History is, by the nature of its communication a view point written from a biased position.
A number of books have recently been reviewed covering the origins of the First World War.
Being English I am used to an English slant on the telling of the events, but much more importantly, the reasons behind the action. English historians make great use of archival material which prop up the sympathetic influence already in the historians DNA, through his upbringing. It's not to say this is one sided propaganda but I often wish I could read the history from the German viewpoint, especially the opinion of the German people.
Most
of our history comes from the actions of the important players and
their specific agendas and of course they initiate and control events
but I think one of the mistakes we make is the way we are led to form
collective opinions about "the enemy".
The image of men fighting each other on the battlefield, killing each other and yet, each individually sharing a great deal of common ground, the German candlestick maker is a replica of his British counterpart. His life within his family and his community was similar, his hopes and needs were much the same and yet here on the battlefield they were trying to kill each other. They were driven by propaganda and a code of conduct that inculcated action without much thought. Discipline, to do what you are told without question was the ideal of the fighting man and the mechanism to obtain this brain washing was put in place by the State, no mater which side you were on.
I haven't read a German, a Russian or a French account of either of the World Wars and perhaps it would do us the world of good to receive, through our educational system a balanced picture of not only the different societies but how a different society views us.
Much of our history is jingoistic, calling on patriotism to bind us in a common effort but when, after the passage of time we are still swayed by propaganda then perhaps it is time to consider the fact that, in so many ways we are duped into believing things that are the brain child of a manipulative class who select for their own purpose what we should read and think !!!
Being English I am used to an English slant on the telling of the events, but much more importantly, the reasons behind the action. English historians make great use of archival material which prop up the sympathetic influence already in the historians DNA, through his upbringing. It's not to say this is one sided propaganda but I often wish I could read the history from the German viewpoint, especially the opinion of the German people.
The image of men fighting each other on the battlefield, killing each other and yet, each individually sharing a great deal of common ground, the German candlestick maker is a replica of his British counterpart. His life within his family and his community was similar, his hopes and needs were much the same and yet here on the battlefield they were trying to kill each other. They were driven by propaganda and a code of conduct that inculcated action without much thought. Discipline, to do what you are told without question was the ideal of the fighting man and the mechanism to obtain this brain washing was put in place by the State, no mater which side you were on.
I haven't read a German, a Russian or a French account of either of the World Wars and perhaps it would do us the world of good to receive, through our educational system a balanced picture of not only the different societies but how a different society views us.
Much of our history is jingoistic, calling on patriotism to bind us in a common effort but when, after the passage of time we are still swayed by propaganda then perhaps it is time to consider the fact that, in so many ways we are duped into believing things that are the brain child of a manipulative class who select for their own purpose what we should read and think !!!
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