Lies they teach you in HIstory class

[PatientGrasshopper]

I am trying to compile a list of lies or misinformation they teach you in History class. So far this doesn't even apply to current events which would make this list far more interesting. Do you have any you think you want to add or any rebuttals. Also note for those in other countries, this is written from an American perspective.
Lie #1
Communism and Fascism are opposites. The truth is they are both totalitarian governments run by dictators who oppose individuality. In fact the Nazis were the National Socialist German Worker'S Party.
Lie #2
Europe was better under Stalin than Hitler. The fact is Stalin was responsible for more deaths in Europe than Hitler was.
Lie #3
Inflation is a natural process of the Economy. The truth is inflation can be avoided or at the very least minimized if the Government didn't continue to over mint money and if we actually had money that was backed by something.
Lie #4
The civil war was fought primarily over slavery. The fact is, although slavery was on issue,the main one was state's rights vs. Federal power. If the main focus was slavery than states like Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri would have joined the South, they had slaves and were Northern states, and additionally the Emancipation Proclamation didn't apply to them.

 

[Cama Zots]

Lie #5
The Pilgrims didn't actually pull themselves up by their boot straps. The stole from native american grave sites and also stole their food. There was not much hard work on their part the first year, at least not in the way we were told. Many of them did die in the first year.
Lie #6
The USA didn't defeat Soviet Russia. Reports were issued by economists and professors to the US gov in the 1960's that communism, the way it was set up in Russia, would collapse on its own, either that or be seriously and radically altered, in the next 20 years.

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Here's another.
World War one didn't end until 1919.
which also throws out the 'fact' that 1919 was supposed to be the only year when there wasn't a war :|

 

[lostclause]

Umm, Lie one is wrong. They are left and right wing, they're just opposite in names and methods. Just because they have a couple of similarities doesn't mean they're not opposites (for example they're both governments!) Edit: If you don't agree with this comment please read the elaboration further down before commenting.
Lie two is also wrong. Europe was under soviet yoke for longer than just stalin, and even so 'better' is not something that can be measured in body counts. Also you're forgetting perspective, it was better for say Jews bacuase just about anything was better than the nazi's.
I was never taught 3 or 4 so I'll keep quiet on them.

 

[lostclause]

Here's another.
World War one didn't end until 1919.
which also throws out the 'fact' that 1919 was supposed to be the only year when there wasn't a war :|

That's not quite true. The treaty of Versailles didn't come into effect until 1/1/1919 true, but Germany had already surrendered on 11/11/1918 (technically an armistice but really a surrender)

 

[A random person]

I think I was taught that Hiroshima was a military base and not a civilian city.

 

[Kilaknux]

Richard the Third probably wasn't the man who killed the princes in the tower. He was also a fairly good and competant king, as opposed to the monster with zero-percent approval.

 

[CouchCommando]

Japans sneak attack at pearl harbour, the US govt had already cracked the Japanese embassies code, and new what the ambassador was going to deliver a declaration of war, on the day of an attack, so Roosevelt had him stood up in the waiting room out side his office for 6 hours!! until confirmation of the attack came thru, he then railled against their cowardly undeclared attack.

 

[Awesometown]

I am trying to compile a list of lies or misinformation they teach you in History class. So far this doesn't even apply to current events which would make this list far more interesting. Do you have any you think you want to add or any rebuttals. Also note for those in other countries, this is written from an American perspective.
Lie #1
Communism and Fascism are opposites. The truth is they are both totalitarian governments run by dictators who oppose individuality. In fact the Nazis were the National Socialist German Worker'S Party.
Lie #2
Europe was better under Stalin than Hitler. The fact is Stalin was responsible for more deaths in Europe than Hitler was.
Lie #3
Inflation is a natural process of the Economy. The truth is inflation can be avoided or at the very least minimized if the Government didn't continue to over mint money and if we actually had money that was backed by something.
Lie #4
The civil war was fought primarily over slavery. The fact is, although slavery was on issue,the main one was state's rights vs. Federal power. If the main focus was slavery than states like Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri would have joined the South, they had slaves and were Northern states, and additionally the Emancipation Proclamation didn't apply to them.

Stalin was in power longer than hitler and he controlled more land than him

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Here's another.
World War one didn't end until 1919.
which also throws out the 'fact' that 1919 was supposed to be the only year when there wasn't a war :|

That's not quite true. The treaty of Versailles didn't come into effect until 1/1/1919 true, but Germany had already surrendered on 11/11/1918 (technically an armistice but really a surrender)

That's not what I meant.
which means it's still a well concealed lie

 

[PatientGrasshopper]

Lie #5
The Pilgrims didn't actually pull themselves up by their boot straps. The stole from native american grave sites and also stole their food. There was not much hard work on their part the first year, at least not in the way we were told. Many of them did die in the first year.
Lie #6
The USA didn't defeat Soviet Russia. Reports were issued by economists and professors to the US gov in the 1960's that communism, the way it was set up in Russia, would collapse on its own, either that or be seriously and radically altered, in the next 20 years.

Yea also to add on to the pilgrims thing, it is often implied that the Mayflower was the first European ship of settlers, but this is not true. In fact some of my ancestors come from Jamestown which preceded the the landing of the Mayflower by over 10y ears.
The Russian thing is interesting, I didn't know that exactly but it did seem a bit weird the we we were said to have defeated them.

Here's another.
World War one didn't end until 1919.
which also throws out the 'fact' that 1919 was supposed to be the only year when there wasn't a war :|

Yea, I think I remember something about that. Also,in the US we claim that WWII started in 1941 when Europe puts the date at 1939,while Hitler gained power even before that.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Lie #7
The Pilgrims were fleeing a land of religious persecution (England) to establish a land of religious freedom and tolerance.

Yeah, hanging and crushing people to death for being 'witches' is really tolerant.

 

[Anarchy In Detroit]

I am trying to compile a list of lies or misinformation they teach you in History class. So far this doesn't even apply to current events which would make this list far more interesting. Do you have any you think you want to add or any rebuttals. Also note for those in other countries, this is written from an American perspective.
Lie #1
Communism and Fascism are opposites. The truth is they are both totalitarian governments run by dictators who oppose individuality. In fact the Nazis were the National Socialist German Worker'S Party.
Lie #2
Europe was better under Stalin than Hitler. The fact is Stalin was responsible for more deaths in Europe than Hitler was.
Lie #3
Inflation is a natural process of the Economy. The truth is inflation can be avoided or at the very least minimized if the Government didn't continue to over mint money and if we actually had money that was backed by something.
Lie #4
The civil war was fought primarily over slavery. The fact is, although slavery was on issue,the main one was state's rights vs. Federal power. If the main focus was slavery than states like Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri would have joined the South, they had slaves and were Northern states, and additionally the Emancipation Proclamation didn't apply to them.

Firstly, equating socialism to communism, and also to fascism is retarded. If that assertion was true, do you really think Europe would still have socialist governments? The truth is that there never has been a truly by the letter communist state, and even if there was it would suck. The Nazis were socialist in the same way that many African countries are democratic republics... you know, with military dictators. How then do you account for the corporations that did quite well under the Nazis? Socialism? You are correct in saying fascism is not the opposite of communism. It is indeed it's own beast away from the normal political spectrum. It has come and gone under many names and "ideologies" but in the end it always characterized by being an authoritarian military state with one hell of an attitude problem.

 

[lostclause]

Here's another.
World War one didn't end until 1919.
which also throws out the 'fact' that 1919 was supposed to be the only year when there wasn't a war :|

Yea, I think I remember something about that. Also,in the US we claim that WWII started in 1941 when Europe puts the date at 1939,while Hitler gained power even before that.

Have you been to a history class? 41 was when the US joined the war, not when it started. It started in 39 when Britain declared war on Germany after they invaded Poland. Hitler gaining power was not the beginning of WW2, he was elected long before (33 as I've been informed)

 

[PatientGrasshopper]

Umm, Lie one is wrong. They are left and right wing, they're just opposite in names and methods. Just because they have a couple of similarities doesn't mean they're not opposites (for example they're both governments!)
Lie two is also wrong. Europe was under soviet yoke for longer than just stalin, and even so 'better' is not something that can be measured in body counts. Also you're forgetting perspective, it was better for say Jews bacuase just about anything was better than the nazi's.
I was never taught 3 or 4 so I'll keep quiet on them.

The opposite of Communism is Anarchy, the political spectrum is not exactly linear. Also, why were the Nazis the National "Socialist" Party.
How would you define better?

I think I was taught that Hiroshima was a military base and not a civilian city.

I don't think I was taught this particular lie, but even so many people still felt it as the right thing to do to bomb them, at the time though even Eisenhower was against it.

Japans sneak attack at pearl harbour, the US govt had already cracked the Japanese embassies code, and new what the ambassador was going to deliver a declaration of war, on the day of an attack, so Roosevelt had him stood up in the waiting room out side his office for 6 hours!! until confirmation of the attack came thru, he then railled against their cowardly undeclared attack.

Yes, and hat about the fact that all the ship were all clumped together. I mean come on anyone who ha played battleship knows that is a bad idea. (That last part was a joke)

 

[systhicsfg]

Here's another.
World War one didn't end until 1919.
which also throws out the 'fact' that 1919 was supposed to be the only year when there wasn't a war :|

Yea, I think I remember something about that. Also,in the US we claim that WWII started in 1941 when Europe puts the date at 1939,while Hitler gained power even before that.

Have you been to a history class? 41 was when the US joined the war, not when it started. It started in 39 when Britain declared war on Germany after they invaded Poland. Hitler gaining power was not the beginning of WW2, he was elected long before (31 but I could easily be wrong about that)

'33. And theoretical fascism and communism are opposites, but rarely in practice.
And does it really matter whether Hiroshima was military or not? Was Dresden? Was London? Was Tokyo?

 

[Srkkl]

Also,in the US we claim that WWII started in 1941 when Europe puts the date at 1939,while Hitler gained power even before that.

I'm pretty sure you heard it wrong. Maybe wherever you got that it said that the U.S. got involved in WWII 1941.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Umm, Lie one is wrong. They are left and right wing, they're just opposite in names and methods. Just because they have a couple of similarities doesn't mean they're not opposites (for example they're both governments!)
Lie two is also wrong. Europe was under soviet yoke for longer than just stalin, and even so 'better' is not something that can be measured in body counts. Also you're forgetting perspective, it was better for say Jews bacuase just about anything was better than the nazi's.
I was never taught 3 or 4 so I'll keep quiet on them.

The opposite of Communism is Anarchy, the political spectrum is not exactly linear.

Communism and Anarchy are almost the same thing...