BY EKİN GÜNEŞ ÖZAKTAŞ

History can be said to go back before the invention of writing, with oral transfer of knowledge. However, writing revolutionized this area of knowledge, and historical records became better-defined and more systematic. With time, such developments formalized history and led to recurring discussion as to whether or not history is a science. However, there still remains the perhaps more fundamental question of what history is to begin with. Two basic interpretations are that of causes and effects, and that of cyclical patterns. In my opinion, while both ideas are quite meaningful, their synthesis is more capable of conveying what history is.

Looking at history as a large web of causes and effects is one of the most commonly known interpretations. The main argument behind this is that it allows information to be connected and synthesized, forming knowledge. Information regarding separate historical events or people can be enriched through knowledge of others. The connections thus formed can increase our shared knowledge and understanding of history.

An example can be given concerning the current conflicts between certain countries and organizations in the Middle East. It is meaningless to try to interpret or create knowledge from these events without trying to understand their causes. Among those causes are the partition of the Middle East between France and Britain in the early 20th century, without regard for tribal and cultural boundaries. Both that and modern conflicts in the Middle East can be further traced to the industrial powers’ desire for oil. Without such consideration of the situation (however oversimplified this example may be), any documentation of it or attempt to interpret it is meaningless.

However, it can often be difficult to correctly or completely identify the true causes of an event, due to bias or a lack of documentation. For example, the victors of WWI cast blame on Germany for starting the war; however, this attribution is neither complete nor correct. Causes can be traced to imperialist and industrial rivalries among all of the great powers, but this cannot even begin to explain why such a large and complex event occurred. In short, while causes and effects are crucial in understanding and thus defining history, they are not always sufficient or satisfactory.

An alternative interpretation sees history as based on cyclical patterns. This theory argues that history repeats itself, and that knowledge of one event can be applied for the purpose of better understanding other events. This can be done through the identification of patterns and similarities. An example is the transition from democracy to dictatorship. There are some common elements between the rise of Julius Caesar as emperor in ancient Rome in the first century BCE, and Napoleon Bonaparte’s seizure of power in France at the turn of the 19th century. However, upon closer examination, the Roman Republic was founded by an overthrow of the monarchy by noblemen, while the French Republic was founded by a revolution of the people. Furthermore, the Roman Republic lasted about five centuries, while the French Republic lasted barely a decade. Such differences, upon closer examination, can lead to difficulties in making generalizations, and thus in generating new knowledge.

Due to problems arising in both the causation and cyclical theories, their synthesis is, in my opinion, very logical: we can view webs of causes and effects when determining that something is cyclical, or repetitive, and bear in mind that repetition occurs within the conditions of the time period in question. An example that illustrates this approach is “Thucydides’s Trap.” This is the phenomenon in which a rising power threatens the dominance of a ruling power, with the outcome often (but not always) being war, as discussed by Graham Allison in his TED talk, “Is War Between China and the US Inevitable?”

Other cases of conflict can be analyzed based on the same structure, but different conditions and factors must also be considered. They are what make the difference between “war” and “no war.” It is the consideration of other knowledge, as per the causation theory, that allows us to observe the exceptions in (and thus enrich) a pattern found in existing knowledge.
Furthermore, it is possible to observe the operation of Thucydides’s Trap in a very crudely made chain of events, each causing the next. The Age of Exploration financed the Renaissance, which created the way of thinking necessary for the Scientific Revolution, which in turn enabled the construction of machines for the Industrial Revolution, which led to a need for colonialism and imperialism, causing World War I, the outcome of which fueled World War II. In each stage of this chain, rivalry between a rising and a ruling power can be observed, so our knowledge of this causality has a structure, and a pattern.

However, due to multiple factors, and different conditions, knowledge of specific rivalries must be abstracted to form a different, more conceptual type of knowledge, which is the Thucydides’s Trap theory itself. It is not a theory of “constant historical rivalry between country X and country Y”; rather, it is a more generalized phenomenon, evolving alongside history, appearing in different forms and leading to different outcomes.

For this reason, we need to consider both causation and patterns or cycles when defining history. While knowledge of other events is certainly necessary to enrich knowledge of a particular event, and while it is true that similarities arise among examples of existing knowledge, it is not possible to consider the patterns without bearing in mind the individual factors distinguishing each element of the pattern from the others. Thus, history is both causes and effects, and patterns and cycles, and both approaches must be considered if we are to have a more satisfying understanding of the past.

BY EKİN GÜNEŞ ÖZAKTAŞ

It isn’t a school day, but there’s more going on in the halls and classrooms than if it had been. A student dressed in a sharp black suit and purple tie briskly walks to the podium at the front of the room with a piece of slightly crumpled paper in his hand, eager to speak to those seated at the desks in front of him. “Gentlemen and lords of this council! I suggest that we move the army in Oxford toward Cornwall, so as to cut off the supply lines of the Parliamentarians, the very embodiment of heresy.” Upon further detailing this course of action, he yields the floor, and returns to his seat. He has just delivered an idea that could change the course of the English Civil War (1642–1651), resulting in a decisive victory for the Royalists, contrary to what actually happened in history. You may ask, “Why are students pretending to fight the English Civil War from a classroom in Ankara?” Well, this is a Model United Nations conference Joint Crisis Historical Committee.

The main purpose of Model United Nations (MUN) conferences, which have gained increasing popularity in recent years, is to create a simulation of the United Nations, in which students from various high schools and/or universities come together to debate world issues and come up with solutions, which they write up in the format of “resolutions.” These are then debated upon, and passed or failed. The atmosphere is relatively formal; delegates wait for their turn to speak, with a patience that is unexpected from high school students. Strict adherence to parliamentary procedures is expected, although this varies significantly based on the committee type and the seriousness and competence of the chairs presiding over the session.

Different types of issues are debated in different committees, taking place in different rooms. For example, social issues are debated in the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, and political issues are debated in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. Almost all committees at MUN conferences debate modern issues, paralleling the UN. However, there is one type of committee that is different: the Historical Committee. Here, delegates represent historical personalities involved in the scenario taking place; such scenarios include wars, governmental councils and the signing of peace treaties.

The most popular scenario for a Historical Committee is a war. Here, delegates write “directives,” which are publicly revealed commands discussed by the committee, and which must be put to a vote in order to pass, since they affect the entire committee. However, they can also write “actions,” which are secret commands for their personal gain. A directive may detail the movement of armies, and the tactics to be used in battle, while an action may attempt to assassinate other characters in the room, or use spies to watch them. The chairs presiding over the committee process the actions and directives, and decide upon the outcome, so they must have extensive knowledge of the historical period in question and be very experienced. In addition, the actions and directives must have a high level of detail if they are to succeed. The re-enactment of the governmental council of a nation at a certain point in history works in a similar way; however, a committee simulating the negotiation of a peace treaty will be debating the terms of peace, with significantly less warring and scheming.

Historical Committees are generally one of two kinds, namely Crisis Committees or Joint Crisis Committees. Crisis Committees take place in one room, with every delegate fending for themselves and the few they decide they can trust. Joint Crisis Committees take place in two rooms, with each room working as a team, and actions taken in one room affecting the other. The two rooms are usually two warring sides. For instance, continuing with our example of the English Civil War, they would be the Royalists and the Parliamentarians.

Just a few further examples of Historical Committees I have personally been involved in or witnessed include the Korean War, the American Civil War, the Ottoman Divan during the conquest of Wallachia, the Berlin Conference and even an Alternate History Committee about Operation Unthinkable, which is what would have happened if the Allies had gone through with their plan to retake Eastern Europe from the Soviets after the Second World War.

Participating in Historical Committees requires an in-depth knowledge of the personalities, conditions, battle tactics and technologies of the era. Thus, extensive research is required for any hope of success in a Historical Committee, although the amount of effort required will vary according to the quality and professionalism of the conference. Extensive background study guides are prepared for widely known conferences, and participants are expected to prepare well before attending.

The action in a Historical Committee allows total immersion into the time period in question, and thus passionate language (including insults of the era), costumes and props such as plastic weapons, large maps and flags are not uncommon. These make the committees truly come to life, and motivate the delegates to learn more and participate with increased passion and vigor in the debate of directives and the physical re-enactment of some key events, such as the interrogation of prisoners. Historical Committees in MUN conferences are unique in their function, educational value and how entertaining they are.

BY EKİN GÜNEŞ ÖZAKTAŞ

Visiting different places greatly contributes to our understanding of history, and an understanding and knowledge of history greatly increases our appreciation and enjoyment of the things we experience when traveling. However, surprises are always around the corner. Even when you have clear expectations about what you might see, even when you already have a mental image based on all the things you’ve read about a place, it always turns out to be quite different. Being there and seeing the real place for yourself is moving in more than one way. Recently, as I boarded the bus in Kraków, Poland, to visit the Auschwitz–Birkenau concentration camps, I had no idea what I was about to witness. I was guessing what I might see and had prepared myself for it, but it left a greater impression on my friends and me than we ever could have imagined.

We entered through the main gate, passing under the sign reading “Arbeit macht frei,” meaning “Labor sets you free.” I wondered how many of those who read this as they were brought in took it literally and thought the hard work awaiting them here would ultimately lead to their freedom. I thought about those who might have believed this and toiled diligently in the hope that one day they could leave alive. Our first stop was a building displaying what the inhabitants went through from their arrival to their death. What struck me as particularly cruel was the labeling of the prisoners as “can work” and “cannot work.” Naturally, many of those who were physically unfit to work were in that situation as a result of matters beyond their control, starvation and disease being the most important reasons. And there was no reason to keep those who could not work alive. It must be terrifying to wait for such a decision to be made about you. As much as I tried to understand what those in this position must have felt, I was equally curious about what must have gone through the minds of the personnel making these decisions.

Afterwards, my friends and I visited a display of the possessions of countless victims. The kitchenware was the least disturbing. Most horrifying were the hair, shoes and luggage. Each of these items was loaded with symbolic meaning. All of those shoes were worn and lived in; they had carried their owners through the joys and sorrows of life. They carried unknowing children to an unexpected and untimely death. Every bag and suitcase represented the dreams of another family, and their hopes of returning home. Now, after all the years that have come between, they’re piled up in a museum display, gathering dust. All of them have a name on them, but more significantly, a number as well. The Nazi officers had reduced people to that: a number. Numbers made it easier to manage them systematically, and to kill them systematically. This highly systematic structure was one of the most striking qualities of the camp, and I couldn’t help but connect this to the cold-blooded crimes that were committed. The streets were laid out in a pattern of equally spaced vertical and horizontal lines. From virtually every point, it was possible to see the fences surrounding or partitioning the camp, and this was a constant reminder of how helpless the prisoners were. It was no surprise that very few people could escape.

I had a vivid image of the death of over a million people when I saw the crematoriums and gas chambers. I couldn’t help but imagine the pain and agony they felt, and how they finally collapsed and died. Ultimately, what was left behind from every individual was a handful of ash. Those not yet killed had to suffer and wait in very cramped, dark cells, where they had only enough space to stand.

The nearby camp of Birkenau was much larger than Auschwitz, but equally systematic and orderly. Looking into the distance, I couldn’t even see where the camp ended. The signs said that 400 prisoners were crammed into a stable designed for 50 horses, and had to try to survive the cold, filth and hunger. The toilets were in another stable and in very bad condition. It was quite disturbing to learn that use of them was limited to five seconds.

I had prepared myself for the worst, but my imagination had failed to depict the level of inhumanity we witnessed at Auschwitz–Birkenau. From the belongings, to those who died, to the dark cells: everything reminded us of death and despair.

BY EKİN GÜNEŞ ÖZAKTAŞ

Travel provides a unique opportunity to enjoy history by experiencing it up close. Certainly you learn a lot while traveling, but perhaps more significant is how what you already know makes traveling so much more enjoyable. Having background knowledge of the events and forces that have shaped the history of a place, or even doing some last-minute reading goes a long way in making visits to new places highly rewarding. What you already know allows you to take in the new things you see in a way that creates meaning from them, and make connections. Rather than merely looking at buildings or places that are supposed to be important, you’re struck by the realization that this is where certain monumental events took place. You can almost imagine the people, be they famous or nameless, drifting about the space.

I recently went to Kraków, Poland, with the main purpose of visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp. I also had the chance to spend a lot of time in Kraków itself, particularly in the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was the capital of Poland until the seventeenth century. Its central square is said to be one of the largest in Europe, and lived up to all my expectations.

First of all, the architecture, similar to what can be found in many other important European cities, was very elegant and also quite colorful. One of the most prominent features of the city center is St. Mary’s Basilica, which possesses two asymmetrical towers. Legend has it that this is due to the fact that they were built by two brothers, who were rivals. It was interesting to speculate on the relationship between the brothers just by looking at the towers, as one has a crown-like structure on top and is much taller. There’s also a trumpeter who plays every hour atop the taller tower, to commemorate the trumpeter who died while warning the city of a Mongol attack.

The Cloth Hall in the center of the city square is another feature worth mentioning. It’s comparable to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; however, it covers a much smaller area, and is just one long hall. Nonetheless, it was a prominent center of trade where merchants from far and wide would conduct business. While the external features of the hall are somewhat more memorable than those of the Grand Bazaar, the interior is less crowded and appears somewhat hollow. In my opinion, this steals from what makes such an environment memorable and distinct: the mingling of smells, the voices of salespeople and the extremely diverse blend of commodities sold. Admittedly, what I’m describing is more Oriental than Western, but I can’t help but think that such environments are more readily found in the East than in the West.

Wawel Castle was also a touristic highlight of our visit. It was built as a relatively well-fortified castle on the bank of the Vistula River. The interior is richly ornamented, and the view from the walls is stunning (it’s now the background on my phone). There’s also a statue representing a dragon from Polish mythology situated outside the walls, and it breathes fire if you send an SMS to a certain number.

For those interested in art, I should note that we also got to see Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Lady With an Ermine.” If one of my friends hadn’t pointed it out, we would have missed it, as Poland was not high up on the list of places where I would have expected to find such a painting. It turns out that after having been lost for three centuries, the painting appeared in Poland with no explanation.

Kraków was truly a fascinating city, especially to me as I both love the time period during which it was most important, and have a special interest in the history of the nation that ruled over it. In addition, having the chance to see Auschwitz was very moving, and I’ll be dedicating a separate piece entirely to that.

BY EKİN GÜNEŞ ÖZAKTAŞ

In this week’s column I will mostly sample popular content from specialized areas of history, such as art history, economic history, political history, cultural history and the history of science and technology.

The site smarthistory.org is probably one of the best sources available for art history. It has a very well organized collection of videos and textual material about not only art history but also art appreciation, analysis, technique, style and so on. The section on the relationship of art to various religions is especially interesting; for instance, you can read about the functional features of mosque architecture or Hindu temples. What really stands out is the excellent coverage of the individual histories of different periods and places in over sixty categories, such as Ancient Aegean art, Medieval Islamic art, Art Nouveau, Fauvism and Post-Minimalism. Under these categories you will also find information and analysis of individual works of art.

Crash Course has a “History of Science” playlist that starts from ancient Greece and goes through medieval Islam and China, and the birth of European universities. Unfortunately the playlist does not yet cover more recent developments, but you can find videos on “The History of Electrical Engineering,” “The History of Chemical Engineering,” “Early Computing” and “The History of Life on Earth,” the latter being under the “Ecology” playlist. If you prefer proper lectures to short animated videos, “The Secret History of Silicon Valley” by Steve Blank is especially interesting. He begins by revealing the short-sightedness of the young audience about the origins of Silicon Valley, which in the beginning was not so much about computers and information technology. This talk is remarkable not only for its historical insights, but also its descriptions of the nature of aerial combat in World War II.

Cultural history is a less well defined area, and is impossible to cover systematically. Caroline Winterer’s TEDx talk “Think You Know How to Pursue Happiness? Think Again” explores how different the concept of happiness was a few centuries ago than it is today. Starting by referring to the many self-help books available today that try to teach you how to be happy and find self-fulfillment, she explains how differently the term “happiness” was perceived in 18th-century America. In contrast to the personal concept of happiness we have today, the term then described a public concept: a harmonious and just society. Winterer emphasizes that history is not just about chronicling and analyzing historical events, but about being able to look at things through the eyes of those who lived in the past, to understand how they saw their world. The video “If Ben Franklin Had Facebook” on YouTube, also by Winterer, provides insight into how modern data analysis techniques are being applied to historical analysis.

Feature History is a YouTube channel with many 10–20-minute episodes on aspects of political history that are not covered on other channels. Representative titles include “War of the Roses,” “Soviet–Afghan War,” “Opium Wars,” “19th-Century France” and “Meiji Restoration.”

The classic idea of separation of powers and checks and balances is as relevant today as it was centuries ago. Episode 3 of the Crash Course “Government and Politics” series on YouTube, titled “Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances,” explains the rationale behind the system as it developed in the USA and describes how it was designed to prevent the concentration of power.

The internet has an abundance of videos on different political ideologies. For instance, to learn about the development of the much-misunderstood ideology of anarchism, you can watch “This Is Anarchism (in 10 Minutes)” on YouTube, which not only includes an explanation of what anarchism is, but also talks about its history.

The title of the London School of Economics lecture “Too Much Maths, Too Little History: The Problem of Economics” speaks for itself. If you are willing to spend four hours, you can also listen to Niall Ferguson talk about the history of finance in “The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World.” If you would prefer something shorter, Crash Course has an “Economic History” playlist. Though 14th in the series, a good point to start might be the episode titled “Economic Schools of Thought,” which goes through the well-known names behind major economic ideologies. The “Extra History” series offers another animated alternative; a good place to start is “The History of Paper Money.” A third channel with significant economic history content is The School of Life, featuring episodes on key figures such as Adam Smith, John Maynard Keynes, Friedrich Hayek and Karl Marx as well as videos on the history of capitalism and consumerism, and the strikingly convincing “Why Is Work So Boring?” If you don’t even have 10 minutes, consider the channel One-Minute Economics with titles such as “The Great Depression” and “The Dot-Com Bubble.”

Arguably, the economic issue of greatest social concern is that of inequality. The DW documentary titled “Inequality – How Wealth Becomes Power” and the John Oliver “Last Week Tonight” episode titled “Wealth Gap” shed light onto the development and current state of inequality in Germany and the USA respectively. John Oliver stands out with his darkly humorous and biting critique of the politics and social systems of the US and other countries. As a start, watch the episode on authoritarianism.

And if you need something to entertain a younger sibling, nephew or niece, consider “Epic Rap Battles of History.” Created by Nice Peter and EpicLLOYD, as they call themselves, the series portrays historical and contemporary personalities as well as fictional characters engaging in vicious yet hilarious rap battles.

BY EKİN GÜNEŞ ÖZAKTAŞ

The Age of Exploration, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment (or the Age of Reason) were arguably the periods most important in shaping the political and social structures and ideas of the modern world. The 10-minute-long lecture “Age of Exploration” by Tom Richey provides a brief overview, from which you’ll learn a bit more than the usual list of names and ship routes. Then move on to “History of Ideas: The Renaissance” from The School of Life channel, which covers not only the history of ideas, but also philosophy and literature, as well as other topics. This episode goes beyond the surface explanations found in most sources to elaborate upon the dynamics of this period. For example, it explains why wealthy patrons supported artists. An overview of the Enlightenment can be found in “All About the Enlightenment: The Age of Reason” by A.H.S. Chavez. All of these developments ultimately led to the French Revolution, which you can learn about in detail by watching “The French Revolution History Channel” posted by Fault of the Stars. (Searching for “History Channel” on YouTube will lead you to a variety of other excellent documentaries.) If this highly informative documentary is too long for you, for the time being satisfy yourself with the “The French Revolution” video on the CrashCourse channel.

While CrashCourse, managed by author John Green, covers many subjects, its World History playlist is especially recommendable. Consisting of just over forty episodes of approximately ten minutes each, it begins with “The Agricultural Revolution” and ends with topics such as “The Cold War,” “Decolonization” and “Globalization.” The videos consist mostly of John Green talking, but there are animated segments as well. He’s quite witty, and each video has many components, such as the Open Letter section and the Thought Bubble, that add diversity to the content. The videos themselves aren’t detailed enough for those with a serious interest in history, but give a sufficient overview while being humorous. Due to the broad variety of subject matter, it’s possible to find content you can’t on other channels. If someone said to me, “I don’t have time for all of the videos mentioned in your column, so which one would you recommend the most?” I would recommend this, the World History playlist on CrashCourse. After that, you might want to look at further titles, such as “Conflict in Israel and Palestine” or “War & Human Nature.” This channel also has an excellent Government and Politics playlist.

A few additional history channels are worth mentioning, such as Feature History. The animations in their videos are less cartoon-like than those of CrashCourse, but the narration is humorous while delivering key points. It covers less conventional subjects; for instance, watch “Feature History: Emu War” for the “war” between the Australian Army and the emus, or “Feature History: History of the Duel.” We can also mention The Armchair Historian, with titles such as “How Did Napoleon Lose in Russia?” and “How did Britain Conquer India?” The channel Suibhne features animations on the histories of individual countries, for instance, the “Animated History of Spain.” Finally, you might want to check out the Wendover Productions videos on “China’s Geography Problem” and “India’s Geography Problem” to appreciate an important determinant for these two countries, whose future role is much speculated on.

Richard Bulliet, in the introductory lecture to his Columbia University “History of the World” course, explains the politics behind the establishment of a world history curriculum in the United States. When the dominance of American and European history in curricula was challenged, it led to politically charged discussion of what should be taught as world history, and how it should be taught. As an active participant in the process and an author, Bulliet sheds light on why the teaching of history, more than any other subject, is such a sensitive issue. It’s very interesting to compare this discussion with the issues surrounding the development of history curricula around the world.

DW Documentary is a German channel with English documentaries on YouTube. Here you’ll find the series “The Germans,” describing the events taking place in the region we now know as Germany, from roughly 800 CE to the late 1800s. The goal is to educate people on the formation of the German identity and how Germany developed through the ages, eventually becoming a unified country through the efforts of Otto von Bismarck. Episodes include those about famous Holy Roman Emperors, the Protestant Reformation, Prussian military campaigns and the unification of Germany. They focus a bit too much on great leaders, castles, palaces and military campaigns; it would have given better perspective to be able to see what ordinary life was like as well. Also, there might be some amount of German bias and, interestingly, it seems they avoided the World Wars. If you want a taste, you can watch “The Germans: Bismarck and the German Empire.”

You can watch an animation of the map of Europe over the past 2,400 years in “The Rulers of Europe: Every Year,” which, as its name implies, not only shows how the borders change through time, but also displays the names of the rulers governing each territory. For instance, you can follow the shifting borders of the Ottoman Empire and the succession of its rulers
If you’re looking for something even lighter to recommend to a younger sibling or relative, a good option may be Timeblazers, a Canadian TV series, many of whose episodes can be found on YouTube. The protagonists Sam and Jen take on all kinds of roles and enact historical events with a humor that appeals to younger audiences. Don’t be embarrassed to watch it yourself, but don’t have high expectations.

BY EKİN GÜNEŞ ÖZAKTAŞ

The title of this column implies that history has a heavier side as well – the side that we mostly confront in elementary through high school. History is a fascinating subject. It contains most of the elements of absorbing fiction – adventure, suspense, intrigue, mystery, interesting personalities, a social setting – with the difference that it is real. It is hard to understand how anyone can not enjoy history, but the way it is taught at school leaves us with a sense of dread, and many continue through life considering history to be one of those things they are just not interested in. The goal of this column is to help eliminate that dread by reviewing historical content that will hopefully be found interesting and entertaining.
A place to start may be David Christian’s TED talk “The History of Our World in 18 Minutes,” for an account of the natural history of the world starting with the Big Bang. If you prefer the history of civilization to natural history, consider watching Eric Cline’s “1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed,” which is about the Late Bronze Age, the time of the Hittites and their contemporaries. The parallels with the present day are striking. The many civilizations of the region are shown to have had a high degree of interaction compared to other periods, mirroring today’s globalized world. But these civilizations collapsed during the period in question, entering a dark age, meaning that there was a failure of administrative organization and the economy, and population decline, due to a combination of droughts, famine, climate change, invasions, rebellions and earthquakes, made worse by a domino effect resulting from the significant degree of interdependence among the several civilizations. Cline argues that similar conditions exist today as well, implying that civilizational collapse is potentially imminent. If you do not have over an hour to watch this video, look for “The Bronze Age Collapse,” a part of the YouTube series “Extra History.” These videos excellently explain how the many parts of complex civilizations are dependent on each other, and how fragile these systems are, to the point that if even one part fails, the aforementioned domino effect proceeds to bring down everything. Having mentioned the Hittites, an excellent documentary on them is to be found on the site topdocumentaryfilms.com. While at the site, consider looking through the history section for other titles, such as “The Great Plague” and “Harem,” the latter providing insight into the role of women in Ottoman politics from Hürrem Sultan to Kösem Sultan.
The “Extra History” series is a part of the popular YouTube channel “Extra Credits.” Its creators produce various series of videos explaining historical events or periods, typically four to five episodes per topic, most under 10 minutes. Taking a look at the topics, we see they cover a wide range, from the Crusades to the Hawaiian king Kamehameha the Great. The animated and narrated videos offer a very colorful and entertaining experience, and it is hard to stop watching them once you start. For instance, everyone has heard about the Crusades, but maybe you want to learn more. Start with “The First Crusade” video and continue from there. Among other things, it is explained in simple terms how the Crusades were not so much about religion as they were about political power in Europe. Or maybe you know that Simon Bolivar is a very important figure in South American history, but never quite understood exactly what he accomplished (and what he did not). The “Extra History” episode on “Simon Bolivar” allows you to compare and contrast his quest for independence with that of other nation builders, and to learn about the tragic downfall that followed his accomplishments. The various individual series within the overall series do not cover every area of history one might wish to see, but those that do exist show considerable attention to detail and are quite witty. However, the videos consist mainly of descriptions and explanations of events, with limited attention given to analysis and discussion of the many connections between events that form the essence of what history has to teach us.
The YouTube channel “Kings and Generals” looks at famous battles or conquests throughout history, together with the political and diplomatic contexts existing before and after the battles. The focus is mainly on the battles themselves: the middle portions of the videos illustrate, through animated maps, how various troops and regiments moved on the battlefield during major battles of history and the details of the strategies involved. If you grew up in Turkey, you surely know about the “Battle of Manzikert [Malazgirt] 1071,” considered the critical step in establishing Asia Minor as the Turkish homeland, and the “Fall of Constantinople 1453,” whose military details you can learn on this channel, along with those of countless other well-known battles of history. There is extensive explanation of how the battle in question came to occur, as well as its aftermath. As such, “Kings and Generals” is more analytical than many other history channels. However, economic and social factors are more or less overlooked, resulting in a one-sided approach.
And then there are the “Alternate History” videos. These start with a map of some part (or all) of the world at a given date in the past. Starting from that date, the creator of the video speculatively outlines wars, treaties, diplomacy and other events involving various countries, leading to an alternative unfolding of historical events. These videos are not really about history, and the quality varies greatly from channel to channel. An example is the “Alternate History of Europe” series on the channel “Imperial Mapping.”
To conclude on an even lighter tone, I must also mention the kids’ show “Horrible Histories.” According to the Guardian (March 17, 2011), the show has attracted a considerable audience of adults as well.