Welcome to historical thinking, the lenses that historians use when examining history.
The visual component that I have created to explain these lenses to you is a learning poster. Through QR codes in the poster below, you are linked to other posters I have made that explain the 6 Key Historical Thinking Concepts. Don’t be intimidated by the links that the QR codes will send you to, they are just imagebin links, not a virus, I promise.
(Click on the image below to enlarge it to its full size if needed)
Following my visual explanation, I have applied the 6 Key Historical Thinking Concepts to my specific historical event, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.
Backstory: Archduke Ferdinand was the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne in 1914 when he was assassinated in the streets along with his wife. A secret society called the ‘Black Hand’ was responsible for the murders and their plan was to break off Austria-Hungary’s South Slav provinces so they could be combined into a Yugoslavia. The assassination is most notable for being the direct catalyst to the start of World War One.
Historical Significance: The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand is something that should be remembered because it is significant to history. When we answer the three key questions of Historical Significance we can see this being true. 1) How notable was the event at the time? In 1914 the assassination sent violent shocks through Serbia, Austria, Hungary and sent waves of fear throughout all of Europe. The fragile state of those three countries was pushed past the edge and Europe knew of the possible consequences. 2) How widespread and lasting were the consequences? World War One lasted four years and was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 37 million people, one of the deadliest human conflicts in history. 3) Has the event become symbolic of key historical issues or trends? Yes, the conflicts between Serbia, Austria and Hungary are fully symbolized in the bloody and violent murder of Archduke Ferdinand. The assassination represents the pinnacle of the conflicts.
Evidence and Interpretation: The murder of Archduke Ferdinand can be interpreted through the newspapers of the time. Newspapers such as the New York Times are unaffected by European bias and we can see how the world saw it back then. If we answer the three key questions we can see if the evidence is adequate to support the conclusion reached. 1) Can we trust the information? Yes, we can, the New York Times has a history of being trustworthy plus the minimal European bias helps create credibility. 2) Do the sources provide relevant information? Yes, we can assume the article is relevant and detailed. 3) Does the evidence support the Interpretation offered? The interpretation of the events given by the New York Times would be supported by evidence and facts to maintain credibility.
Continuity and Change: The lives and conditions of Europeans from pre Archduke Ferdinand assignation to after World War One show great change with some remaining continuity. When we answer the five key change and continuity questions we can the degree of difference. 1) How have things stayed the same? The surviving families and towns went back to life after the war with work continuing and life going On. 2) How have things changed? With the loss of so many millions of lives and the destruction of entire city’s, Europe was changed forever. 3) Were the continuities and changes positive or negative? The majority of changes caused by the World War One period were negatively related to the death and destruction but some positive outcomes like advanced technology, an improved acceptance of women and the creation of the League of Nations. 4) How rapid or slow were the changes? 37 million deaths and complete European chaos in four years is a very fast change. 5) Did any of the changes mark turning points in the course of history? The entire World War One saga is one of the largest and most iconic turning points in the history, humans today study World War One because of its massive importance.
Cause and Consequence: The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand has notable causes and even more critical consequences. To see the true importance of the assassination on a historical scale we evaluate the causes and consequence by answering the three key questions. 1) What was the range of factors that contributed to the event? There was a wide range of complicate political factors that combined to push the Black Hand. These politics spread across countries, millions of people and spanned many years. 2) Would this event have happened if these factors hadn’t of occurred? Yes, many historians believe that World War One still would have occurred because of Germany’s drive for power and other political discrepancies. 3) What were the intended and unintended consequences of the event? The indented consequences were to put to rest political disagreements and fighting and have a power ultimately come out on top while the unintended consequences were millions of civilian deaths and the complete levelling of many towns and city’s across Europe.
Historical Perspective: When people from modern days look back at the assassination which took place in 1914, our views are skewed by our modern values. By following the three key steps of Historical perspective we can fairly assess the people, events and practices. 1) Consider what you know from a present perspective. We know Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 and that in the following months World War One started. 2) Identify the values and beliefs of when the event took place. This process is lengthy and takes time, we can identify that the values of the Members of Hungary, Serbia and Austria to be ones rooted in individualism and the desire to be separate from one another. 3) Determine whether your views of the past were influenced by your present perspective. We can determine that our present perspective has not influenced our understanding of this small piece of the larger picture because the Black Hands plan was to break off Austria-Hungary’s South Slav provinces so they could be combined into a Yugoslavia.
Ethical Judgement: When considering the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand historians try to evaluate whether is what happened right and fair. The assassination of anyone and their wife is ethically wrong and most would agree on that. When assessing an event like this from history we can answer the two key Ethical Judgement Questions to affirm or conflict with our settling judgment. 1) Are pre concluded ethical judgements included in the historical accounts you are studying? When reading newspapers we can assume that articles from pro-Black Hand groups would have made pre concluded ethical judgements on the assassination that take away from the grave deaths. 2) if so are these pre-concluded ethical judgements reasonable or justified? No, biased and/or opinionated ethical judgements are less credible than the ones from a neutral or ethically balanced organization.
To conclude. This portfolio post is a demonstration of my understanding of the last week’s combined work. I watched everyone’s presentations attentively and took notes a fast as I could. I feel as if I could be questioned about all 6 Key Historical Thinking Concepts with confidence in my self to answer.