Question

A historian interviews two people who fought during a certain battle during e Gulf War. One person says U.S. forces fired first the other person says Iraqi forces fired first. To try to learn what really happened, the historian should

Answer 1

Start a research of his/her own in order to find out what really happened. As an initial start point, he/she could look up official wartime records issued by both sides such as the combat journals of frontline units and attempt to find coincidences, differences and inconsistencies and create an analytical log of his own. After that, he might search for unofficial records, such as soldiers' personal diaries and accounts of civilians that might have been around the time the events took place. Finally, the historian might conduct a forensic research on the spot and/or if possible, study satellite footage of the battlefield at the moment that combat started if available. In the end, the historian should put all the pieces of information together in such a way that they fit the one another and produce valid conclusions based on logic.