It is extremely interesting which massacres are tiptoed around or do not change the "core" of the historical interpretation, and which seem to be the argument to disqualify a whole project. It is also interesting to observe how this changes throughout the decades. For some acceptable massacres of these days let´s cite: 1) Any slaughter on the battlefield- i.e the hero-of-all Napoleon. 2) Ancient Romans, whatever they do, they are still admirable heros. OK, if they massacre Christians, then it is a sign of decadence. If they massacre "barbarians", it is a sign of the good health of the realm :-) 3) US genocide of the native Americans, condamned but without changing the general heroic interpretation (very interesting difference in historical treatment in comparison to the Spanish one. Just a small point: the Spanish integrated the Inca and Azteca nobility to theirs and intermarried on all social levels. It is not incompatible with enslavement and mass murder, but it is indeed important in interpreting the colonization) . 4) Protestants massacring the Catholics seem always somehow more progressive than Catholics massacring the Protestants (I am neither, so please do not see any personal bitterness behind this observation :-). 5) Very massive use of capital punishment (gallows) in the 19th century England, especially towards the poor, for petty crimes or "crimes". 6) English Revolution vs. French Revolution. Don´t want me to continue on the colonization, 20th-century Latin America, today´s Central Asia etc.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2009-01-23 12:32 pm (UTC)For some acceptable massacres of these days let´s cite:
1) Any slaughter on the battlefield- i.e the hero-of-all Napoleon.
2) Ancient Romans, whatever they do, they are still admirable heros. OK, if they massacre Christians, then it is a sign of decadence. If they massacre "barbarians", it is a sign of the good health of the realm :-)
3) US genocide of the native Americans, condamned but without changing the general heroic interpretation (very interesting difference in historical treatment in comparison to the Spanish one. Just a small point: the Spanish integrated the Inca and Azteca nobility to theirs and intermarried on all social levels. It is not incompatible with enslavement and mass murder, but it is indeed important in interpreting the colonization) .
4) Protestants massacring the Catholics seem always somehow more progressive than Catholics massacring the Protestants (I am neither, so please do not see any personal bitterness behind this observation :-).
5) Very massive use of capital punishment (gallows) in the 19th century England, especially towards the poor, for petty crimes or "crimes".
6) English Revolution vs. French Revolution.
Don´t want me to continue on the colonization, 20th-century Latin America, today´s Central Asia etc.