Abstract
In George Orwell’s novel 1984 the past plays a distinctive role: ‘who controls the past, controls the future’ is one of the party slogans. History also in reality often is used as a political tool to bolster up nationalism.
Since 1989, the changing power relations in the Asia-Pacific had an important influence on history and memory, just like in Europe the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in a great many new studies and interpretations. The lecture addresses questions such as: is the role of war experience and of history different in East Asia compared to Europe? Is engagement with war experience a crucial part of creating a postwar national identity? How to understand the post Cold War in this respect?
Nationalism is potentially undermining stability both in East Asia and in Europe. Where nationalism is built on a distortion of history, historians should act as an antidote.
Since 1989, the changing power relations in the Asia-Pacific had an important influence on history and memory, just like in Europe the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in a great many new studies and interpretations. The lecture addresses questions such as: is the role of war experience and of history different in East Asia compared to Europe? Is engagement with war experience a crucial part of creating a postwar national identity? How to understand the post Cold War in this respect?
Nationalism is potentially undermining stability both in East Asia and in Europe. Where nationalism is built on a distortion of history, historians should act as an antidote.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Groningen |
| Publisher | Rijksuniversiteit Groningen |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-90-367-9965-2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- Japan
- history
- East Asia
- Europe
- nationalism