Cover of Partisan histories

Partisan histories

Partisan Histories is an introduction to the multiple uses of history in contemporary political debate and conflict. As communities reimagine themselves, a contest over defining legitimacy, identifying us and others, and jockeying for political control intersects with fights over history and memory. Here distinguished scholars examine how competing versions of national identity are legitimized through appeals to carefully constructed 'pasts' both in democracies and in repressive regimes. The essays focus on the cases of Armenia, Chile, France, Germany, India and Pakistan, Israel and Palestine, Japan, Nigeria, and the United States to draw broader conclusions about the worldwide effect of traumatic memory, questions of punishment and restitution, and the instrumentalization of the past for political purposes.

Audience
adult
Length
short · 198 pages

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  1. The Cold War (U.S. Wars) Shares Cold War, world politics, history
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  3. Competing with the Soviets Shares Cold War, world politics, history
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“If you want more of the same (history), start with these.”

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“If it was the world politics that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. Know Your Enemy: How the Joint Intelligence Committee Saw the World
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“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. Holocaust Remembrance Between the National and the Transnational
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