Comments on: Fact: the Siege of Leningrad http://www.historynet.com/fact-the-siege-of-leningrad.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Sat, 18 May 2013 21:56:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Derek Weese http://www.historynet.com/fact-the-siege-of-leningrad.htm#comment-779292 Derek Weese Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:16:39 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13684419#comment-779292 I think it's fairly easy if one isn't a post-modernist historian or someone who believes in the 'post-modern' view of anything at all (as I am) to over-react when you read stories such as this. I come from a military family, a long tradition of service to the country going back to the War for Independence (ironically, both sides) as well as the Civil War (also both sides). As a consequence, having been steeped in the traditions of the military and the respect, admiration and even fierce love I have for it though I myself am not a soldier (they tend to frown on blood sugar disorder kids in uniform...) I am very passionate about military history. So passionate, that I can open my mouth and think later (ready, fire, aim...) when it comes to debates with other historians of a more cultural or social bent. I envy you in your ability to remain calm and well reasoned in discussing this especially in light of the fact that it is merely a discussion and there's no sense in causing bitter feelings amongst fellow historians over disagreements on perspective. But reality as you have been writing about is not perspective. It is, well, reality. It's real. The computer I am sitting at is real. I am real, I trust you are real. The warmth of a wife or a girlfriends around someone is real. As is the sound of a child's laughter resonating down the halls of a house. And also so is the Siege of Leningrad. In Normandy, sometime in July, a company of US Armor was ambushed by a platoon of German panzers. The US company was all but wiped out, every single tank was destroyed and almost half the crew were killed or wounded; among them my Great-Uncle. He was a real person. His Sherman tank was a real thing, as was whatever it was that took his life. He was alive before the ambush, he had hopes dreams and friends who loved him in his unit. After the ambush was over he was no more. That was real, my Great-Uncle was a real person. And he really did die in Normandy. I think it's important to point out too (I think you did in the last article) that WWII was a war that HAD to be fought. The Nazi's were evil, and despite the fact that a post-modernist doesn't like the concept of good or evil let alone objective truth, it was a reality that the Nazi's were evil and it took a very long, intensely bloody war to defeat them. I trust everyone agrees that it was worth the effort and loss to do so. I am a young man (31) and still in college hoping to follow in your footsteps. But because of my background I am even more biased against cultural and social history as, for the most part, military history was not decided by cultural shifts or social phenomena but rather by individual people making hard decisions that truly shaped history and the culture on the basis of their decisions and the consequences thereof. Mostly I agree with Russel F. Weigley in his forward to 'Eisenhower's Lieutenants' when he states that he is disturbed by the 'new military history' not in that it sheds light on the voices previously unheard, but rather in that it takes the military out of the history and allows one to forget that history is not inevitable that we humans truly are in charge of our own fates. Also, I shouldn't say certain things in the heat of unreasoned emotion concerning those fellow historians who disagree with me. I can learn how to do that from a historian such as yourself. Thanks for the posts Dr. Citino and thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings. I think it's fairly easy if one isn't a post-modernist historian or someone who believes in the 'post-modern' view of anything at all (as I am) to over-react when you read stories such as this. I come from a military family, a long tradition of service to the country going back to the War for Independence (ironically, both sides) as well as the Civil War (also both sides). As a consequence, having been steeped in the traditions of the military and the respect, admiration and even fierce love I have for it though I myself am not a soldier (they tend to frown on blood sugar disorder kids in uniform…) I am very passionate about military history. So passionate, that I can open my mouth and think later (ready, fire, aim…) when it comes to debates with other historians of a more cultural or social bent.
I envy you in your ability to remain calm and well reasoned in discussing this especially in light of the fact that it is merely a discussion and there's no sense in causing bitter feelings amongst fellow historians over disagreements on perspective. But reality as you have been writing about is not perspective. It is, well, reality. It's real. The computer I am sitting at is real. I am real, I trust you are real. The warmth of a wife or a girlfriends around someone is real. As is the sound of a child's laughter resonating down the halls of a house. And also so is the Siege of Leningrad. In Normandy, sometime in July, a company of US Armor was ambushed by a platoon of German panzers. The US company was all but wiped out, every single tank was destroyed and almost half the crew were killed or wounded; among them my Great-Uncle. He was a real person. His Sherman tank was a real thing, as was whatever it was that took his life. He was alive before the ambush, he had hopes dreams and friends who loved him in his unit. After the ambush was over he was no more. That was real, my Great-Uncle was a real person. And he really did die in Normandy.
I think it's important to point out too (I think you did in the last article) that WWII was a war that HAD to be fought. The Nazi's were evil, and despite the fact that a post-modernist doesn't like the concept of good or evil let alone objective truth, it was a reality that the Nazi's were evil and it took a very long, intensely bloody war to defeat them. I trust everyone agrees that it was worth the effort and loss to do so.
I am a young man (31) and still in college hoping to follow in your footsteps. But because of my background I am even more biased against cultural and social history as, for the most part, military history was not decided by cultural shifts or social phenomena but rather by individual people making hard decisions that truly shaped history and the culture on the basis of their decisions and the consequences thereof. Mostly I agree with Russel F. Weigley in his forward to 'Eisenhower's Lieutenants' when he states that he is disturbed by the 'new military history' not in that it sheds light on the voices previously unheard, but rather in that it takes the military out of the history and allows one to forget that history is not inevitable that we humans truly are in charge of our own fates. Also, I shouldn't say certain things in the heat of unreasoned emotion concerning those fellow historians who disagree with me.
I can learn how to do that from a historian such as yourself. Thanks for the posts Dr. Citino and thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings.

]]> By: Rob Citino http://www.historynet.com/fact-the-siege-of-leningrad.htm#comment-779111 Rob Citino Sat, 08 Oct 2011 20:47:13 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13684419#comment-779111 Harrison Salisbury's The 900 Days is a great book, Mike H! Highly recommended. You can find it linked here: http://www.amazon.com/900-Days-Siege-Leningrad/dp/0306812983 Harrison Salisbury's The 900 Days is a great book, Mike H! Highly recommended. You can find it linked here:

http://www.amazon.com/900-Days-Siege-Leningrad/dp/0306812983

]]> By: Mike H. http://www.historynet.com/fact-the-siege-of-leningrad.htm#comment-779094 Mike H. Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:20:02 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13684419#comment-779094 Many years ago, I read a book called "The 900 Days" that conveyed the horror of the siege of Leningrad. Anna Reid's book looks like it might be a good read, and eye-opening to those who know little of the story of the "Ostfront". Thanks, Bob! Many years ago, I read a book called "The 900 Days" that conveyed the horror of the siege of Leningrad. Anna Reid's book looks like it might be a good read, and eye-opening to those who know little of the story of the "Ostfront". Thanks, Bob!

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