"Anglo-Afghan Wars: popular perceptions" Topic

From 7-13, I recall learning about Romans, Vikings/Normans, the last knockings of the WotR (we largely missed out the Plantaganets and Lancaster/York), then Tudors, Stuarts, Hanoverians/early Victoria. O-Level (14-16) was 20th Century USA, Russia/USSR, and China. Mostly it was the major political events, internal and external, and any wars (except WW1 & 2).

I don't think anyone ever taught us how to "interpret" history in those years, because that was what A-Level and Degree courses were for. I might add that I went to good schools, including a comprehensive (admittedly ex-grammar), with a superb history department that was highly thought of by Oxbridge – not least because that was where the three most senior teachers had been educated.

I loved history, but as far as the school subject was concerned, I saw it as "memory training" and one of the key bulwarks of my "general knowledge" repository (and I got the feeling from the take-up at A-Level that this was quite common – all the "braniacs" did Double Maths, Physics and Chemistry), rather than as a means of understanding how my own ancestors had lived in any given period. In the same way that learning Latin wasn't really about learning Latin, but about academic discipline and being able to spot its use in professional jargon (law, medecine, etc).

Interesting to read your (very informative) take on things, as I've always valued your opinions on the original WD forum, as well as on here.

Nice of you to say so!

Whether you like it or not there are very few ex-colonial countries that were left in a worse state at independance than before they were "colonised", and I use the word "colonised" in the loosest sense of the term as they were not actually "colonised".

Compare their post "colonial" experience in the face of big business which cares not about developing the country. In this regard, the US is a far worse offender.

The modern hand-wringing we are all subjected to these days reminds me of the phrase – "not in my name" and obviously not in the name of the thousands who vote with their feet.

Worth reading:
link
and
link

Bretwalda

Yup – I agree.

I remember being taught at school that 'until the Romans arrived, we were running about in skins' – no one claims that the Roman invasion of Britain 'stunted British development'.

Perhaps in time the hand-wringing will end and people will admit (and even appreciate) the progress and development brought about by British colonial rule in Africa and elsewhere.

But I won't hold my breath.