ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Historiography of World War II

Okay, so have you ever played a game with your friends where you all tell a story and each person adds something to it? Well, that's kind of like what the historiography of World War II is like! A bunch of really smart grown-ups (historians) have been telling the story of what happened during the war for a really long time. But the thing is, everyone has their own ideas and opinions about what should be included in the story and what shouldn't.

So, some people might focus on the big battles that the soldiers fought in, like the one at Normandy Beach, while others might be more interested in how the people back home were affected by the war. Some historians might think that one country or leader was more important than others, while others might think that everyone played a big role.

And that's where things get a little complicated. Because even though everyone is talking about the same war, they all have different ideas about what actually happened and why. And sometimes one historian might even disagree with another historian! That's why the historiography of World War II is always changing and evolving as new people come along and add their own ideas to the story. It's kind of like a big puzzle that everyone is trying to put together, and it's always changing as they find new pieces.

So, in summary, historiography of World War II is all about the different ways that people tell the story of what happened during the war, and there are lots of different opinions and ideas about it!