The historical profession is nowhere famous for its tolerance, but there are not many countries where historians can expect to pay for their opinions with penal servitude or the firing squad.
Norman DaviesRead
One might have thought that 70 years was time enough to work out what really happened in 1939. It isn't the case. Misunderstandings and misinformation abound.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding historical events often takes much longer than expected due to persistent misunderstandings.
This quote by Norman Davies highlights the complexity and enduring nature of historical interpretation. Despite the passage of seventy years since 1939, the events of that time continue to be shrouded in misunderstandings and misinformation, suggesting that history is not easily or fully grasped, even with the benefit of hindsight. It emphasizes the challenges historians face in achieving an accurate understanding of the past, as narratives can shift and evolve over time.
Themes
HistoryMisinformationUnderstandingInterpretation1939
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on World War II, this quote can illustrate the complexities of interpreting historical events.
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Nowadays, it is no longer possible to maintain that the Nazi-Soviet pact of 23 August 1939 was a fiction invented by bourgeois-imperialist enemies. Everyone has seen the film clips of Herr Ribbentrop landing in Moscow, and of Stalin smiling broadly as Ribbentrop and Molotov signed up side by side.
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Why are some things remembered and others forgotten? That is the theme I want to pursue about the Second World War.
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Our mental maps are distorted by who are the 'winners' of history and who are the powers of today.
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I wanted to produce a book that would demonstrate not only the rich diversity of people who answered to Anders's command but also the extraordinary variety of their experiences and emotions: from death to despair, fear and longings and eventually to hope.
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