According to my HSK 词汇精解 book, 推进 means to use force to advance, improve or develop something - 工作，事业，社会等 - that is not progressing as expected or is poor in quality.

1) 邓小平南巡讲话推进了中国经济进一步发展

2) 我们在努力推进这项计划

Whereas 推动 means to push (i.e. promote) something - 人，汽车，历史，进步等 - with force.

1)只有认真总结经验教训，才能更好地推动工作

2）从来就是人民推动着历史前进

A quick look at engkoo.com shows that these words share the same objects: 工作，发展，计划, etc.

My mental picture: they can be mutually substituted, but 推进 implies the advance of something that is not developing the way it is supposed to be.

Does anyone have a better understanding or another way of distinguishing the two? Is there a third, or even fourth, synonym that would be worth discussing? How would you translate 推进历史 and 推动历史？

Any answers would be greatly appreciated!