"he or she will take the facts available and apply their own moral judgements to them - extremist right wingers"
Don't think so Jom, but no doubt you will give us all examples of such moral judgements being applied – It must be a singular delight http://mudcat.org/blickifier.cfmto you Jom that the only historians guilty of this despicable practice happen to be extremist right wingers
Now where and when did either Keith A or myself say there was nothing wrong with sacrificing millions of young lives? And it is not the job of any historian to make moral judgements, if they do they are extremely poor historians.
I do believe that in 1839 when the Treaty of London was signed guaranteeing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belgium they did not have an Empire. I take it that you object equally to British assistance given to the Soviet Union in 1941 after they had been invaded – as far an evil empire went they 'd knock Belgium's atrocities in the Congo into a cocked hat after all King Leopold killed 10 million, Stalin's tally amounted to five times that number.
In August 1914 young men did not have to be persuaded to join up – you like undisputed historical facts don't you Jom – Well here's one, between the outbreak of war and the end of the year over 1.2 million men volunteered to serve in the British Armed Forces – no persuasion required.
"What was happening in the Belgian Congo was well known through Mark Twain's book and was ignored by the "civilised" world - massacres on that scale are indefensible."
Ignored?? Ever heard of Roger Casement (Mark Twain was the only one to write reports about what was happening in the Congo) he was the British Consul in the Congo:
"The Casement Report was a document of 1904 written by the British diplomat Roger Casement (1864–1916), detailing abuses in the Congo Free State which was under the private ownership of King Leopold II of Belgium. This report was instrumental in Leopold finally relinquishing his private holdings in Africa.
Liked this bit of nonsense Jom:
"Actually there was an alternative - that which the Russian people took and the 1916 revolutionaries in Ireland aimed for and partially achieved - for the people who were forced to do the fighting to refuse to do so - that's what the Communist International called for when they declared the war an Imperial one."
Well that one worked out well for the Russians didn't it. How many were killed in the First World War? How many were murdered by Lenin and Stalin? Irish aims only partially achieved? The men called to take part in the Easter Rising were deliberately lied to and sacrificed like lambs to the slaughter – but oddly enough you find nothing wrong with any of that – makes you a bit of a hypocrite doesn't it?
You might be discussing the rights and wrongs of the First World War today – Don't think anyone else is – after to do that would be absolutely pointless and stupid, besides the thread happens to be about a concert.
"You are saying TODAY that the war was well led and justified - I am saying that it was not."
Not wishing to point out the obvious Jom but I can only state today that I think in general that during the First World War the British Army was well led as I could hardly have done it at the time as I hadn't been born.
By the way Jom who is justifying "atrocities"? In the past things happened, today I can do absolutely nothing about them and as I had no part in them I am not going to spend a lifetime in sack-cloth and ashes, as for:
< i>"We judge these things by today's standards - at least us non-jingoists do."
In which case you're a f**kin idiot.
"fortunately for us the Germans on the western front made most of them."
Yes and guess what Jom if Falkenhayn had been as incompetent as Haig in 1916 then the Germans might have won the war. Why do you keep banging on about the first day of the Battle of the Somme what about the other 1,560 days.
Ah "wrong ammo being sent" back to that myth Jom - by all means go into it and you will be made a complete and utter fool of again.
"As long as the Germans sacrificed more young men our cock-ups don't count - is that what you're saying?"
More complete and utter nonsense – we learned from our cock-ups – the Germans didn't learn from theirs.
As far as a grip on reality and knowledge related to the First World War I think that I am streets ahead of you. You honestly do not have a f**kin clue what you are yammering on about,and you prove it with every post to this thread.