January 29, Historical Scale

Discussed on Wednesday January 29 was historical scale or in other words the level in which history is being presented.  The discussion delved into the difference between micro history and macro history.  Micro history is a very detailed account of history or even an event in time.  Macro history is the "big picture" of events that took place in history.  Good micro histories can often tell a larger understanding of macro history, but unless written well they can become long and tedious with its many details.
Macro history is the stuff kids learn in school K-12, the big so what stuff.  The overall picture that teachers tell you is important to learn.  Micro history tells you the why do I have to learn this.  Often micro history gives detailed accounts of individuals living during the time of great events.
So instead of talking about Napoleon's armies moving across Europe as one entity micro history can focus on the one soldier in Napoleon's army maybe using old letters that he and his wife exchanged while he was on campaign this gives an account not of how Napoleon's army fared on campaign but how an individual soldier might have felt.  The key is do the events of this one soldier relate to the army and its campaign?  Did they come out of the same circumstances?  How can writers of history write newsworthy micro histories but tie it into the larger part of macro history so that its not just another story in the annals of history.
Can we understand micro history without knowing our basic macro history?  No.  If written right micro histories add to the overall picture that is macro history.  They have to some how be related.  I as a reader have to understand why I should care about a lonely soldier's life in Napoleon's army and how the circumstances of this micro history tie in with the circumstances of the macro history.