Editing Historical revisionism (section)

{{Short description|Reinterpretation of a historical account}}
{{About|the reinterpretation of the historical record|the denial and distortion of the historical record|Historical negationism}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{excessive examples|date=September 2023}}

In [[historiography]], '''historical revisionism''' is the reinterpretation of a historical account.<ref>{{cite book| editor1-last = Krasner| editor1-first = Barbara| title = Historical Revisionism| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=N7jXDwAAQBAJ| series = Current Controversies| location = New York| publisher = Greenhaven Publishing LLC| date = 2019| page = 15| isbn = 9781534505384| access-date = April 4, 2020| quote = The ability to revise and update historical narrative – historical revisionism – is necessary, as historians must always review current theories and ensure they are supported by evidence. … Historical revisionism allows different (and often subjugated) perspectives to be heard and considered.| archive-date = March 23, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210323070736/https://books.google.com/books?id=N7jXDwAAQBAJ| url-status = live}}</ref> It usually involves challenging the [[wikt:orthodox|orthodox]] (established, accepted or traditional) scholarly views or narratives regarding a [[historical event]], timespan, or phenomenon by introducing contrary evidence or reinterpreting the motivations and decisions of the people involved. Revision of the [[historical record]] can reflect new discoveries of fact, evidence, and interpretation as they come to light. The process of historical revision is a common, necessary, and usually uncontroversial process which develops and refines the historical record to make it more complete and accurate.

One form of historical revisionism involves a reversal of older moral judgments. Revision in this fashion is a more controversial topic, and can include denial or distortion of the historical record yielding an illegitimate form of historical revisionism known as ''[[historical negationism]]'' (involving, for example, distrust of genuine documents or records or deliberate manipulation of statistical data to draw predetermined conclusions). This type of historical revisionism can present a re-interpretation of the moral meaning of the historical record.<ref name="Evans-145">[[Richard J. Evans|Evans, Richard J.]] (2001) ''Lying About Hitler: History, Holocaust, and the David Irving Trial''. p.145. {{ISBN|0-465-02153-0}}. The author is a professor of Modern History at the [[University of Cambridge]], and was a major [[expert witness]] in the ''[[Irving v. Lipstadt]]'' trial; the book presents his perspective of the trial, and the expert-witness report, including his research about the Dresden death count.</ref> Negationists use the term "revisionism" to portray their efforts as legitimate historical inquiry; this is especially the case when "revisionism" relates to [[Holocaust denial]].