Historical revisionism

In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of a historical account.^[1] It usually involves challenging the orthodox (established, accepted or traditional) scholarly views or narratives regarding a historical event, timespan, or phenomenon by introducing contrary evidence or reinterpreting the motivations and decisions of the people involved. Revision of the historical record can reflect new discoveries of fact, evidence, and interpretation as they come to light. The process of historical revision is a common, necessary, and usually uncontroversial process which develops and refines the historical record to make it more complete and accurate.

One form of historical revisionism involves a reversal of older moral judgments. Revision in this fashion is a more controversial topic, and can include denial or distortion of the historical record yielding an illegitimate form of historical revisionism known as historical negationism (involving, for example, distrust of genuine documents or records or deliberate manipulation of statistical data to draw predetermined conclusions). This type of historical revisionism can present a re-interpretation of the moral meaning of the historical record.^[2] Negationists use the term revisionism to portray their efforts as legitimate historical inquiry; this is especially the case when revisionism relates to Holocaust denial.

^ Krasner, Barbara, ed. (2019). Historical Revisionism. Current Controversies. New York: Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p. 15. ISBN 9781534505384. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2020. The ability to revise and update historical narrative – historical revisionism – is necessary, as historians must always review current theories and ensure they are supported by evidence. … Historical revisionism allows different (and often subjugated) perspectives to be heard and considered.
^ Evans, Richard J. (2001) Lying About Hitler: History, Holocaust, and the David Irving Trial. p.145. ISBN 0-465-02153-0. The author is a professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge, and was a major expert witness in the Irving v. Lipstadt trial; the book presents his perspective of the trial, and the expert-witness report, including his research about the Dresden death count.

[1] Krasner, Barbara, ed. (2019). Historical Revisionism. Current Controversies. New York: Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p. 15. ISBN 9781534505384. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2020. The ability to revise and update historical narrative – historical revisionism – is necessary, as historians must always review current theories and ensure they are supported by evidence. … Historical revisionism allows different (and often subjugated) perspectives to be heard and considered.

[Evans-145-2] Evans, Richard J. (2001) Lying About Hitler: History, Holocaust, and the David Irving Trial. p.145. ISBN 0-465-02153-0. The author is a professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge, and was a major expert witness in the Irving v. Lipstadt trial; the book presents his perspective of the trial, and the expert-witness report, including his research about the Dresden death count.

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