Rewriting History

Right under our noses, but unnoticed by most of us, the historians are busy rewriting history. Or, at least, they are preparing to do so. Their activities stem from the belief that too many historical textbooks have in the past been infected with the virus of nationalism, and have excited in youthful breasts patriotic sentiments that are undesirable. The textbooks, they argue, must be purged of nationalistic fervor and prejudice, and students must learn to subordinate love of country to love of all mankind. Spurring the historians on is the United Nations, acting through its cultural agency UNESCO.

Already there have been many meetings of European historians, and agreements as to what should be done to soft-pedal patriotism in the textbooks to which Europeans are exposed. Frenchmen have agreed to write of Bismarck without using rude words, while Germans have pledged themselves to write of Napoleon in honeyed terms. Englishmen have decided that Germany must not be held at all responsible for starting World War One, and that her violation of Belgian neutrality should be described at worst as merely an unfortunate mistake. If everyone has only nice things to say of everyone else, the argument runs, we shall all stand a good chance of living happily ever after.

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Ben Ray Redman

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Right under our noses, but unnoticed by most of us, the historians are busy rewriting history. Or, at least, they are preparing to do so. Their activities stem from the belief that too many historical textbooks have in the past been infected with the virus of nationalism, and have excited in youthful breasts patriotic sentiments that are undesirable. The textbooks, they argue, must be purged of nationalistic fervor and prejudice, and students must learn to subordinate love of country to love of all mankind. Spurring the historians on is the United Nations, acting through its cultural agency UNESCO.

Already there have been many meetings of European historians, and agreements as to what should be done to soft-pedal patriotism in the textbooks to which Europeans are exposed. Frenchmen have agreed to write of Bismarck without using rude words, while Germans have pledged themselves to write of Napoleon in honeyed terms. Englishmen have decided that Germany must not be held at all responsible for starting World War One, and that her violation of Belgian neutrality should be described at worst as merely an unfortunate mistake. If everyone has only nice things to say of everyone else, the argument runs, we shall all stand a good chance of living happily ever after.