From Masada to Sarikamis: Trauma and Defeat Turns Into Heroic Resistance and Ontological Security

Right-wing populist elites in Turkey and Israel leverage historical traumas—such as the Battle of Masada (73 CE) and the Battle of Sarikamis (1914–1915)—to construct national-religious narratives that foster ontological security. Despite differing socio-political contexts, these cases demonstrate how defeat is reframed as 'heroic resistance,' strengthening nationalist identity. The study analyzes speeches to propose a socio-psychological framework explaining this process, showing how trauma becomes a tool for collective memory and political mobilization.

Basbugoglu, T., Bar, N., Korkut, U., & Solomon, S. (2025). From Masada to Sarikamis: Trauma and Defeat Turns Into Heroic Resistance and Ontological Security. Nations and Nationalism, 32(1), 128–137. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/nana.13105