Historical negationism

Historical negationism, also known as historical denialism, involves falsifying, trivializing, or distorting what actually happened in the past. This should not be confused with historical revisionism, which is a legitimate academic practice where historians reinterpret events based on new evidence or fresh reasoning. Negationism is a form of illegitimate revisionism that relies on tactics unacceptable in proper historical work. These tactics include using known forgeries as if they were real, inventing far-fetched reasons to reject authentic documents, twisting statistical data to fit a narrative, and deliberately mistranslating texts. Common examples of negationism are the Lost Cause of the Confederacy, the myth of a clean Wehrmacht, and denials of the Holocaust, the Nakba, the Holodomor, the Armenian genocide, and the Nanjing Massacre.

The term "negationism" (négationnisme) was first coined by French historian Henry Rousso in his 1987 book The Vichy Syndrome, which examined how France remembered the Vichy regime and the Resistance. Rousso argued that it was essential to separate legitimate historical revisionism in Holocaust studies from politically motivated denial, which he labeled negationism.

The usual goal of historical negation is to serve tribal or ideological beliefs, demonize an opponent, reinforce group identity, or strengthen social bonds. This often involves motivated reasoning and a refusal to accept established facts. Negationist history primarily functions to control ideological and political influence. Because history shapes national identity, culture, and public memory, rewriting it allows negationists to craft a specific ideological identity. By exploiting the credibility that professional historians earn through the pursuit of truth, negationists present their pseudohistory as genuine scholarship, making their ideas more easily accepted by the public. Professional historians recognize this as the work of "truth-seekers" who find different truths to fit their own political, social, or ideological contexts.

History also offers insight into past policies and their consequences, helping people understand contemporary politics. Negationism is used to build a specific political myth, sometimes with official government approval.