How a Timeline Can Help Us Put Historical Events in Perspective
Why do we even learn about history in the first place? It's not like we have to watch out for any sneak Hun attacks. And we can be fairly certain that Grover Cleveland is not running for reelection. So what's the point?
The point is that, by learning about our past, we can analyze trends, discover more about the way we function as a species (or as a nation), and hopefully reduce future mistakes. Progress is the name of the game. Very often, we examine detailed timelines of events from particular periods in history. We are chronological thinkers, and seeing everything laid out in this order helps cement things in our heads, as well as give us more insight and greater perspective on what exactly came to pass.
Let's take a look at a small segment of a WWII timeline as an example:
-Nov 10, 1938 - Kristallnacht. During the German Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), 7500 Jewish businesses are looted, 191 synagogues are set afire, nearly 100 Jews are killed, and tens of thousands are sent to concentration camps.
-Jan 2, 1939 - Hitler is Time Man of the Year. Time magazine prints its 1938 Man of the Year edition, but does not show the Nazi leader's face on the cover of the publication.
-Mar 15, 1939 - Germany Annexes Czechoslovakia. Adolf Hitler reneges on the promise made in September of 1938 and takes all of Czechoslovakia.
-Mar 1939 - Roosevelt Writes Hitler and Mussolini. President Franklin D. Roosevelt writes letters to the German and Italian leaders, requesting they promise not to attack a list of nations for at least ten years. The Nazi leader would respond on behalf of the Italian leader and himself, assuring Roosevelt that he had nothing to fear.
-Apr 7, 1939 - Hitler Fails to Pass Three of His AP Exams A shame. He had shown so much promise.
The above tells us of a handful of events that occurred near the beginning of WWII, but because they are displayed chronologically, we may be able to piece together a bit more about what led to what€¦
First we catch a glimpse of the horrible atrocities that were starting to befall the Jewish population of Germany at this time. Soon afterward, Time magazine names Hitler Man of the Year. (We're guessing it wasn't because of advancements in medical science due to his extensive laboratory research.) €Man of the Year€ is a little different than €Employee of the Month.€ It isn't always a good thing.
So you get the picture - the German leader had established himself as a baddie and the world had taken notice. In the third bullet, we learn that not only is he cruel and power-hungry, but also conniving, underhanded and untrustworthy.
Because we now know how all of the above went down, we may be able to intuit a bit more about this story. As Hitler had already shown his promises not to be worth the papier they were written on, did Roosevelt perhaps suspect that the promise was insincere? Did the Fuhrer have any intention of staying true to his word at the time? As his reputation was already globally famous, did he even think Roosevelt would believe his vow to keep the peace? There are still holes to be filled in, but the timeline gives us a clearer picture of just what was going on, and helps put us in that time and place.
The point is that, by learning about our past, we can analyze trends, discover more about the way we function as a species (or as a nation), and hopefully reduce future mistakes. Progress is the name of the game. Very often, we examine detailed timelines of events from particular periods in history. We are chronological thinkers, and seeing everything laid out in this order helps cement things in our heads, as well as give us more insight and greater perspective on what exactly came to pass.
Let's take a look at a small segment of a WWII timeline as an example:
-Nov 10, 1938 - Kristallnacht. During the German Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), 7500 Jewish businesses are looted, 191 synagogues are set afire, nearly 100 Jews are killed, and tens of thousands are sent to concentration camps.
-Jan 2, 1939 - Hitler is Time Man of the Year. Time magazine prints its 1938 Man of the Year edition, but does not show the Nazi leader's face on the cover of the publication.
-Mar 15, 1939 - Germany Annexes Czechoslovakia. Adolf Hitler reneges on the promise made in September of 1938 and takes all of Czechoslovakia.
-Mar 1939 - Roosevelt Writes Hitler and Mussolini. President Franklin D. Roosevelt writes letters to the German and Italian leaders, requesting they promise not to attack a list of nations for at least ten years. The Nazi leader would respond on behalf of the Italian leader and himself, assuring Roosevelt that he had nothing to fear.
-Apr 7, 1939 - Hitler Fails to Pass Three of His AP Exams A shame. He had shown so much promise.
The above tells us of a handful of events that occurred near the beginning of WWII, but because they are displayed chronologically, we may be able to piece together a bit more about what led to what€¦
First we catch a glimpse of the horrible atrocities that were starting to befall the Jewish population of Germany at this time. Soon afterward, Time magazine names Hitler Man of the Year. (We're guessing it wasn't because of advancements in medical science due to his extensive laboratory research.) €Man of the Year€ is a little different than €Employee of the Month.€ It isn't always a good thing.
So you get the picture - the German leader had established himself as a baddie and the world had taken notice. In the third bullet, we learn that not only is he cruel and power-hungry, but also conniving, underhanded and untrustworthy.
Because we now know how all of the above went down, we may be able to intuit a bit more about this story. As Hitler had already shown his promises not to be worth the papier they were written on, did Roosevelt perhaps suspect that the promise was insincere? Did the Fuhrer have any intention of staying true to his word at the time? As his reputation was already globally famous, did he even think Roosevelt would believe his vow to keep the peace? There are still holes to be filled in, but the timeline gives us a clearer picture of just what was going on, and helps put us in that time and place.
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