Greedy Elites and Poor Lambs: How Young Europeans Remember the Great War

The present study examines current social representationsassociated with the origins of the Great War, a major event that has profoundly affected Europe. A survey conducted in 20 European countries (N = 1906 students in social sciences) shows a high consensus: The outbreak of the war is attributed to the warring nations’ leaders while the responsibility of the populations is minimized. Building on the concept of social representationof history (Liu & Hilton, 2005), we suggest that the social representationsof the Great War fulfill social psychologicalfunctions in contemporary Europe. We suggest that WWI may function as a charter for European integration. Their content also suggests a desire to distinguish a positively valued ingroup ("the people") from powerful elites, construed as an outgroup.