A meme about vikings, on left, and then a meme about women and world history books, on the right. Source: /r/historymemes

23 History Memes To Test Your Knowledge

Historiography (different from "history") is the study of how we talk about and do history as a field of study. It's the history of our history, telling the story of how over time people frame and reframe the past. Sometimes people do it because they want to gain political power in the present. Other times they do it because they feel like a truth has been buried. Often, it's just because historical understanding evolves with new archaeological or archival discoveries.

A major piece of 21st-century historiography, when the historians of the future write about it, might just be the transition to a meme-based historical record. Through internet memes posted on sites like Reddit's /r/historymemes, people passionate about history are learning new things and sharing new things.

Here are a few examples of fairly niche memes from Reddit's /r/historymemes, that share some fun facts about things that often aren't covered in history classes. As to why they aren't covered in history classes? Well, there's a hidden history about that, too.

SPQR (Swamp)

The Roman Empire The Byzantine Empire The Holy Roman Empire Fascist Italy

(Source: Reddit)

Second Empire Was The Villain

NOOOOO! Bismarck provoked France into declaring war against Prussia in order to unify Germany! France was the aggressor in the Franco-Prussian War imgflip.com 0.1% 2% 10 score 55 14% 70 34% 85 68% 100 34% 115 14% France was the aggressor in the Franco-Prussian War 2% 130 145 0.1%

(Source: Reddit)

Napoleon III's Second Empire is often thought of as the first truly authoritarian (in a modern way) regime in Europe, and a template for many future dictators.

Tawain Held A Un Security Council Seat For Decades

"BIG FIVE" UNSC IN 1971: imgflip.com Who invited my man blud Bro thinks he's on the team

(Source: Reddit)

The Template

Palpatine: *Is given emergency powers* Julius Caesar: 78 Write that down, write that down!

(Source: Reddit)

George Lucas thought about the Roman Empire every day.

The Facts

What everyone thinks Vikings looked like How Vikings actually looked like

(Source: Reddit)

Were The Holy Roman Empire And Medieval France Really So Different?

KNOW THE WORK RULES RULES 00 $1 made with mematic Ima decentralized feudal state I'm a decentralized feudal state APPROPRIATE AWWW.YOU'RE SWEET. INAPPROPRIATE HELLO, HUMAN RESOURCES?!

(Source: Reddit)

This is an interesting debate — the HRE has a reputation for being a really decentralized collection of states, but so too was France. In fact, the majority of France didn't really speak French until the 18th and 19th centuries, when they were forced to as a result of increasing centralization by Paris.

Linguistic Centralization

The French government at Occitania circa 18th-19th centuries leo-does-languages made with mematic DON'T FORGET YOUR DAILY FRENCH LESSONS

(Source: Reddit)

See?

World History Says Otherwise

NAVA J-11- men are just chill. they don't ever start drama DA ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WORLD HISTORY WILL Women: H

(Source: Reddit)

Fais Gaffe!

When you're in a French restaurant during the Revolution and you say "wow, a meal fit for a King!" ove

(Source: Reddit)

Niche Takes

random person C me:1919 is when The British empire reached it's greatest extent if you include Occupied territories

(Source: Reddit)

Rajposting

Muslims: *play a vital role in igniting the 1857 mutiny* Brits: sarcasm_sarakku How dare do you try to steal the life that I stole from you?!

(Source: Reddit)

Meiji Stare

True meiji Stare: When a shoguncel says something so emperorphobic you gotta hit em with the true Meiji stare

(Source: Reddit)

The Old Ways

HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY IN THE 2020S A department store in malls Needs online store to survive Overpriced HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY IN THE 1720S Made of forts and trading routs OUCH! Controls the fur trade Controls 15% of the land in North America

(Source: Reddit)

Revisionism

THE BATTLE OF POITIERS CHARLEMAGNE'S CONQUEST OF BARCELONA imgflip.com IBERIAN HISTORIANS MUJAHIDEEN RULING PROVENCE FOR 86 YEARS

(Source: Reddit)

The accomplishments and extent of the Islamic empire in Europe are often downplayed by Eurocentric history books.

Gotta Know

Forget birthstones. What's your birth siege engine? JANUARY FEBRUARY Siege tower Battering ram MAY Sambuca SEPTEMBER Greek fire MARCH Mangonel OCTOBER Trebuchet JUNE JULY AUGUST Catapult Artillery cannon Siege hook APRIL Ballista NOVEMBER Springald DECEMBER Onager

(Source: Reddit)

The Power Of Astronomy

ANCIENT ERA such a morons, they worship little and insignificant dots in the sky everybody knows This weird stars moves independently to others, they must be something devine and I should study them the moon it's better European tribes Greek/ Rome MODERN AGE that's not fair, we were wiped out from Europe and exterminated by your successors to almost being forgotten Insignificant dots? CA

(Source: Reddit)

Explosives

Alfred Nobel Robert Oppenheimer Guilt about their legacy

(Source: Reddit)

Ideal Life

What society thinks men want to do for a living What men actually want to do

(Source: Reddit)

Ottoman Janissaries

i love my wife 天天 BESAR MART we live in the balkans we have a child H where is my child

(Source: Reddit)

The Ottoman Empire would take young boys out of their families and train them to be Janissaries, elite slave-soldiers who carried out much of the empire's most important work.

The Sun King

LOUIS XIV WHEN THE HABSBURGS ARE GOING TO INHERIT SPAIN, UPSETTING THE BALANCE OF POWER LOUIS XIV WHEN HIS GRANDSON IS GOING TO INHERIT SPAIN, UPSETTING THE BALANCE OF POWER imgflip.com

(Source: Reddit)

Tradition

People Today: I am sick of having crazy leaders Leaders in the past: imgflip.com Allow us to introduce ourselves,

(Source: Reddit)

Surreal

You told us that you didn't like disposable plastic drinking straws. M. We listened. From 2019, all of our straws will be made of 100% Macedonian Phalanx M McDonald's

(Source: Reddit)

Honor The Hero Pig

Tirpitz -Fought in WW1 -Served on 2 warships -Recieved the Iron Cross -Was auctioned off for pork by Red Cross VS Average pig -Has fought in no war -Can barely swim -Has no service award

(Source: Reddit)

Never forget him.




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