Hitler mythical?

If only. . . .
Missed this story a few weeks back, but better late than never (spoken like a true historian!):

The Battle of Hastings never took place and Adolf Hitler is a fictional character.

Robin Hood really existed, Harold Wilson saved Britain during World War II and Conan the Barbarian is a bona fide figure from early Nordic history.

It might sound like the latest attempt by revisionist extremists to pervert the past but the reality is perhaps far more disturbing: this is how a significant chunk of the British population, confused by Hollywood and unmoved by academia, sees history.

A survey of the average adult's level of historical knowledge has uncovered "absurd and depressing" areas of ignorance about events, from battles to royal marriages, and widespread confusion between characters from cinema blockbusters and real figures from the past.

Read more here; the original news release from Blenheim Palace also notes:

The research, commissioned to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the Battle of Blenheim, reveals that despite being one of the greatest victories in British military history, nearly three quarters of the population do not know it even took place. And less than one in eight have heard of John Churchill (1st Duke of Marlborough), who led the historic victory.

But researchers were amazed to discover Blenheim was not alone when it comes to forgotten history. Of the great battles, a quarter of Brits were not sure that the Battle of Trafalgar was a real historic event, and more than half believed that Horatio Nelson led British troops at the Battle of Waterloo.

Brits fared little better with modern history. One in five believed Harold Wilson was the British Prime Minister during World War II and one in ten did not think that Adolf Hitler was a real person.

Posted by David on April 26, 2004 6:28 PM