[1/3] A battle for the past. How Politics Changes History (Category History)

This book by Russian American historian Ivan Kurill was read by me. 2 day. It seemed to me very interesting and reveals on the other hand the geopolitical picture of the world, as well as its connection with the history of the development of states and entire political blocs. In the title of the book I see a reference to Orwell's quote from his novel.1984" (For those who have not read, I recommend reading a book or graphic novel that I have already read. told)

He who rules the past controls the future; he who rules the present controls the past. Interestingly, right before the book "Battle for the Past," I read other bookThe Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21th Century" ("**The following 100 Forecast of events of the XXI century)**George Friedman, an American political scientist forecast on 21 A century based on the history of the development of countries and their geopolitical interests.

If you go back to the book "Battle for the Past", it consists of 4 parts. 12 It contains examples from the Russian and American approach to history management by the state.

Part one. Stories of the past This part begins with a story about how the United States is trying to replay history in favor of the current situation, for example, in the United States. 2019 The New York Times has launched the project. 1619honor 400The first slaves arrived on the continent. Interestingly, the author of the project received a Pulitzer Prize. 2020 years. And the authorities created the Commission. 1776", which was to fight against the denigration of heroes who fought for American independence." This suggests that there are usually many narratives of the past that are at odds with each other and that the government often uses for political purposes. In the US, the main narratives are the stories of the South and the North, the stories of African-Americans, Indians and Latinos. In Russia, we have five concepts.

1. New public school - here emphasizes the role and merits of "state builders", and "the end justifies the means"
2. Liberal-Western – here the history of Russia is the chronicle of the struggle of society with the state for the right to determine the fate of the country (Progress towards Western Democracy)
3. Nationalist – here Russia is the “state of the Russian people”, where the Russian ethnos is gradually mastering Eurasia and introducing other ethnic groups into the country as younger brothers.
4. In world history, several civilizations competed, including Russia. Each had its own mentality that defined the differences. Heroes here are the creators of national culture and builders of the state, and antiheroes are Westerners who are trying to catch up with Europe.
5. Radical-critical, post-colonial history is the history of oppressed classes and social groups. Here the heroes are the “common people” and leaders of uprisings, and the antiheroes are the despotic statesmen.

It is believed that Russians have a request for a “positive image of the past”, but it is different for everyone:) But now they are trying to solve this problem through a single textbook, which sets out the correct view of the history of Russia, where the Great Patriotic War is the key reference point. Interestingly, the US has a similar history with textbooks, but each state decides for itself how to interpret history. There is a similar approach with museums and their exhibitions - often, what historical expositions can be exhibited in museums is determined by the state, taking into account the version of history that must be adhered to. Moreover, the monuments that we see on the streets are also subject to this – they are dismantled after a review of history. In addition, history is subject to revision in films and games.

P.S. When I read the book "The Next" 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century by Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle 1963 She won the Hugo Award for Best Novel of the Year. This book was the first in the genre of alternative history to win this award.

#Management #Leadership #History #Strategy