization and emotional manipulation to reshape both domestic politics and international relations. Ihsan Yilmaz is a Research Chair and Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. He is also Deputy Director (Research Development) at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation. Previously, he held positions at the University of Oxford and the University of London. His research interests include digital authoritarianism, nation-building, Islamism, populism, transnationalism, minorities, and intergroup emotions. Nicholas Morieson is a Research Fellow at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University. He was previously a Lecturer at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne. His research interests include populism, religious nationalism, civilizational politics, intergroup relations, and the intersection of religion and political identity.