One in ten Brits: Hitler never existed
LONDON - Over one in ten Brits think Adolf Hitler was a fictional character. Robin Hood on the other hand has existed according to 25 percent. A lot of Brits have difficulties keeping historical facts and fiction apart, research has shown.
Almost half the Brits think that William Wallace - a 13th century Scottish hero, played by Mel Gibson in Braveheart - never really existed, while over half think the mythical King Arthur has truly been the king of England. Nine percent does not believe in Sir Winston Churchill. Six percent thinks the War of the Worlds - an invasion of Martians - truly has happened. Five percent thinks that Conan the Barbarian - from an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie - really did exist.
The researchers think bad education and Hollywood are to blame for the lack of historical knowledge. The research was done at the request of Blenheim Palace, the castle where Churchill was born. The castle directors wanted to know how well Brits knew the Battle of Blenheim. Only one fourth of the Brits knew that this is one of the most important British military victories ever, when on August the 13th threehundred years ago one of Churchill's ancestors, the first duke of Marlborough, beat France, Bavaria and Prussia.