history is written by the victors?

it is very true. for example all we know of the British Druids is the reports of how the Romans beat them in battle and eventually exterminated them in Anglesey.

Incorrect. For the battle of Agincourt the most used primary accounts were written by Monstrelet and Le Fevre - both French men, i.e not victors. This is to name one example, I could name countless others for you though.

History is written by historians. Historical documents and are written by a wide range of people. The past is a state of facts historians are trying to understand by engaging with the methodology of study "History".


Seriously, this is the crappiest cliche ever. Only people who have no idea about what history actually is parrot it (oh and postmodernists, but their arguments are slightly more sophisticated), it only works if your view of the subject is that of contemporary people/historians at the time writing what happened and historians find those documents and repeat what they say. If you a STEM supremacist, then it sounds plausible. But if you can actually think, then it is nonsense.

Couldn't agree more, this is exactly what I've been trying to say but in much better words though.

I wouldn't agree with your views on postmodernism though, I tend to agree with this strand of thought more than others - I find that revisionism is often to academicaly concerned and isn't very 'real', if you follow.

I fundamentally believe that scientific and historical methods produce accurate knowledge. I haven't read much postmodernism though.

I think its a matter of definition. Victors are emperors or people with a high position in military in my point of view. History is written by victors whenever such people changed the social order or were successful in wars. Metternich and the other rulers at the Congress of Vienne who were responsible for restoration, Napoleon Bonaparte and his campaign against Italy, Bismarck and his successful wars against Denmark, France and Austria to establish the first German Reich - they are examples for victors indeed.

But what is about Storming of the Bastille, an historical event which was initiated by people? the German Revolution of 1918-19 which were caused by workers, sailors and soldiers? not forget to mention the fall of the Berlin wall by people in GDR. Can these people be counted as victors? no, I don't think so, as they were no monarchs or people with enormous influence in military. Nevertheless it is a part of history. Written history is everything what was done or happened in the past. In my opinion.

x

I know everything event in history was a consequence of a victor dimension, unless it was not written by victors directly. That applies to my examples too. Is it that what you wanted to tell me? of course from this point of view, you are right, right at each point of time. But its the event only to a certain period of time in history which was regarded by myself. I merely count the event at a certain period of time, without the backgrounds.

They weren't writing "History". They were writing documents which historians use to study the time. Maybe the evidence isn't good enough to have an accurate picture; that's nothing to do with the "Victors" writing history.

in that case we can say that history is never written by the Victors, unless some of them resume or begin careers as historians after the victory. Sir Winston Churchill was a distinguished historian, so is a possible exception.

Who **** knows what was going on during the dark ages

Surely history is written not by the victors, but by the people who bother to write stuff down.

History is written by the survivors.

Who **** knows what was going on during the dark ages

Do you mean survivors in the sense of contemporary witness?



There are some dark ages which are well known, holocaust for instance.

erm, what

Do you mean survivors in the sense of contemporary witness?



There are some dark ages which are well known, holocaust for instance.

The Dark ages is a period of time in Europe between when the Roman Empire collapsed and medical society erupted. Not much was written down so it is called the Dark Ages.