What is history but a fable agreed upon?- Napolean Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the leaders I have admired since childhood. He was a great leader who wrote his own history. The above quote said by him is very interesting. One learns History from textbooks or the Internet which receive information from other sources. These are known as secondary sources. According to me, these sources are not trustworthy as they are a mere collection of various other sources written by people who were not physically present when the events occurred. Thus one can never interpret history in the same way.

Historical events can be compared to a fables as they includes many human beings and the situation in which they existed. Even though one believes that a historical event took place. one cannot be completely sure as he or she was not present when the event occurred. Thus knowledge gained in history in mainly through communicating with people or getting second hand information. For example I learnt that Germans hated Jews because my teacher told me. I did not question her why did they hate Jews? However once I asked my mother that why did Germans hate Jews. She replied saying that the books written by historians gave the information. How valid are the books? How do the historians know that the Germans hated Jews? It is just a common belief that is accepted by all because their ancestors told them that.

In order to study History one must look at different point of views and not be stubborn. Only a person is not stubborn and is ready to challenge the common notion can achieve true knowledge. Most of the people believe that knowledge in History can be achieved by reading textbooks which are completely manipulated in the way in suits the government. Every textbook is written in a way in which the existing power can be appeased. For example the history textbooks of USA will only talk about how USA emerged as a major power after World War II. How it defeated Germany and bailed out France and Britain. It is a common notion that USA is a good country which always propagates democracy but no one has challenged the common notion. Everyone readily accepts the facts told by textbooks and their ancestors. However has one thought about the use of the atom bomb by USA on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? The Vietnam War? It is a common notion that France and Britain were stronger than Germany in World War I which is completely false. Germany were much stronger and invaded France in both the World Wars capturing Paris on both occasions. They captured most of Europe in World War II. It was the USA that came on both occasions and bailed out Britain and France.

History is not just a set of notions agreed upon by people on the basis of textbooks. Primary sources like letters, newspaper articles or autobiographies help us study History better but it is very difficult to find these sources.History will always differ depending on who you ask. Just like the old adage: There are three sides to every story yours, mine and the truth. A fable is something that hasn't been proven or documented, but if enough people WANT it to be the truth, it'll eventually come to be known as the truth in the same way if people want a historical event to be interpreted in a particular way it will be interpreted in the same way. If people want to believe that USA is a good country it will become the truth and history will written in a way that USA is always portrayed to be the good one. No one will challenge the common notion that Germany was responsible for World War I as it is agreed upon by all people and thus becomes the Truth