It was one of the most epic train journeys ever made. Last September, RussiaThe largest country in the world by area. It has a population of 144 million people.'s Ministry of Defence sent a nine-carriage locomotive across the gargantuan country. It travelled 34,000km and stopped at over 75 cities. 

But the train had no passengers. Instead, it showcased The Power of Truth: an exhibition celebrating the army. A series of 23 war-themed comic stories played a starring role. They depicted Russian soldiers as valiant heroes fighting a range of detestable foes.

Vladimir PutinRussia's ruler since 2000. He is a strong opponent of the West.'s KremlinA central fortress in a city, used to refer to a complex in Moscow with five palaces and four cathedrals. The Russian government is run from within this citadel. deploys numerous types of propagandaInformation, which may be biased or misleading, used to promote a certain viewpoint. to shore up public support for its war in UkraineA country in Eastern Europe. It was invaded by Russia in February 2022. , including social media posts and TV broadcasts.¹ But lately it has turned to a more lo-fi form.

Perhaps following reports that younger Russians are less supportive of the war, it has started issuing tens of thousands of comic books to Russian schools.²

They feature short stories glorifying real Russian servicemen. One stars Col-Gen Azatbek Omurbekov. It describes his unit as caring for wounded Ukrainians. In reality, Omurbekov and his troops were responsible for the BuchaA town outside Kyiv that fell under Russian control in early March 2022. It was the scene of one of the worst massacres in modern times. massacre.³

Russia is not the first country to use comic books as propaganda. The United States began using them to influence young people during World War TwoA global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 and included all of the great powers. . Some of them featured granite-faced American GIsAn informal term referring to American soldiers, especially associated with World War Two. fighting piggish Germans.

Others deployed superheroes. In 1940, DC star Superman grabbed Adolf Hitler by the throat and dragged him to court. The next year, MarvelA fictional universe where stories from most American comic books take place. 's Captain America made his debut by punching Hitler in the face. His archenemy Red Skull was a NaziA German political party of the twentieth century, led by Adolf Hitler. The Nazis controlled Germany from the early 1930s until the end of World War II. agent. During the Cold WarA period of diplomatic conflict between blocs led by the USA and the USSR that lasted from 1947 until 1991, when the USSR collapsed., Marvel introduced communistAn economic system entailing collective ownership of all means of production in contrast with capitalism, which holds that industry and businesses are controlled and run for profit by private owners rather than by the government. villains such as the Winter Soldier.

States have often used words to affect war. In 1940, Winston Churchill drummed up morale with powerful speeches that made the Dunkirk retreat sound like a victory. The Ancient Greek dramatist Aeschylus used his play The Persians to drum up support for his city in a time of war.

Controlling history can be a particularly powerful weapon. Putin knows this well.⁴ Last year a new textbook became compulsory in Russian high schools. It contains numerous untruths, such as that Ukraine is controlled by Nazis and that Ukrainians are Russians.

Words keep the war machine running. Putin's regime uses these stories to turn Russia into what Guardian journalist Pjotr Sauer calls "a militarised society" that can provide a steady supply of soldiers.

Others think that stories have their limits. Stories inspire wars, but they cannot fight them. Ultimately conflict is won with force. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says: "People believe in words only for a stretch of time. Then they start to look for action." 

Take the Vietnam WarA conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1955 to 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and a major conflict of the Cold War.. The US Army used a propaganda campaign to encourage the locals to trust them and distrust the communist Viet CongThe Communist guerrilla force that fought against the South Vietnam government during the Vietnam War. .⁵ But according to historian George C Herring: "American firepower destroyed homes, villages, and crops, and alienated those whose hearts and minds were to be won."

Are stories more powerful than bombs?

Yes: Battle is brief. But stories remain. Historians can capture the minds of millions over centuries. As infamous Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote: "The pen is mightier than the sword." 

No: It is a pleasant fiction for those sitting in safety. But for those near the front line of conflict, it is very apparent that weapons are more powerful. Words cannot end lives and erase villages.

Or... They gain power from each other. Stories can help to justify bombs. And bombings can be turned into stories. There would be fewer wars without stories - and the best stories are about war.