Historiography is a field of study that has been pivotal in analyzing and interpreting written works and accounts of past events. Its focus on war has led to an understanding of how various individuals and groups have interpreted and understood war throughout history. The study of historiography is also directed towards understanding historical methods, sources, and interpretations as it pertains to war. In the past, military operations were given the most emphasis, with little attention given to the social, economic, and political impacts of war.
The evolution of historiography and the writings of historians has occurred since ancient times. From the earliest historians such as Homer, Herodotus, and Thucydides to modern scholars like Victor Davis Hanson, there has been a shift in focus towards the contextual history that sparked wars, which is equally fascinating and worthy of discussion. In understanding how wars have been portrayed, it is essential to consider the works of historians over different eras. Here at the War History Network, we strive to explore specific battles and wars in the broader historical context that surrounds them.
The causes of war have been a subject of much debate among historians, with differing opinions on whether wars are primarily driven by economic, political, or ideological factors or personal motives such as revenge or glory. Some see war as an inevitable feature of human society, rooted in aggression and competition between groups. Additionally, historians within the last century differ in their methods and interpretations.
A comparison of two works published within the last 50 years provides an understanding of how the perception and portrayal of war have evolved. In 1970, B.H. Liddell Hart published History of the Second World War, which was acclaimed as "… without a doubt the finest single-volume history of World War II ever written." However, the book is one-dimensional in its focus on the turn-by-turn history of the theaters of war and major battles. The social, economic, and political aspects of the war were not adequately addressed, leading to limitations in its understanding of events.
In contrast, Victor Davis Hanson's The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict was Fought and Won examines how the war unfolded in the air, at sea, and on land, highlighting how distinct conflicts among disparate combatants coalesced into one interconnected global war. Hanson argues that despite its unprecedented scale and devastation, neither the war's origins nor its geography were unusual. Hanson's writing and reconsideration of the War suggests global consideration, another aspect of modern historiography. Ernst Breisach in his work, Historiography: Ancient, Medieval and Modern, calls the postmodernist mode of thought: "No group, state, or culture must be seen as possessing fixed or even long-term stable features." (Breisach 2007, 426) Hanson takes a global view, while Hart's work does not.
Leave your thoughts below on historiography and historians over the decades. - Scott Lyons, Ed.
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