David Olusoga is correct...and to add further clarification: Mike Mountain Horse "signed on the dotted line..." 23 May 1916.

This is clearly shown on the online Canadian FWW Personnel Records for Mike Mountain Horse and his enlistment in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF).

It was Michael Prescott who kept referring to History Reclaimed in his Media select committee evidence - whether a history of Empire from the privateer/slave trader/overseer/Imperial administrator perspective will draw the viewers, another matter.

How predictable and misleading. I thought the series was great for many reasons, from featuring Indigenous peoples in their own words, multiple languages, and its way of connecting huge political change to individual stories. Radically different, and better, than any previous BBC series on empire.

I hope that their botched hachet job brings more attention to this excellent programme. Of course it slipped over things I would have expected more on, but it brought out fresh angles. I actually learned some things, which is always a joy. Sadly not a pleasure that the Telegraph seems to enjoy.

This is particularly irksome. Olusoga was so, so clear to complicate the picture by pointing out that such people volunteered for the empire’s war. That sort of nuance around identity and military service is fascinating.

Just to confirm I’ve re-watched this. An interviewee: Mike Mountain Horse “signed on the dotted line to protect his country”. Olusoga: “…and they were not alone. Volunteers from the Caribbean …”. You cannot trust what History Reclaimed say in their media campaigns. Often it simply isn’t true.

Just to confirm I’ve re-watched this. An interviewee: Mike Mountain Horse “signed on the dotted line to protect his country”. Olusoga: “…and they were not alone. Volunteers from the Caribbean …”. You cannot trust what History Reclaimed say in their media campaigns. Often it simply isn’t true.

Very good précis Sadiah!

Exactly, and those same ‘concerns’ from the History Reclaimed activists are always amplified in The Spectator, Mail, GBNews etc.

That’s right.

5. Recycle the pretexts that British colonists at the time used to launch unprovoked invasions. The point of the Ijebu invasion was not that the state broke a trade agreement but that it would not allow aggressive British traders to usurp its control. Quote on right from Lugard.

4. Create straw men. Olusoga could not have been any clearer that Mountain Horse was a volunteer. This criticism suggests utter desperation to find something - anything - to criticise!

3. Berate the presenter for sticking to historical realities rather than myths Britain had not introduced democracy anywhere before the end of empire and there was no thought of developing colonies until 1929, even then based on loans with interest.

2. Pretend that you have consulted expert historians who accuse Olusoga of being an activist when the reality is the reverse. As ever, it is the private right wing lobbying company History Reclaimed who supply what insubstantial critique there is.

1. They didn’t bother to watch it all because they knew how they were going to attack it regardless. Maybe no one will pick up in the fact that it doesn’t actually end with WWI but extends into the 1950s.