Chapter 1: The Past in the Present Historical Interpretation in International Conflict

Introduction Historical inquiry combines all disciplines of international study: –Geographical –Economic Exchange of goods and services Labor history –Political Power and power relationships –Cultural and Social Music, art, sports, etc. –Intellectual Influence of various ideologies (religion, nationalism, etc.) –Environmental Human interaction with their natural surroundings

What is History? Objectivity –Causation, interpretation, significance Mythical history –Meant to explain the origins of the world –Not usually accurate History before the 20 th century –Dominated by political history Von Ranke’s history –“As it really was” Revisionist history –Scientific truth inaccurate Postmodernist history –No true history

Historians and Their Tools Primary Sources –Direct evidence about the past –Artifacts, diaries, letters, s Secondary Sources –Derived from primary sources –Oral or written narratives Historiography –A history of histories

Politics, Power, and History Christopher Columbus –How do we know this story? Bias in history –Most history from oppressor, not oppressed –History from oppressed is just as biased Soviet glasnost (openness) –Falsehoods of Soviet history revealed

History and International Conflicts History with an agenda –Not always what it seems Nationalist histories –Champion one nation over another –Elicit demands for retribution Irish Catholic nationalist history –British as imperial conquest, not as settlement Israeli/Palestine conflict “Freedom Fighters” rather than “Terrorists”

What is Good History? American Historical Association –American Historical Review Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations –Diplomatic History University presses and research centers Popular histories –Sometimes embellished –Titanic, Enemy at the Gates, Saving Private Ryan

Theories of History Theories constructed to explain and understand the human condition Europe’s rise to global ascendancy –Geographical and climatic advantage? –Balance of power among European states? –What caused this rise to power? Evolutionism vs. Creationism Providential history Progressive history Pessimistic history

Are There Lessons of History? History doesn’t tell us to do anything We draw from history to make current decisions Must adjust for the situation and use history only as a guideline U.S. assumption about Vietnam based on history –Made for another lesson in history