The term new history , from the French term nouvelle histoire , was coined by Jacques Le Goff ^[1] and Pierre Nora , leaders of the third generation of the Annales school , in the 1970s. The movement can be associated with cultural history , history of representations, and histoire des mentalites . ^[2] The new history movement's inclusive definition of the proper matter of historical study has also given it the label total history . The movement was contrasted with the traditional ways of writing history which focused on politics and " great men ". The new history rejected any insistence on composing historical narrative ; an over-emphasis on administrative documents as basic source materials; concern with individuals' motivations and intentions as explanatory factors for historical events; and the old belief in objectivity .

The approach was rejected by Marxist historians because it downplayed what Marxists believed was the central role of class in shaping history. ^{[3] [ verification needed ]}

History in schools [ edit ]

The teaching of history in French schools was influenced by the nouvelle histoire , as disseminated in the 1960s and 1970s by Cahiers pedagogiques  [ fr ] and Enseignement 70 and other journals for teachers. ^[4] Also influential was the Institut national de recherche et de documentation pedagogique . ^[4] Joseph Leif, the inspector-general of teacher training, said pupils should learn about historians' approaches as well as facts and dates. ^[4] Louis Francois, dean of the history/geography group in the Inspectorate of National Education, advised teachers to provide historic documents and promote "active methods", which would give pupils "the immense happiness of discovery". ^[4]

Proponents said it was a reaction against the memorization of names and dates that characterized traditional teaching and left bored students. Traditionalists protested loudly that it was a postmodern innovation that threatened to leave the youth ignorant of French patriotism and national identity. ^{[5] [ failed verification ]}

Germany [ edit ]

The nouvelle histoire became controversial after 1945 in German historiography , where it especially influenced medieval studies . ^[6] However most German historians considered the approach too positivistic for their taste, and not philosophical enough. ^[7]

See also [ edit ]

• Historiography
• Social history

References [ edit ]

Footnotes [ edit ]

Bibliography [ edit ]

Further reading [ edit ]