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Nazi Germany intelligence agencies sucked? | Some further reading, because those intelligence agencies might not be known very well where you're from: [Sicherheitsdienst (SD) des Reichsführers-SS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicherheitsdienst) and [Fremde Heere Ost](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremde_Heere_Ost) (military intelligence, "predecessor" to Germany's... | {
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What caused Japan to attack Pearl Harbor on 12/7/41? | The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was actually Plan B for the creation of the East Asian Co-Prosperiety Sphere. Plan A was an invasion of the Soviet Union through Siberia. The defeat of the Japanese army at Khalkin Gol Mongolia in September 1939 convinced the Japanese Army that a further invasion of Siberia would b... | {
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Were there really orgies in the Vatican? | Short answer... yes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banquet_of_Chestnuts
also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sexually_active_popes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Alexander_VI
My apologies if this is submitted multiple times, my computer, Reddit and/or the internet is being wonky. | {
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Holocaust Awareness | Yes.
One general, I'm not sure if it was Patton or Eisenhower, once commented after moving his troops into a concentration camp, "if they don't know why they are fighting, they do now."
Here are a few quotes from a book I have ("The history of the holocaust", Langer):
In response to crystal night: "Humanity stands a... | {
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Help out a teacher! | Source: History buff
France was made up of fiefs at the time. After the Dukes of Normandy conquered England, they also gained Brittany (next to Normandy) and later Aquitaine (Bordeaux) and Anjou (next to the others) by marriage of various family members. The English lords in Normandy, Brittany, and Aquitaine were sti... | {
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What did America introduce in the 1700s that other countries (Britain, Spain, France) didn't have? | Other people have mentioned "democracy" which was already an idea that had been implemented in other forms elsewhere, but certainly it was a big deal at the time. However France also adopted this idea in the 1700s so it wasn't exclusive the US, and arguably the French adoption was far more influential.
Really, at th... | {
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A book about the formation of the Vatican | John F. Pollard might be your man.
Notable publications:
The Vatican and Italian Fascism, 1929-1932: A Study in Conflict, Cambridge University Press, 1985
The Unknown Pope: Benedict XV (1914-1922) and the Pursuit of Peace, Geoffrey Chapman, 1999
Money and the Rise of the Modern Papacy: Financing the Vatican, 1850-1... | {
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"p... |
16-18th century books suggestions. | Do you mean books that are written in the early modern period? Or do you mean contemporary (non)-fictional books about the early modern period?
And seeing as you take 1492 as the starting point of the early modern period, do you focus mainly on America, or does Europe also fall within your scope? If you could specify a... | {
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I asked this in r/askscience but got no reply. Maybe you guys can answer this - Question about possibly modifying or creating a new calendar system. | This is really two separate things: (1) the Gregorian calendar, which is about the *length* of the year, and (2) the *numbering* of years, starting from a year seemingly arbitrarily selected as year "1". Whatever Wikipedia may tell you, the two are entirely separate.
The answer to question 1 is that we use the Gregori... | {
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"post_name": "t3_n9ecl",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/n9ecl/i_asked_this_in_raskscience_but_got_no_reply/"... |
What do you think of John Allergro's *The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross*? | Just stumbled on this, so better late than never, I suppose.
The simple reason that this book made no impact is that it's a crackpot idea, and ill-supported by the evidence, philological games aside.
Allegro catches more shit than he deserves: He alone published the work assigned to him, and to that end he exhibited... | {
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How much did the presence of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party at the 1964 DNC actually affect the civil rights movement/the general political atmosphere? | Found my own answer, after a good bit of searching. James Patterson's Grand Expectations, p. 555. | {
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How might the world be different if Central Powers had won WWI? Would WWII still have happened? | THE main reasons for the outbreak of warfare in Europe was Nazi Germany aggression.
Many of the main reasons as to why the Nazis came to power was playing on the anger, fear, frustration, and humiliation that came with the loss of the First World War.
Many Germans yearned for the glory days of the German Empire--when... | {
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... |
Help: Battle of the bulge | Try checking your local public/university library for resources. | {
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Tell me about Persia | Engineering an Empire - The Persians - Part 1of5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aukC8GBEsU | {
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Can any Mesoamerica historians help me understand Quetzalcoatl? | You can ask /r/mexico. | {
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Did Freud steal the Oedipus Complex from Diderot? | Didn't know this actually, but it got my scholarly mind going, so I did some research. And I found an answer in ["The Oedipus Complex: A Philosophical Study"](http://www.amazon.com/Oedipus-Complex-Philosophical-Study/dp/1589395107) by Seymour Keitlen.
Let me quote:
"(...) [T]he idea of the Oedipus complex would have ... | {
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DESPERATE!! I have an Art History final on Monday and My Professor is not getting back to me. Need questions answered | Cezanne was the first one to abandon geometric perspective and heavily influenced Cubism.
If you don't know this basic stuff you probably don't deserve to pass the class, honestly. | {
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The Ancient Romans were a very advanced society for their time, but i've been thinking about the politics of today and how misinformed people are, how informed were the Roman people? and how much did they actually influence the government? | The majority of the Roman people were likely just as uninformed as modern people. After all, news traveled much more slowly and people rarely went far from home.
However, the common Roman mob could play an important role in politics. In the later Republic period, the Gracchi brothers, made successful careers by cater... | {
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"post_name": "t3_ner5f",
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Do Historians feel "jaded" when reading about current events? | Actually studying the past gives me exactly the opposite response. I actually get quite cross when people get apathetic and jaded. I look at the past and I think - "That's what we could go back to - in just a blink of an eye."
Pretty much every period before 1960 sucked in one way or another. What we have now is amaz... | {
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... |
What proportion of the Roman population was made up of slaves? | I too am unsure of the exact number, but there was concern that this number was getting too high, and an idea proposed that slaves should wear identifying clothing. This ideas was dropped out of fear that slaves in the capital would them be able to see just how much of the population they comprised, and revolt.
Edit... | {
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From the invasion of the Mongols to the Nazis Russia has held strong and delivered a terrible and ferocious retaliation. | The Mongols pretty much took Russia.
Napoleon's Grande Armee died because of attrition (the famous Russian winter and large distances) but also because of the Russian's superb cavalry skills. It isn't like the Russians didn't have an army at all or something.
The Nazi's too were affected by the weather so their bli... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nfhrs",
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Why do some cultures seem to produce higher quality of art than other cultures throughout history? Is it restricted to first-world countries, is it the presence of a bourgeoisie class, etc. ? | Ukraine has produced a lot of culture, like Gogol and Bulgakov (first things that popped in my mind). In this case (Ukraine) it's harder to tell because for a long time they were part of Russia.
In more general terms, while how rich and educated a society is definitely has a large effect on its cultural output, prett... | {
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... |
Since the 1991 Soviet referendum so decisively showed the Soviet People's wish for the Soviet Union to be preserved as a renewed democratic federation, Why did it them break-up anyway? | It wasn't the people who decided to dissolve the Soviet Union, it was Yeltsin and the leaders of Belorussia and Ukraine. The Baltics broke off as well, and once the three major republics decided to step away from the USSR, the rest followed, whether they wanted to or not. | {
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What was Theodore Roosevelt's weight lifting routine? | wow, um, ok so, i recently did some research on Teddy for a video, but I never got that specific.
So from what I gathered, TR had his father build a small gym on one part of their porch at his house. it essentially was the standard of the day for fitness, so it would have been dumbells, kettleballs, indian clubs. He... | {
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... |
A book i recently read titled Roman Warfare suggseted that a Roman soldier named Pantera may have sired the prophet Jesus Christ. | What book was this, and what section of the book store/library did you find it?
Essentially, for anyone to suggest something so specific of an answer goes against just about all archaeological and historical evidence of Jesus' existence, in that *there is no direct evidence he ever existed*.
Not one letter, book, cas... | {
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Question pertaining to the passing of ancient Greek works from Ancient Times to Modern Times. | There is a persistant myth that until the Muslims came along in the 6 to 10th Century, Europe just up and forgot Greek and Latin learning. This is false.
While the Muslims did have some of the only copies of some works, so as such they were unknown in the West, the Europeans did have much of the ancient Greek knowled... | {
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Could I get some input on this 5 page paper? | Full disclosure: I'm not a professor, TA, or anyone else in a position to be grading papers. That said, here's my quick impressions from skimming through it:
First, and most importantly, your thesis, the heart and soul of any history paper, is weak. You need to pick a defensible side of an issue and take a stand on it... | {
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... |
How OP were horse archers, exactly? | Horse archers were never very dominant on a battlefield. The reason they are often considered so is simply confirmation bias: Most people who know a little bit about history know that the Parthians, who were horse archers, critically defeated the Romans at Carrhae. They often forget that this was a pretty rare reversal... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nhav8",
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"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nhav8/how_op_were_horse_archers_exactly/",
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"post_created_utc"... |
What's the point of using BCE and CE if they're still centered around the birth of Christ? | It's a means of recognizing that not everybody is Christian, and therefore our means of expressing dates should not be expressed in a denominational manner. There's no possible way to cause a change to the counting of the years - but then again, I don't think most people care about that (and even if they do, I think m... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nhnyp",
"post_id": "nhnyp",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nhnyp/whats_the_point_of_using_bce_and_ce_if_theyre/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nhnyp/whats_the_point_of_using_bce_and_ce_if_theyre... |
What were people bound to the stake *with*? | If you're concerned that the rope would burn, the victim would be long dead by the time the rope failed. Death by burning at the stake occurs reasonably quickly by carbon monoxide poisoning or (less likely) shock / heart failure. | {
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What was Spain doing i WWII? | German and Italian participation in the Spanish civil war had put Spain in debt, it would take a total of 12 % of Spain's total import between 1939 and 1943 to Germany, and 3 % to Italy, to repay it in full.
Spain was neutral at first during World War 2. Even if Spain sympathized with Nazi-Germany, it could not accept... | {
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What was lost from Nagasaki and Hiroshima forever after nukes were dropped? | The Urakami Cathedral, then the largest Catholic church in East Asia. When Catholic missionaries returned to Japan in 1895 after a century-long ban of Christianity, they found a remaining congregation of Catholics in Urakami near Nagasaki which had survived despite the persecution without priests and contact to the chu... | {
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nir9g/what_was_lost_from_nagasaki_and_hiroshima... |
What if the bombs werent dropped on Japan? | There is an interesting theroy out there that suggests that the Japanese simply didn't surrender solely because of the atomic bombs, but were in fact much more affraid of the Soviets invading. A fellow redditor pointed this out to me after i inquired about the esatern front in WWII .http://www.amazon.com/Racing-Enemy... | {
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"p... |
Does the U.S. Electoral college often not match up with the popular vote? | It's happened three different times, actually. In the year 2000 as you mentioned, and twice in the late 19th century. First in 1876, and again in 1888.
In 1876, the Republican Rutherford B. Hayes managed to be given 185 (the bare minimum required to win) of a possible 369 electoral votes. His opponent, Democrat Samu... | {
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"post_name": "t3_njela",
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Please explain it like I'm 5 years old: how is the US different than early 1930's Germany? | Economically? We don't have much inflation, no less hyperinflation. Politically? We have nothing like the secret police or the political street violence of the Nazis. The comparisons fall flat. | {
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/njfxr/please_explain_it_like_im_5_years_old_how_... |
Why weren't the V1 rockets used against the allies in Normandy? | As already stated, the V1 weapons weren't very accurate. And as already stated, they would have been just as likely to hit the German defenses as they would have been likely to hit any Allied military targets. They would have also been just as likely to fall harmlessly into the sea instead of the beachhead. The V1s ... | {
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"post_name": "t3_njwu9",
"post_id": "njwu9",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/njwu9/why_werent_the_v1_rockets_used_against_the_allies/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/njwu9/why_werent_the_v1_rockets_used_against_th... |
So fellow historians and history buffs, how agitated/annoyed do you get when someone not only is incorrect about a historical fact, but blatantly wrong and biased? | I usually correct the person, and on reddit my correction is usually downvoted for being biased. >_>
The number one thing I get downvoted for: George Washington was not a deist.
The second: Slavery was not pure evil or pure good. However, reddit seems to think I am racist for not believing Uncle Tom's Cabin ... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nk58h",
"post_id": "nk58h",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nk58h/so_fellow_historians_and_history_buffs_how/",
... |
Please suggest a WWI, WWII and/or Vietnam documentary I should watch? | I'm an Irish history grad student by day but a WWII enthusiast by night. The biggie is [World At War](http://www.amazon.com/World-At-War-Complete-Set/dp/B00005NOOH). The visuals are pretty amazing. Beyond that, I like [WWII in Color](http://www.amazon.com/WWII-In-Color/dp/B00003RQLS) as well. It doesn't have actual foo... | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nkc9f",
"post_id": "nkc9f",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nkc9f/please_suggest_a_wwi_wwii_andor_vietnam/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nkc9f/please_suggest_a_wwi_wwii_andor_vietnam/",
"post_... |
How warped/incorrect is our view of history due to the fact that "whoever wins writes the history books" | Archaeologists help to rewrite history. Specifically Dr Doug Scott's work at the site
of the Battle of Little Bighorn is considered groundbreaking (no pun intended). They also help to flesh out the lives of those who might not have made it into popular histories - people like women, children, slaves, the poor or common... | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nkf16",
"post_id": "nkf16",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nkf16/how_warpedincorrect_is_our_view_of_history_due_to/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nkf16/how_warpedincorrect_is_our_view_of_histor... |
Where was the best time and place to live? | Now, anyone who says otherwise has an overly romantic view of the past. | {
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"post_name": "t3_nkmvc",
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"p... |
Why was Western Civilization so quick to accept Christianity as the "true" religion? | All right, I think that's a very complex and difficult to answer question, but I hopefully can gesture in some helpful areas.
First, the so-called rise/triumph of Christianity didn't really happen all that quickly. It took over 300 years for it to move from an apocalyptic Jewish sect to the official religion of the... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nlhj0",
"post_id": "nlhj0",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nlhj0/why_was_western_civilization_so_quick_to_ac... |
Could the Russians have won World War II alone? | It all depends on who you ask. There will always be theories about these things and to be honest, they are all counterfactual. It can not be taken as a fact and is thus up for speculation only. Sure, you can make qualified guesses but it's all just speculation in the end.
It is without a doubt that the Soviet Union di... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nly4x",
"post_id": "nly4x",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nly4x/could_the_russians_have_won_world_war_ii_alone/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nly4x/could_the_russians_have_won_world_war_ii_alo... |
Did the introduction first amendment affect the standings of non-Christians (Atheists, Jews, Muslims) in the newly formed United States? | I'll take a stab...
It depends. The freedom of religion thing wasn't as strong a notion in its original passage. There were chaplains and priests on the congressional payroll to pray before sessions. That coincided with things like the Adams administration's congress-approved treaty with the Barbary States that says t... | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nlzxm",
"post_id": "nlzxm",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nlzxm/did_the_introduction_first_amendment_affect_the/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nlzxm/did_the_introduction_first_amendment_affect... |
Looking for a good biography on Charles V | [Karl Brandi, The Emperor Charles V](http://www.amazon.com/Emperor-Charles-Growth-Destiny-World-Empire/dp/0224600656/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1), likely the most complete biography you will find on Charles Quint in English (translated) | {
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"post_name": "t3_nmlfq",
"post_id": "nmlfq",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nmlfq/looking_for_a_good_biography_on_charles_v/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nmlfq/looking_for_a_good_biography_on_charles_v/",
"p... |
WWII Ace Pappy Boyington - property question | Do the world a favor and don't sell the items into a private collection. They're worth far more in a museum than the couple bucks you can sell them for.
As a historian it made me weep when i couldn't find any materials on Admiral A.F. Carter, yet i was able to buy his hand-typed autobiography on Ebay for chump change.... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nnt7a",
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... |
Can someone comment on the lack of evidence for gas chambers being used by the germans in WWII? | It's part of Holocaust denial, which has various backgrounds but has been essentially debunked years ago with only a few fringe writers and conspiracy theorists who buy it today. Tourists can see these gas chambers on tours of the old concentration camps today. | {
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"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nodxx",
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"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nodxx/can_someone_comment_on_the_lack_of_evidence_for/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nodxx/can_someone_comment_on_the_lack_of_evidence... |
What historical facts do we know about Jesus? | [This is a nice, short list of the different sources that talk about Jesus.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Jesus#Greco-Roman_Pagan_sources)
It is, however, important to note that absolutely *none* of these works were written during Jesus' presumed lifetime (ended around 30-33 AD). Keeping in mind that th... | {
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"post_name": "t3_npdil",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/npdil/what_historical_facts_do_we_know_about_jesus/"... |
Best book on Islamic Spain? | communities of violence: persecution of minorities in the middle ages, by david nirenberg. Really interesting and unique slant on the histories of al-andalus. | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nphjn",
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"post_created_utc": 1324761929,
... |
Why were communist against religions/churches? | Marx viewed religion as a piece of false consciousness used by the powerful to prevent those below from achieving class consciousness. Marx's view of history is also a fundamentally secular one. Human and temporal events and processes direct the progress of history, not spiritual or divine ones.
Despite the protestat... | {
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"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_npm9g",
"post_id": "npm9g",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/npm9g/why_were_communist_against_religionschurches/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/npm9g/why_were_communist_against_religionschurches/"... |
How did indigenous Americans get here? | I'm an historian of early America, not an archaeologist, but I've found this wikipedia article pretty informative. I'd also add we seem to be in the middle of a paradigm shift on this issue and that the coming years will be very exciting.
[source](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_of_migration_to_the_New_World) | {
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"post_name": "t3_nprd8",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nprd8/how_did_indigenous_americans_get_here/",
"post_crea... |
Historically, why were Western empires larger and more influential than Eastern ones? | This seems incredibly subjetive and hard to answer.
Also, I would suggest that a lot of this is from Ethnocentrism and a tendancy to focus on Western History here in the West. If we know more about the Romans and Greeks than the Chinese or Japanese, of course we will rate them as higher. I think you see the Mongols as... | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nprgd",
"post_id": "nprgd",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nprgd/historically_why_were_western_empires_larger_and/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nprgd/historically_why_were_western_empires_larg... |
What Proof Do We Have That Native Americans Came from Eurasia? | DNA-wise, this is what you're looking for - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y-DNA_haplogroups_in_Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas
I have little contribution otherwise. | {
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"post_name": "t3_nqa6h",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nqa6h/what_proof_do_we_have_that_native_american... |
How come Brazil speaks Portugese and most other Latin American countries speak Spanish, when Portugal is tiny compared to Spain while Brazil is the biggest kid on the S.American block? | Portugal while small had colonized parts of Africa that led it to becoming the center of the slave trade. They were small but very very rich. When Spain settled the new world they started in the carribbean and moved south into South America and north to the US today. Portugal settled along the coast of Brazil (back the... | {
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"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nqrag",
"post_id": "nqrag",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nqrag/how_come_brazil_speaks_portugese_and_most_other/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nqrag/how_come_brazil_speaks_portugese_and_most_o... |
Why didn't Chinese or Russian soldiers openly fight in the Vietnam war? | For the same reason American troops didn't openly fight in the USSR's war on Afghanistan. Once both sides OPENLY acknowledge that the country in question is just a proxy you broaden the range of possible military options to include nuclear weapons, air strikes on home nations, and action outside of the proxy state.
I... | {
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"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nqwzn",
"post_id": "nqwzn",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nqwzn/why_didnt_chinese_or_russian_soldiers_openly/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nqwzn/why_didnt_chinese_or_russian_soldiers_openly/"... |
Whats a good one volume history of the world? | I'd say that "good" and "one volume history of the world" are incommensurate. | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nqz39",
"post_id": "nqz39",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nqz39/whats_a_good_one_volume_history_of_the_world/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nqz39/whats_a_good_one_volume_history_of_the_world/"... |
Good biography on Christopher Columbus? | [The Worlds of Christopher Columbus](http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Christopher-Columbus-William-Phillips/dp/052144652X) is my favorite. It not only is a biography of Columbus, but talks a lot about the world in which he lived, too. | {
"source": "reddit",
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"post_name": "t3_nr547",
"post_id": "nr547",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nr547/good_biography_on_christopher_columbus/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nr547/good_biography_on_christopher_columbus/",
"post_cr... |
Good books on the history of charity? | There is a three part BBC Podcast entitled [How New Is the New Philanthropy?](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018h4xk) in which "Professor Hugh Cunningham presents a timely history of philanthropic giving in Britain from the 18th to the 21st century, not simply celebrating philanthropy but also assessing the role that... | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nr7yt",
"post_id": "nr7yt",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nr7yt/good_books_on_the_history_of_charity/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nr7yt/good_books_on_the_history_of_charity/",
"post_create... |
What was the short term significance of HMS Dreadnaught? | Basically, it made every other ship obsolete pretty much instantly. Additionally, Dreadnaught was one of, if not the first, "all big gun" battleship. Before Dreadnaught, capital ships had different calibers of guns. Everyone started copying Dreadnaught after it was launched.
Additionally, as the [Wikipedia article](h... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nrnd5",
"post_id": "nrnd5",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nrnd5/what_was_the_short_term_significance_of_hms/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nrnd5/what_was_the_short_term_significance_of_hms/",
... |
Was the Enola Gay shot at on the mission to drop the atomic bomb? | No, the Japanese thought it was a recon flight and had stopped attacking those due to resource shortages. | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nrz66",
"post_id": "nrz66",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nrz66/was_the_enola_gay_shot_at_on_the_mission_t... |
Did condoms exist in the Baroque Era? | Yes, [the rise of syphilis in Europe brought condoms into use. The first recorded use of condoms (made from linen) was in Ancient Egypt](http://www.avert.org/condoms.htm). In both cases the goal was disease prevention - condoms as a birth control option arose later. | {
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"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_ns2e9",
"post_id": "ns2e9",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ns2e9/did_condoms_exist_in_the_baroque_era/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/ns2e9/did_condoms_exist_in_the_baroque_era/",
"post_create... |
What would we think of Hitler if he hadn't started the Holocaust | Sounds like a topic for [r/HistoricalWhatIf](http://www.reddit.com/r/HistoricalWhatIf/). | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nt8i3",
"post_id": "nt8i3",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nt8i3/what_would_we_think_of_hitler_if_he_hadnt_started/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nt8i3/what_would_we_think_of_hitler_if_he_hadnt... |
Did Calvin Coolidge ever have to debate anyone during the 1924 election? | Going to throw some info at you, sorry if it doesn't answer your question and seems a little disjointed...
Before the age of radio and television, campaigns were mostly carried out by political partisans, mainly famous politicians that supported a candidate. Voters were mobilized by local political groups that persuad... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nt97y",
"post_id": "nt97y",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nt97y/did_calvin_coolidge_ever_have_to_debate_anyone/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nt97y/did_calvin_coolidge_ever_have_to_debate_anyo... |
In your opinion what is the most important event in history? | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiogenesis
When that process first happened on Earth. Every other answer I could think of, like the Black Death, the Mongol invasions, WW2, etc are all very Eurocentric. | {
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"post_name": "t3_ntdzl",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/ntdzl/in_your_opinion_what_is_the_most_important... |
What is the best, single volume, history book about WWII? | Hastings is a journalist, nothing he'll write about history can be categorized as 'the best'. Try:
http://www.amazon.com/World-War-II-New-History/dp/0521608430/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1325086320&sr=8-4 | {
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"post_name": "t3_ntfkj",
"post_id": "ntfkj",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ntfkj/what_is_the_best_single_volume_history_book_about/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/ntfkj/what_is_the_best_single_volume_history_bo... |
book recommendation on Stalin? | The best all round biography is [this](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stalin-Biography-Robert-Service/dp/0330518372/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1325095695&sr=8-2) - extremely thorough and very readable, and written by the leading academic on the period. For a more 'day-to-day' view of Stalin's rule, try [this](http://www.a... | {
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"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_ntsgq",
"post_id": "ntsgq",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ntsgq/book_recommendation_on_stalin/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/ntsgq/book_recommendation_on_stalin/",
"post_created_utc": 132509... |
Afghanistan history | You might like [My Khyber Marriage](http://www.amazon.com/Khyber-Marriage-Experiences-Scotswoman-Chieftains/dp/0863040551) and [Valley of the Giant Buddahs](http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Giant-Buddhas-Memoirs-Travel/dp/0863040659/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325140790&sr=8-1). They are autobiographical reports by a S... | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_ntz6z",
"post_id": "ntz6z",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ntz6z/afghanistan_history/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/ntz6z/afghanistan_history/",
"post_created_utc": 1325103910,
"question_se... |
What is the best, single volume, book on the Bosnian conflict? | I haven't read widely on the subject, but I found Brendan Simms, *Unfinest hour: Britain and the destruction of Bosnia* (Penguin, 2001) seemed to be well-informed. | {
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"post_name": "t3_nu5gp",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nu5gp/what_is_the_best_single_volume_book_on_the/",
... |
Why is the Qing Dynasty in China considered Feudalistic? | I've never heard the term "feudal" applied to Chinese history other than during the Warring States period. The closest modern equivalent was the Warlord period which has its own connotations, not the late Qing dynasty that was governed by the bureaucracy of the Confucian Civil Service system. There may have been region... | {
"source": "reddit",
"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_nunr8",
"post_id": "nunr8",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nunr8/why_is_the_qing_dynasty_in_china_considered/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nunr8/why_is_the_qing_dynasty_in_china_considered/",
... |
Can someone give me some background/info on the US supervised retreat of the Wehrmacht out of northern Italy? | The vast majority of Germans in that film are not carrying weapons. The official strategy of the SCAEF during this period of time was to let the Russians take Berlin and Czechoslovakia, while American assets were deployed to prevent a last stand holdout in the alpine region these troops would have been retreating to. T... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nv0os",
"post_id": "nv0os",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nv0os/can_someone_give_me_some_backgroundinfo_on_the_us/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nv0os/can_someone_give_me_some_backgroundinfo_o... |
What is the best, single volume, book about WWI? | >Also, are there any two volume books that cover WWI and then WWII or even an author that has written a good history of both wars (preferably in 2 books)?
There is no one author with enough intimate knowledge on either the entirety of the First World War or the Second World War. To attempt to find someone who proc... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nvg62",
"post_id": "nvg62",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nvg62/what_is_the_best_single_volume_book_about_wwi/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nvg62/what_is_the_best_single_volume_book_about_wwi... |
How accurate is the Norwegian film Max Manus? | I have seen the movie, and being from Scandinavia, I judge it as being rather accurate. It is based on many contemporary account as well as on historical research and while the movie can't take in all the important events, it does make justice of the man himself.
Oh and, there was a [slight historical debate surround... | {
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"post_id": "nvjol",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nvjol/how_accurate_is_the_norwegian_film_max_manus/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nvjol/how_accurate_is_the_norwegian_film_max_manus/"... |
Roman Resettlement | I don't know very much about this, but I understood that most veterans were given land in new colonies, not in existing cities. These new colonies could be near existing populations in conquered areas, and influenced them, but were still separate.
I haven't read these, but [the Further Reading on this wiki](http://en.... | {
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When was Jerusalem destroyed? | Uh, context? Year? It's been sacked numerous times. | {
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"post_created_utc": 13252638... |
How did Kennedy arrive at the decision to put a man on the Moon? | Quick Answer: The US was embarrassed when the Soviets beat us both into the space age itself (Sputnik) and orbit (Yuri Gagarin).
Kennedy needed a major space initiative but another embarrassment would be bad so Kennedy asked what kind of space race we could win. We concluded that the Soviets couldn't afford the exp... | {
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nwexr/how_did_kennedy_arrive_at_the_decision_to_p... |
Did Jesus die on a cross | Crucifixion was a common and established method of execution well before Jesus was meant to have lived.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifixion
Incidentally, Muslims don't believe in the crucifixion of Jesus, instead they believe that he rose up to the heavens teleportation style. | {
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"q... |
Who was the most successful revolutionary in history? | Let's investigate your question and make a propositionally logical conclusion.
Findings:
1. /r/AskHistorians is filled with historians eager to answer your questions.
2. Historians are experts at basic knowledge, analysis, and research of history.
3. You go to /r/AskHistorians and post a question because you have a... | {
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nwoj4/who_was_the_most_successful_revolutionary_in/"... |
How would the Revolutionaries of ancient times compare with the Revolutionaries of modern times? | Since you seem to be using "revolutionary" in the sense of a person engaged in guerilla war, insurgency, etc. with the explicit goal of starting or furthering "a revolution", it's worth considering that this doesn't make much sense in the modern period before the appearance of "revolutionary" politics (i.e. Marx). Hist... | {
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nxfxt/how_would_the_revolutionaries_of_ancient_tim... |
Are there any books that go into great detail about the Viet Cong's tactics, specifically their system of booby traps, logistics and spy networks? | Here are some resources.
http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cdm/singleitem/collection/p4013coll11/id/1434/rec/14
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_memoranda/2005/RM5239-1.pdf | {
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nxpq8/are_there_any_books_that_go_into_great_detail... |
The Uniqueness of Jewish Monotheism? | When the Jews were called something like Yahweh-ists, they also worshiped Yahweh's female counter part Asherah. They were not originally monotheists. It took a very long time for the Yahweh-ists to rid themselves of worshiping other gods. In the Nevi'im, there are parts describing the ousting of statues of many foreign... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nxsye",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nxsye/the_uniqueness_of_jewish_monotheism/",
"post_created_... |
Why did the American revolutionaries bitch out King George III when by that time power had been firmly cemented in Parliament? | It's a little more complicated, but here's the simple answer.
American politicians were the American aristocracy. When the British government started getting involved in American politics, it eroded some of the power that the colonists traditionally held. American politicians said, "that's fine, but we're the aristocr... | {
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"post_name": "t3_ny7tb",
"post_id": "ny7tb",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/ny7tb/why_did_the_american_revolutionaries_bitch_o... |
Any good book on history of education? | Hi, a while ago I commented on a similar question. [You could have a look here](http://nl.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/mvxt4/education_through_the_ages/c34a1xd), perhaps it could be useful to you as well? | {
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"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nywdq/any_good_book_on_history_of_education/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nywdq/any_good_book_on_history_of_education/",
"post_crea... |
Cold War, 1985-1991 | I lived in Iceland from 1977-1980 at Keflavik NAS where we used to see communist rallies on the other side of the base fence quite often during the winter months. Being at Keflavik I wasn't too worried because we would be some of the first to know if Soviet bombers were coming across the artic circle to deliver their ... | {
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"post_id": "nz0vz",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nz0vz/cold_war_19851991/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nz0vz/cold_war_19851991/",
"post_created_utc": 1325458371,
"question_selfte... |
what was ancient greek democracy like? | I would say ancient Greek democracy, at least as practiced in Athens, was not similar at all to modern day democracy for a number of reasons.
1. The most obvious reason is that the Greek concept of citizenship is far different than ours. The Athenians changed their definition of who was a citizen pretty often. Sometim... | {
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"post_name": "t3_nzsir",
"post_id": "nzsir",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nzsir/what_was_ancient_greek_democracy_like/",
"post_crea... |
Help finding more information on the Frankfurt book fair in the 17th century | Weidhaas, Peter. A history of the Frankfurt Book Fair. - Toronto, Ontario, Canada : Dundurn Press, 2007
A review of this book can be found here: http://www.themillions.com/2008/08/from-medieval-to-modern-frankfurt-book_07.html | {
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/nzst9/help_finding_more_information_on_the_frankfu... |
Any good books on writing local history? | I'm a bit confused by the question. You wish to write a local history but you don't have experience in research and writing? If that is the case I'd learn by emulation. I agree with WedgeHead, there are many books on "local" history. As an American historian, I can't help you much for the UK. I'd definitely read E.P. T... | {
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"post_... |
Today, would Aaron Burr get a trial if he was accused by the sitting president of treason? | As he was not involved in 9/11 nor a member of Al Qaeda, he would not be covered by the troubling sections 1021, 1022, 1031 and 1032 of NDAA. Furthermore the text of the bill explicitly states that it is not to expand the power of the president or the scope of the authority to use military force. | {
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"post_name": "t3_o0154",
"post_id": "o0154",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o0154/today_would_aaron_burr_get_a_trial_if_he_was/"... |
Is it really general consensus that the Great Pyramid took 20 years to build? | The source of this belief is Herodotus, as you indicate. It comes from Book 2 chapter 124.
> A hundred thousand men labored constantly, and were relieved every three months by a fresh lot. It took ten years’ oppression of the people to make the causeway for the conveyance of the stones, a work not much inferior, in... | {
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"post_name": "t3_o083z",
"post_id": "o083z",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o083z/is_it_really_general_consensus_that_the_great... |
Scientific Revolution | I don't have a chart but Carolyn Merchant's *The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology, and the Scientific Revolution* is considered an authoritative, if controversial, text on the subject. I'd mine professional reviews of it to get an idea of her argument. | {
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"post_id": "o1q5p",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o1q5p/scientific_revolution/",
"post_created_utc": 1325633703,
"questio... |
Environmental Determinism, Historiography, and Modern Climate Change | I think the distaste for considering environmental impact on history is on its way out. For example, the Classical Maya Collapse is now widely believed to have been at least partly caused by drought and famine. For the longest time, the explanations were almost entirely sociopolitical. I would say that this change i... | {
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"post_name": "t3_o1uxp",
"post_id": "o1uxp",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/o1uxp/environmental_determinism_historiography_and/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o1uxp/environmental_determinism_historiography_and/"... |
Do we know what ancient languages actually sounded like? | It depends enormously on what ancient languages you mean. There are many, many, ancient languages. We can approximate several of them with surprising accuracy while there are others that we have only the vaguest guess. The entire discipline of [philology]( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philology) is dedicated, in par... | {
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"post_name": "t3_o264h",
"post_id": "o264h",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o264h/do_we_know_what_ancient_languages_actually/",
... |
Could aliens have helped create the evolution of man as well as possible alien encounters with our finding fathers? Just watching History Channel. | there is very little observable proof for either the existence of extra-terrestrial beings or their involvement in the evolution of man. So as far as empirical study shows... no. | {
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"post_name": "t3_o29aw",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o29aw/could_aliens_have_helped_create_the_evolut... |
How common has it been for "entire nations to go to war", as with the world wars, rather than "just their militaries"? | Are you referring to the concept of a [total war](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_war), in which a country's entire population and resources are redirected for the war effort, and in which a country's infrastructure and resources are more likely to be targeted by the enemy (loose definition, I know)?
If so, please ... | {
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o2e3a/how_common_has_it_been_for_entire_nations_t... |
How did the giant armies of ancient times eat? | 1. They didn't eat that well. Most armies subsided on, if they were lucky, carbs and salt.
2. They lived off the land. Wars were typically conducted during the summer months, not just because no one likes forced marches in the snow, but because there's food to be had in whatever land you're pillaging.
3. They s... | {
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"post_name": "t3_o2s0b",
"post_id": "o2s0b",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/o2s0b/how_did_the_giant_armies_of_ancient_times_eat/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o2s0b/how_did_the_giant_armies_of_ancient_times_eat... |
Given that 'History is written by the Winners', where can I learn the truth about US History, our wars, our foundation, etc? | Ok, a few problems.
>The reality of the Church and their various diabolical activities that lead to human sacrifices at Salem
The Catholic church was in no way involved in the Salem witch trials.
>The persecution and eventual genocide of American Indians didn't get a passing mention
Really? Not one thing at ... | {
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"post_name": "t3_o31ug",
"post_id": "o31ug",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/o31ug/given_that_history_is_written_by_the_winners/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o31ug/given_that_history_is_written_by_the_winners/"... |
Why did Patrick Henry oppose the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions? | I didn't know much about this before now, but this [entry](http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Henry_Patrick_1736-1799) seemed to explain a little.
relevant:
"Washington finally convinced Henry to return to politics in 1799, after the controversial Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions had been passed. Written in respon... | {
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"post_name": "t3_o32hj",
"post_id": "o32hj",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/o32hj/why_did_patrick_henry_oppose_the_virginia_and/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o32hj/why_did_patrick_henry_oppose_the_virginia_and... |
Was there a point in societal history where the utility of water was considered a requisite necessity? | For most of history, yes, water was relatively free.
You walked yourself down to the river or lake and scooped up some buckets, or drew water from the well you dug on your property. Only later when mass urbanization began did you have community water. They would dig well for districts and the whole town would go to ... | {
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"post_name": "t3_o369y",
"post_id": "o369y",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/o369y/was_there_a_point_in_societal_history_where_the/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o369y/was_there_a_point_in_societal_history_where... |
Can r/AskHistorians recommend me a book on Northern Irish history? | 'The IRA a History' by Tim Pat Coogan. No one book will do it. That one is as good or bad as a lot of the rest. It's the first one that occurred to me.
Irish history tends to be writ by those with big foibles.
Warning: Irish history is complex and rich, but rarely heartwarming or positive. I'm Irish, and I avoid Ir... | {
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"post_name": "t3_o3hdo",
"post_id": "o3hdo",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/o3hdo/can_raskhistorians_recommend_me_a_book_on/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o3hdo/can_raskhistorians_recommend_me_a_book_on/",
"p... |
Any good theory out there regarding the notion of "Facts?" | Are you talking about different philosophical models for epistemological and ontological understanding? I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. | {
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"subreddit": "AskHistorians",
"post_name": "t3_o3j1o",
"post_id": "o3j1o",
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"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o3j1o/any_good_theory_out_there_regarding_the_n... |
How did people learn foreign languages in the past(before and including the middle ages)? | I would expect almost all learning was done thru tutors rather than books or any other method. Because you say Greek, I'll assume you're talking about classical Roman society, in which case tutors would be the likely choice. The Romans even had slaves who were trained or already educated when caught teach their childre... | {
"source": "reddit",
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"post_name": "t3_o3tjb",
"post_id": "o3tjb",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/o3tjb/how_did_people_learn_foreign_languages_in_the/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o3tjb/how_did_people_learn_foreign_languages_in_the... |
Can we talk about podcasts for a minute, or other audio mediums for the history hobbyist | Its finished now, but I recommend [A History of the World in 100 Objects](http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/) it was written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor. He takes 100 objects currently housed in the Museum, and uses them to tell the history of the world. | {
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"post_name": "t3_o3yj5",
"post_id": "o3yj5",
"post_url": "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/o3yj5/can_we_talk_about_podcasts_for_a_minute_or_other/",
"post_permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/o3yj5/can_we_talk_about_podcasts_for_a_minute_or... |
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