History Uncovered
Myths die hard, and the history of the 20th century is no exception to this rule. Even today, we hold popular beliefs that we take for Evangelical truths. Thus, we believe that Hiroshima caused Japan to surrender, that the Marshall Plan saved Europe, that Adolf Hitler was a military genius, or that Mao Zedong was a necessary evil for China’s modernization. Of course, these judgements contain some truth; but, too broad-stroked to be accurate, they contradict the historical reality by denying its complexity. What if the truth was slightly different? Through an exploration of great national or international myths, this full archive documentary collection revisits the key moments of the 20th century with a new perspective in order to provide a new, smarter and more subtle interpretation, bringing elements to light that have been forgotten or sometimes overshadowed.
Overview
Myths die hard, and the history of the 20th century is no exception to this rule. Even today, we hold popular beliefs that we take for Evangelical truths. Thus, we believe that Hiroshima caused Japan to surrender, that the Marshall Plan saved Europe, that Adolf Hitler was a military genius, or that Mao Zedong was a necessary evil for China’s modernization. Of course, these judgements contain some truth; but, too broad-stroked to be accurate, they contradict the historical reality by denying its complexity. What if the truth was slightly different? Through an exploration of great national or international myths, this full archive documentary collection revisits the key moments of the 20th century with a new perspective in order to provide a new, smarter and more subtle interpretation, bringing elements to light that have been forgotten or sometimes overshadowed.
Episodes
1. Hitler, the art of defeat
In the catalogue of common beliefs about World War II, the idea that Hitler was a military genius has endured. He is believed to have conquered and subjected to his authority nearly all of Continental Europe. But this is, in fact, a myth.
2. The Marshall Plan Saved America
It's long been without doubt: the Marshall Plan saved Europe from the misery and chaos instilled by World War II. But this is, in fact, a myth. Many specialists have long questioned its utility.
3. Hiroshima, Stalin's Defeat
For most of our contemporaries, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the reason for Japan's surrender. But while this notion may not be entirely incorrect, it omits the role of a key player in winding down the Second World War: the Red Army.
