Crisis Leadership: Language, Power, and the Construction of Legitimacy in War Narratives
Journal: Discourses on Culture
Year: 2025

Abstract Focusing on wartime narratives, this study demonstrates how language functions as a tool of power and legitimacy, revealing discursive patterns that operate not only in politics but also in corporate and institutional contexts. Using a qualitative CDA approach, the paper analyses how political leaders employ language during crises to justify decisions and manage military operations. Through comparative analysis of recent scholarship and our examination of speeches and statements by top