The Importance of History

I have been reading a comprehensive history of the Balkans, mostly out of mere interest. Simplicity lured me, as it often does, to the title of a book several years ago. I bought the Balkans hoping for an engaging read into something I knew almost nothing about.

The simplicity of the title quickly gave way to the complexity of the subject matter, so it took a deployment to Kosovo to get me enthused again. Aside from the the load of facts about the pell-mell history of the region dumped into my head, I have learned a lot about why it is important to study history.

Very few modern wars are regarded as avoidable as the First World War. and it is almost trite to say that the Balkans was the powderkeg that ignited the global conflagration. The direct causes of the war are outlined in the most basic studies of World War I, but the deeper reasons can trace their origins much earlier than is usually reported.

For example, the Balkan nations waged a series of wars prior to 1914 to carve out the boundaries of their nascent states. They were able to violently scrap for elbow room because of the continuous weakening of the Ottoman Empire for the hundred years before.

Ottoman Turks failed to seize upon opportunities to reform their government, to the point that they and slowly but surely their influence on people eager for independence slipped away. They let modernization amble past them and were unable to cope with the nationalist movements that swept Europe in the nineteenth century.

Change is constant, but sometimes it is difficult to recognize which way the winds of change are blowing. In life, it is important to stay aware of the forces that effect change on our lives, and to maintain the preparedness necessary to take advantage of the opportunities that change brings. These opportunities are often in disguise. More often they seem to be so challenging that it is easier to stay on course.

Change is not bad. History, whether it be our personal life history, or that of our society, is an important part of who we are and where we are going. Make it count and learn to find the path that history has given us.