Why might textbooks from different countries offer different versions of the same historical events? When textbooks offer conflicting accounts, how do you decide which textbook to believe?
Textbook A
Upset by the fast and astonishing growth of the power of the Republic, the American invaders hastened the preparation of an aggressive war in order to destroy it in its infancy....The American imperialists furiously carried out the war project in 1950....The American invaders who had been preparing the war for a long time, alongside their puppets, finally initiated the war on June 25th of the 39th year of the Juche calendar. That dawn, the enemies unexpectedly attacked the North half of the Republic, and the war clouds hung over the once peaceful country, accompanied by the echoing roar of cannons.
Having passed the 38th parallel, the enemies crawled deeper and deeper into the North half of the Republic...the invading forces of the enemies had to be eliminated and the threatened fate of our country and our people had to be saved.
Upset by the fast and astonishing growth of the power of the Republic, the American invaders hastened the preparation of an aggressive war in order to destroy it in its infancy....The American imperialists furiously carried out the war project in 1950....The American invaders who had been preparing the war for a long time, alongside their puppets, finally initiated the war on June 25th of the 39th year of the Juche calendar. That dawn, the enemies unexpectedly attacked the North half of the Republic, and the war clouds hung over the once peaceful country, accompanied by the echoing roar of cannons.
Having passed the 38th parallel, the enemies crawled deeper and deeper into the North half of the Republic...the invading forces of the enemies had to be eliminated and the threatened fate of our country and our people had to be saved.
Textbook B
When the overthrow of the South Korean government through social confusion became too difficult, the North Korean communists switched to a stick-and-carrot strategy: seeming to offer peaceful negotiations, they were instead analyzing the right moment of attack and preparing themselves for it.
The North Korean communists prepared themselves for war. Kim Il-sung
secretly visited the Soviet Union and was promised the alliance of the Soviets
and China in case of war. Finally, at dawn on June 25th, 1950 the North began
their southward aggression along the 38th parallel. Taken by surprise at these
unexpected attacks, the army of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) fought
courageously to defend the liberty of the country....The armed provocation of the
North Korean communists brought the UN Security Council around the table. A
decree denounced the North Korean military action as illegal and as a threat to
peace, and a decision was made to help the South. The UN army constituted the
armies of 16 countries—among them, the United States, Great Britain and
France—joined the South Korean forces in the battle against the North. When the overthrow of the South Korean government through social confusion became too difficult, the North Korean communists switched to a stick-and-carrot strategy: seeming to offer peaceful negotiations, they were instead analyzing the right moment of attack and preparing themselves for it.
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According to each textbook, how did the Korean War start?
Textbook A:
Textbook B:
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Which of these textbooks do you find more trustworthy? Why?
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Where else would you look in order to figure out how the Korean War
started?
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Which of these sources is for Textbook A and which is for Textbook B?
Kim, Doojin. Korean History: Senior High. (Seoul, South Korea: Dae HanTextbook Co.), 2001.
Textbook _______
Provide language from the textbook excerpt to support your answer:
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