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Poll

Do Today's Historians Focus Too Much on Military History?

Yes18%18% - 9
No, there should be more of a military focus24%24% - 12
No, historians today are balanced in their views57%57% - 28
Other0%0% - 0
Total: 49
2007-02-23 19:00:40
oug
Calmer than you are.
+380|6946|Πάϊ
Most threads in here are about war because we all play bf2 (war-mongering nerds)... I don't think historians focus on military history more than they should... But who did you have in mind Serge? I've been reading Hobsbawm lately and I can't say I noticed that...
ƒ³
2007-02-23 19:06:11
coke
Aye up duck!
+440|7136|England. Stoke
I did a degree in History a couple of years ago. And I can say from my experience modern historians are very well balanced in their, and in many ways have realised that history has until the past decade or so been too heavily focused upon military history, and are perhaps in an overly conscious way make an attempt to move away from this.
2007-02-23 19:09:01
Skorpy-chan
Member
+127|6772|Twyford, UK
Last century had two major wars that redrew the map of Europe, one that redrew Africa, two in Asia, and one that completely changed eastern europe.
On top of that, war has left lasting signs dotted around Europe, vast political wakes, and changed the world entirely.

In Britain, you literally cannot walk 10 miles without coming across something left over from WW2. The town I grew up in was built around an airfield and a factory, and one end of town was dotted with old fortifications.
The bottom of the Atlantic is dotted with the remains of very similar ships, and so are the waters around Japan and the various chunks of pacific islands.
Take a geiger counter to a scrapyard and you'll find evidence of war. They focus on it with good reason, the only reason we aren't still killing each other in huge bloody wars is because it would literally kill everybody.
2007-02-23 19:12:38
BVC
Member
+325|7122
History Channel...don't you mean the War Channel?

We don't have a lot of WW2 stuff here, being so far removed from anywhere...there is stuff around if you know where to look for it.  A few cannons and planes on display etc, but the best are the coastal defense emplacements at godley head; put in place in case of a Japanese invasion, they're now protected and maintained by DOC, and theres the odd rave there.

Last edited by Pubic (2007-02-23 19:15:30)

2007-02-24 04:48:38
sergeriver
Cowboy from Hell
+1,928|7184|Argentina

oug wrote:

Most threads in here are about war because we all play bf2 (war-mongering nerds)... I don't think historians focus on military history more than they should... But who did you have in mind Serge? I've been reading Hobsbawm lately and I can't say I noticed that...
Nobody particularly.  But take the History Channel, it's like all they have is about wars.  And I can't complain about because I always watch it.

Last edited by sergeriver (2007-02-24 04:48:58)

2007-02-24 06:35:17
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,072|7199|PNW

War, as a significant aspect of human society, deserves thorough mention. To ignore war would be to ignore history.
2007-02-24 10:00:47
Ajax_the_Great1
Dropped on request
+206|7073
No, historians are balanced in what they do. You're thinking of the history channel. They only do it because they need viewers.
2007-02-24 10:03:19
sergeriver
Cowboy from Hell
+1,928|7184|Argentina

Ajax_the_Great1 wrote:

No, historians are balanced in what they do. You're thinking of the history channel. They only do it because they need viewers.
Good point there.
2007-02-24 10:10:15
jonsimon
Member
+224|6922

sergeriver wrote:

If you check the threads here we are basically talking of War and Military History.  Yes, there are some threads about Religion too.  But, most of the topics in D&ST are Military related.  The same happens with Historians.
Do people, including historians, focus too much on the military history of nations? Or do you think otherwise? Do you think that military history is more important than the cultural, socio-economial and non-military technological developments of the past?
This question is kind of silly, there are so many kinds of historians focusing on so many different things you can't make that kind of judgement. Some historians might, but all historians? No, they are balanced simply in the fact that they are so many and so varied.
2007-02-24 11:46:13
RAIMIUS
You with the face!
+244|7141|US
I was actually reading an article on Military History, recently.  The author (don't remember the name) argued that in US post-secondary education there is a shortage of military classes/professors. For those college students/grads, how many history classes focused on wars versus social issues versus a balance?



Luckily enough for me, I am majoring in my passion/hobby-Military History.

 

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