History can be written by the losers…

Fritz Fischer 1908 - 1999Fritz Fischer 1908 - 1999

Son of a railroad inspectorSon of a railroad inspector Educated at grammar schools and Educated at grammar schools and

University of BerlinUniversity of Berlin Member of Nazi Party 1939 – 1942Member of Nazi Party 1939 – 1942 Served in Wermacht in World War TwoServed in Wermacht in World War Two Released from prisoner of war camp Released from prisoner of war camp

19471947 Professor of History at University of Professor of History at University of

Hamburg 1947 - 1978Hamburg 1947 - 1978

Consensus on causes of Consensus on causes of World War One before World War One before FischerFischer

‘‘The nations slithered over the brink The nations slithered over the brink into the boiling cauldron of war’into the boiling cauldron of war’ (Lloyd George in his War Memoirs (Lloyd George in his War Memoirs 1934)1934)

Hitler and the Nazis were a Hitler and the Nazis were a betriebsunfall betriebsunfall (industrial accident): (industrial accident): Gerhard Ritter et al. Gerhard Ritter et al.

The Fischer ThesisThe Fischer Thesis

Griff nach der Griff nach der Weltmacht: Die Weltmacht: Die Kriegzielpolitiik des Kriegzielpolitiik des kaiserlichen kaiserlichen Deutschland 1914 – Deutschland 1914 – 1918 (1918 (loosely loosely translated astranslated as Germany’s aims in Germany’s aims in the First World War) the First World War) 19611961

Krieg der Illusionen Krieg der Illusionen (War of Illusions) (War of Illusions) 19691969

The Fischer ThesisThe Fischer Thesis

‘‘There can be no talk of any accidental There can be no talk of any accidental stumbling into war….(Germany’s) actions stumbling into war….(Germany’s) actions were not ruled by.…fateful tragedy, but were not ruled by.…fateful tragedy, but were a conscious political decision’.were a conscious political decision’.

Hitler and the Nazis were a natural Hitler and the Nazis were a natural product of German history whose roots product of German history whose roots can be traced back to 1870, if not earlier can be traced back to 1870, if not earlier (a negative interpretation of Germany’s (a negative interpretation of Germany’s sonderwegsonderweg))

Fischer, an ex-Nazi, German, member Fischer, an ex-Nazi, German, member of the establishment which had always of the establishment which had always claimed that WWI was a terrible claimed that WWI was a terrible accident, broke rank and claimed that accident, broke rank and claimed that in fact there was an unbroken line of in fact there was an unbroken line of continuity between WWI and WWII.continuity between WWI and WWII.

His argues that Germans were far His argues that Germans were far more to blame than was generally more to blame than was generally accepted.accepted.

He was subject to intimidation and He was subject to intimidation and vitriolic abuse.vitriolic abuse.

But crucially, his once-But crucially, his once-revisionist claims have now revisionist claims have now become the mainstream become the mainstream orthodoxy.orthodoxy.

What does this tell us about the What does this tell us about the value of historical inquiry?value of historical inquiry?

nature of historical truth?nature of historical truth?