Monastery/history forum

**TosaInu** · 01-31-2005, 21:07

Hello,

The description reads: A discussion forum linked to the historical periods depicted in the Total War games series.

Yet other eras get covarage too. This is fine with me, but some history is pretty recent and the disussion gets too emotional. Which date should be the upper limit? 1945, 1900, 1850, 1800?

**Demon of Light** · 01-31-2005, 21:33

There does seem to be a point that divides events of the past between Current Affairs and History. That point often seems to be the immediacy with which we regard whichever specific event we are attempting to divide. Before today, I would have said 1945. However, since certain events that led to the end of WWII seem to be have become relevant with respect to who has the gall to post on what subjects given a stated opinion on this period of the past, it seems that WWII is too immediate for some to approach with detachment (or from the other side, stated opinions on WWII are too relevant with respect to certain current affairs to be ignored). I might suggest the end of the first World War as an upper limit for discussion. Unless I'm mistaken, this is the furthest we can go in the past while having the reasonable expectaion of everyone being able to approach it with a suitable level of detachment.

**monkian** · 01-31-2005, 21:57

Why quibble with dates- its just semantics.

History is History.

Just because some subjects may be taboo to some certain individuals who post here doesn't mean that everyone should be restricted from discussing them.

Whatever happened to 'a Historian has no country'

**Kaiser of Arabia** · 01-31-2005, 22:05

How about anything before the fall of the USSR?

**The_Emperor** · 01-31-2005, 23:38

Originally Posted by Capo of Arabia

How about anything before the fall of the USSR?

I would agree with that statement. The Cold War is certainly now part of history. It is over and much information about its events have come to light over the past decade.

**conon394** · 02-01-2005, 01:01

I not sure a year limit is really going to be helpful.

I mean almost any thread anywhere on the net involving Alexander seems to be turned into a battlefield for the Greece vs. Macedonia (FYR) debate (or perhaps virtual war is a better description).

But I'd suggest 1900. Avoid anyone’s living memory or that of their near relatives.

**Gregoshi** · 01-31-2005, 22:04

I have to generally agree with DoL on his assessment. World War II, as interesting a topic as it is, is just too emotionally charge, even in today's world. The end of WWI or even 1900 would be a good cut off limit.

Edit: monkian, unfortunately, not all who read and post in the Monastery are historians.

**monkian** · 01-31-2005, 22:29

Originally Posted by Gregoshi

I have to generally agree with DoL on his assessment. World War II, as interesting a topic as it is, is just too emotionally charge, even in today's world. The end of WWI or even 1900 would be a good cut off limit.

Edit: monkian, unfortunately, not all who read and post in the Monastery are historians.

But we have the Backroom for political and 'lively' discussions.

The recent topics that were brought up in the Monastery should've been moved to the Backroom.

I think banning a very interesting period of modern History i.e the whole of the 20th Century is a little drastic because of a few people.

How are people suposed to learn of other people's views or what actually happened in that century i.e The Hollacaust when we are banned from talking about them ?

**Accounting Troll** · 01-31-2005, 22:23

Even the end of WWI is probably too recent because it is widely seen as one of the causes of WWII, so discussion of the one tends to lead to discussion of the other.

I don't think you can completely eliminate the risk whatever date you go for - the European and American treatment of the native Americans from the 16th-19th centuries is still a highly emotive subject.