Publication: Air Power History
Publication Date: 22-JUN-02
Format: Online - approximately 1808 words
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author:
Article Excerpt
Historiography and Air Power History: Caveat Reader
When we read history; we do not read the men, the equipment and the countries. We read about them in the writing, photography, and film-making of other people. The history we read is the telling and retelling of what someone thinks happened.
To determine what really happened, readers must be aware of the influences and motivations of the interpreters of history. What did they include and what did they exclude, and why? Even professional historians, who provide context and analysis, are influenced by their personal biases and backgrounds. Only if we know who the interpreters are and why they wrote, can we learn the "lessons" of history.
This is especially true in the case of the history of air power. The military services and American citizens require an accurate and comprehensive history. For instance, the history of the Norden bombsight and of its use by the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II shows the effects of every kind of information management on both military and civilian attitudes. Military aviation is especially subject to pressures from many sides and for many reasons. A worthwhile history of military aviation sorts out these reasons and reveals the motives of the various participants.
Similarly, economic considerations exert tremendous influence in the design and procurement of military equipment, but this is often overlooked in historical writing. Thus, the practical need to channel business to different aeronautic firms throughout the United States, in order to provide jobs (and ultimately votes), is a powerful motive. Moreover, reporting these issues in the aviation press is clearly influenced by the magazines' financial supporters.
A contemporary clash of views of...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
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