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239pt2
After the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, how did Europe manage to continue business as usual so shortly after?
What I'm asking is how did Europe continue warring so shortly after a war that was as devastating as the Thirty Years War was for Europe. The 30YW ravaged Europe in a very dramatic way, with large swathes of Europe being laid low, and many considering it one of the most destructive European wars in history (shamelessly...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/239pt2/after_the_peace_of_westphalia_in_1648_how_did/
{ "a_id": [ "cguurrx" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "Business as usual in what way? Because Europe really didn't just keep trucking along. The 30 Years War more or less reworked the political landscape of Europe and the way diplomacy was run. You mention the Swedes invading Poland and I think th...
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65wrf1
How did people in formerly-French regions of Canada react to the news that France was backing the independence rebellion of their neighbors to the south?
I understand that there generally wasn't significant support for a revolt against the crown in British American possessions outside of the 13 colonies which did declare independence, even though the Continental Congress made overtures to several of them. In the areas which Britain occupied after the French and Indian...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/65wrf1/how_did_people_in_formerlyfrench_regions_of/
{ "a_id": [ "dgebp5o" ], "score": [ 15 ], "text": [ "In essence, indifference.\n\nThe general sentiment was that France had abandoned New-France in favor of the French West Indies, that were much more profitable than the rather onerous North American colony. This is also a sentiment that can be fo...
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7zfrov
Are the any sources where I can find events that happend during the last years of Nebuchadnazzer II of Babylon ?
I'm doing a project , and i can't seem to find anything about his last years , any help will be appreciated :)
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7zfrov/are_the_any_sources_where_i_can_find_events_that/
{ "a_id": [ "dunz7ga" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The primary book for the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II is in French (Arnaud's *Nabuchodonosor II, roi de Babylone*). DJ Wiseman's *Nebuchadrezzar and Babylon* is useful, as is Ronald Sack's *Images of Nebuchadnezzar: The Emergence of a Legend*. \n\n...
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[ [ "http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon7/index.html" ] ]
asdop8
Did ancient or medieval armies conscript soldiers regardless of their physical capability?
There is a [thread](_URL_0_) over on r/Showerthoughts where many have said the ancient Chinese army didn't care if the men they recruited were physically incapable of serving in the army, only needing one man per family as "fodder". Is this true? What if a family was not able to provide a suitable man?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/asdop8/did_ancient_or_medieval_armies_conscript_soldiers/
{ "a_id": [ "egtq8hr" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "I have insufficient knowledge of Chinese history and the armies of Antiquity to answer the question from those specific angles, but where it concerns the recruitment and mobilization of the common man in Europe in the Middle Ages, the physical co...
[]
[ "https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/asa2nz/mulans_dad_would_have_never_been_asked_to_fight/" ]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/amebmy/saturday_showcase_february_02_2019/efm0n2y/?context=3" ] ]
13w5jq
Who was the first comedian?
What did they have for material? Laughter can defuse any tense situation; have there been points in history where humor saved the day?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/13w5jq/who_was_the_first_comedian/
{ "a_id": [ "c77q6mt", "c77tc07" ], "score": [ 5, 3 ], "text": [ "In terms of early examples of written humour (as it's very difficult to find stand-up comedians without written record), one of the earliest examples is the satirical script of the [Instruction of Dua-Khety](_URL_0_), an Anc...
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[ [ "http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/instructions_of_kheti.htm" ], [] ]
3e98nw
Has an American ever been arrested/tried for War Crimes or Crimes Against Humanity?
Or for that matter, have any citizens of say... the permanent members of the UN Security Council or former Allied Powers been arrested/tried? If so, for what? Were there convictions?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3e98nw/has_an_american_ever_been_arrestedtried_for_war/
{ "a_id": [ "ctdaqcr" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Apologies to the moderators, as I'm reasonably certain that I am breaking the 20 year rule here. Depends on how you count it. The *acts* described took place in the mid-90's up until 2003. The trial was in 2006-08, with the appeal continuing to 2...
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[ [ "http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-11th-circuit/1531578.html" ] ]
18ykrq
Is it possible that Hernán Cortés wrote The Conquest of New Spain?
There is a famous historian and antropologist called Christian Duverger whose last book *Crónica de la Eternidad* (I don´t think it´s translated yet. It was published a couple of weeks ago in Spain) argues Hernán Cortés was the real author of *The Conquest of New Spain*. Obviously it´s quite a polemic view. Since I r...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/18ykrq/is_it_possible_that_hernán_cortés_wrote_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c8q03wh" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "The authorship of the *La Historia Verdadera* is something that has been debated a bit more than the author of this article lets on, although I don't know of any other scholar off the top of my head that has made the assertion that Cortes himself...
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[ "http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/02/12/inenglish/1360672838_941682.html" ]
[ [] ]
1zd419
Why did no outside force intervene in the Soviet invasions of Czechoslovakia in 1968 or Hungary in 1956?
These seem (on the surface) similar to the existing Russian invasion of the Crimea, but what factors prevented NATO/Western involvement?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1zd419/why_did_no_outside_force_intervene_in_the_soviet/
{ "a_id": [ "cfsp9mc" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "Same reason no one interfered with US invasion of Dominican Republic. It was our sphere of influence. Just like Eastern Europe was USSR's. No one was willing to risk global war. During the Cold War it was the countries more distant (Vietnam, Ang...
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3qn5lu
Would people living in Europe during the Middle Ages have called their time period the Modern Age, or something else?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3qn5lu/would_people_living_in_europe_during_the_middle/
{ "a_id": [ "cwh27mp" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "Medieval authors tended to divide history into six ages, which were mapped to the first six days of Creation in Genesis (and sometimes to the different stages of human life). Although variants existed, the most common schema came out of Augustin...
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cnhs7r
Why did the vice president switch from being the second place finisher in the US presidential elections to a ticket with the president?
Why did the vice president switch from being the second place finisher in the US presidential election to a ticket with the president? If you read the 12th Amendment it would seem like they intended to have it as it's own election? Was this change a major contributor toward the present day two party system?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/cnhs7r/why_did_the_vice_president_switch_from_being_the/
{ "a_id": [ "ewbgekb" ], "score": [ 169 ], "text": [ " The most obvious answer is the election of 1800, but the election on 1796 had some impact on the 12th Amendment as well . The way the constitution was originally structured, electors from each state had 2 votes each with no distinction for p...
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3jefvs
Why did the Western borders of Tang China jut out?
Looking at these maps [here](_URL_0_) and [here](_URL_1_) I was wondering why there is a portion of the Northwest borders that jut out so far. Was this part of the silk road? Or something else?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3jefvs/why_did_the_western_borders_of_tang_china_jut_out/
{ "a_id": [ "cup0iez", "cup7zri" ], "score": [ 3, 2 ], "text": [ "That extension to the Northwest is the modern Gansu Corridor and some areas along the Tarim Basin. These areas were strategically important because they controlled key overland trade routes with India, Central Asia, and the...
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[ "http://images.chinahighlights.com/chinamap/ancient/tang-dynasty-map1.gif", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty#/media/File:Tang_Dynasty_circa_700_CE.png" ]
[ [], [] ]
fimeym
Pandemics and Quarantine History - Megathread
Hello everyone, With COVID-19 officially declared a pandemic we have noticed a decided uptick in questions related to pandemics and how they have been responded to historically. As we have done a few times in the past for topics that have arrived suddenly, and caused a high number of questions, we decided that creatin...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/fimeym/pandemics_and_quarantine_history_megathread/
{ "a_id": [ "fkmsd0n", "fkmv52b", "fknav6k", "fko3f5p", "fkojfb9", "fkojsfo", "fki2ix1", "fki3ygh", "fki5pc5", "fkicb3h", "fkidv3t", "fkip5d8", "fkiukap", "fkspn0b", "fkjbf1i", "fkjjwqa", "fkjnnhb", "fkl6p6h", "fkllig8", "fklqzcf", "f...
[]
[ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules" ]
[ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6njkxj/askhistorians_podcast_090_la_peste_the_great/" ], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
2nl7ln
Was the Dunkirk evacuation a triumph or defeat for Britain?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2nl7ln/was_the_dunkirk_evacuation_a_triumph_or_defeat/
{ "a_id": [ "cmellrw", "cmepl7t", "cmeys4j" ], "score": [ 13, 20, 2 ], "text": [ "Depends on how you define triumph.\n\nOn one level it can be seen as a triumph in that so many troops were successfully evacuated and the little ships can be seen as a great propaganda scoop.\n\nHowev...
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[ [], [ "http://www.worldcat.org/title/why-the-allies-won/oclc/33948454&referer=brief_results", "http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/speeches/speeches-of-winston-churchill/128-we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches", "http://www.worldcat.org/title/inferno-the-world-at-war-1939-1945/oclc/763181172" ], [...
3foj7o
Was there a moral justification given in ancient India for the practice of slavery?
This might require some clarification. I know that in various Christian and Muslim civilizations, slavery was justified on the basis that it might cause slaves to convert to Christianity/Islam, thus saving their immortal souls, and so the slaveowners were really doing them a favor. In America, slavery was justified o...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3foj7o/was_there_a_moral_justification_given_in_ancient/
{ "a_id": [ "ctr016f" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Slavery as in West (west of Indus) never existed in India until Muslim conquests into India(Legally). There were no Historical stories which mention about slavery, other than few anecdotes. \n\n\nDue to high population and economical/social segre...
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4nqfa1
Alexander the Great marched all the way to India. How did he supply his army?
I imagine having a supply train thousands of kilometers is not practical for an ancient army. Did he loot? Did he force conquered enemies to provide supplies?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4nqfa1/alexander_the_great_marched_all_the_way_to_india/
{ "a_id": [ "d46k2u7", "d46p25h", "d46trpg", "d46uzzp" ], "score": [ 411, 10, 5, 42 ], "text": [ "So Alexander the Great's great cause he conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Until he passed over the Indus, all the lands he had conquered had either been Persian satrapie...
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[ [ "https://archive.org/stream/cu31924026460752/cu31924026460752_djvu.txt" ], [], [], [] ]
1tnzw9
When showing teeth (in art, photograph and portraits) became culturally acceptable? And why it wasn't before?
I mean, look at all these [Lincoln photos/portraits](_URL_1_), there isn't a single one where his lips are open, if we compare, for example, with [Obama](_URL_5_), there is hardly a picture without him showing his teeth. In two thousand years, from [greek/roman art](_URL_3_ and roman art & tbm=isch), to [medieval](_URL...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1tnzw9/when_showing_teeth_in_art_photograph_and/
{ "a_id": [ "cea8eum" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "The first question to ask is what message the portrait is intended to convey. Through to the eighteenth century, portraits were primarily commissioned by either the clergy or the nobility and so reflected the social norms and customs of those tw...
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[ "http://www.google.com/search?q=medieval", "http://www.google.com/search?q=\"Lincoln\"&tbm=isch", "http://www.google.com/search?q=daguerreotype&tbm=isch", "http://www.google.com/search?q=greek", "http://www.google.com/search?q=rennaissance", "http://www.google.com/search?q=\"Obama\"&tbm=isch",...
[ [ "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Buffone.jpg", "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/The_Laughing_Audience_%28or_A_Pleased_Audience%29_by_William_Hogarth.jpg", "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/28/Deweytruman12.jpg", "http://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImag...
4tkqeg
What's the deal with the pyramids in bosnia?
_URL_0_ Can anyone shed some light on this?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4tkqeg/whats_the_deal_with_the_pyramids_in_bosnia/
{ "a_id": [ "d5i4o6f" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "You'll be interested in my response [here](_URL_0_), as well as the discussion elsewhere in the thread. I and the others definitely welcome follow-up questions. It's a claim backed by a few people with monetary investments (read: tourism) in the ...
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[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnian_pyramid_claims" ]
[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/396xjd/how_much_do_we_know_about_civilizations_before/cs10e5x" ] ]
26vsv5
Please join us in /r/HistoryNetwork for an Historical IAmA in 190 with Prime Minister Winston Churchill shortly after the Battle of Dunkirk
Greetings folks It's time for another /r/HistoryNetwork IAMA! Join us at 12pm EST in the year 1940 shortly after the Battle of Dunkirk when Prime Minister Winston Churchill drops by to answer questions about the failed operation, his experiences up to that point, and any questions you may have about his life. As alwa...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/26vsv5/please_join_us_in_rhistorynetwork_for_an/
{ "a_id": [ "chuynw7" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Might just have to have a look at that..." ] }
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[ "http://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryNetwork/comments/26vv2d/iama_winston_churchill_ama/" ]
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1cdyye
was meat considered to be something just for the upper class in Europe 900 years ago?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1cdyye/was_meat_considered_to_be_something_just_for_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c9fkmp4", "c9foubn" ], "score": [ 31, 12 ], "text": [ "Not at all. Medieval peasants grew livestock and used their produce for their own sustenance - chickens, pigs, goats, and cows were all consumed by members of all classes. If they lived near a river or the sea, they would ...
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[ [], [] ]
2cy6yl
Where did Yiddish as a language originate?
I have read that it is related to German, and i have also read (although i could certainly believe otherwise) that one who speaks german can easily understand Yiddish. Is there any truth to that as well?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2cy6yl/where_did_yiddish_as_a_language_originate/
{ "a_id": [ "cjk8ifw", "cjkezty" ], "score": [ 3, 4 ], "text": [ "An episode of the [AskHistorians podcast](_URL_0_) deals with this topic. I've pinged /u/gingerkid1234 in case he has more to add.", "א שיינעם דאנק פור די שאלה!\n\nYiddish is, as the podcast and others have said, closely...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/22t0vn/askhistorians_podcast_episode_008_discussion/" ], [] ]
62a1oi
What was civilian life like during WW2? During WW2 in US was life in country more or less "business as usual"?
Growing up I had the idea that the country just unified as a whole with all effort towards the war but growing older it seems like it would be more like what life was like during immediate 9/11 aftermath or during the more significant stages of Iraq war. What I mean is that while the country was tuned into the events ...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/62a1oi/what_was_civilian_life_like_during_ww2_during_ww2/
{ "a_id": [ "dfl14p2", "dfldgos" ], "score": [ 6, 4 ], "text": [ "It was fairly different. Though as the war went on, people took the restrictions less seriously and there was always a thriving black market. \n\nThe main differences were the number of men leaving to join the military was v...
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[ [], [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Ns24Xhv6M" ] ]
2s8ffw
Were US troops in WWII required to have haircuts?
I've been watching a lot of Band of Brothers and something I realized is that a lot of the soldiers have fabulous hair styles. Were haircuts mandatory back then or were soldiers deployed so long that their hair grew back?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2s8ffw/were_us_troops_in_wwii_required_to_have_haircuts/
{ "a_id": [ "cnnlbhq" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "If you mean buzzcuts in the modern sense, no; at least not for the US Army. They absolutely, however, had grooming standards; its a basic tenet of military hygiene. Hair had to be short at the sides and back; away from the collars and not coverin...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2mnys4/why_is_the_101st_easy_companys_neutralizing/", "http://cdn.ipernity.com/113/72/98/6847298.25ed17e7.640.jpg?r2", "http://www.90thidpg.us/Research/Original/Hairstyles/Images/Large/haircut.jpg" ] ]
cb1sx4
It seems to be a commonly held belief that only the richest american families owned slaves. Is this true or just another case of southern revisionist?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/cb1sx4/it_seems_to_be_a_commonly_held_belief_that_only/
{ "a_id": [ "etcwyvo" ], "score": [ 32 ], "text": [ "Adapted from [an older answer](_URL_1_): \n\nIt's a myth that \"only the richest American families\" in southern states could own slaves, which is perpetuated mainly by Confederate apologists hellbent on arguing that the Civil War wasn't about s...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2200dc/if_i_was_an_average_american_citizen_either/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/axtec4/precivil_war_america_if_very_few_people_in_the/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4vmrd0/at_the_peak_of_slavery_in_the_continen...
1hdvi5
Has there ever been any movements similar to Zionism?
Not other movements for Jews to return to Israel but similar movements for other cultures in other lands?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1hdvi5/has_there_ever_been_any_movements_similar_to/
{ "a_id": [ "catjncc", "catp0qv", "catdkel" ], "score": [ 4, 2, 5 ], "text": [ "Irredentism is a fairly common phenomena. For a long, for instance, Greece had ambitions to take back eastern anatolia, which had once been part of the Greek Byzantine world, from the Turks, regardless ...
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[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista" ], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back-to-Africa_movement" ] ]
1k6ew2
I'm the illegitamate kid of a English king in the Middle Ages, what's my life like?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1k6ew2/im_the_illegitamate_kid_of_a_english_king_in_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cbmjesz" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "I assume you're talking about an *acknowledged* illegitimate kid?\n\nIf so, and you're a boy, you'll probably be made a duke or an earl and the king will pay for you're upbringing and you'll have a very comfortable life, including favouritism for...
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4e5xjt
Is the Out of Africa hypothesis still widely accepted? Are all humans really "african?"
Hi there historians, I'm currently doing a history 101 course at uni and it seems to me that the Out of Africa hypothesis is still widely regarded as fact. I mean, I learnt it as fact in highschool, and it certainly seems convincing enough- but every few weeks I see articles popping up debating and debunking the theor...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4e5xjt/is_the_out_of_africa_hypothesis_still_widely/
{ "a_id": [ "d1xb8ho", "d1xgrgv" ], "score": [ 104, 105 ], "text": [ "While some anthropologists hang out here, you should X-post this to /r/AskAnthropology, as this well predates written history.", "The good fellows over at /r/AskAnthropology gave me some [wonderful answers](_URL_0_)"...
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[ [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnthropology/comments/4e65dj/is_the_out_of_africa_hypothesis_still_widely/" ] ]
1b093r
What were the extent of Anglo-Saxon and German Saxon Relations until the Carolingian Conquest of Saxony?
So I'm getting more curious about Anglo-Saxon England as it's an era of my country's history I'm really not very knowledgable about and have found it hard to find a modern, concise overview of the period. One thing I've been getting curious about is what the relationship between the 'English' and 'German' Saxons were. ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1b093r/what_were_the_extent_of_anglosaxon_and_german/
{ "a_id": [ "c92lq6l" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "To answer briefly, there was a massive amount of contact between the two cultures. Trade continued between them in the early years, and after the Anglo-Saxon conversions were complete numerous missionaries were sent to different parts of Germany...
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e8hq43
What did the British plan to do if the captured New Orleans during the war of 1812?
Keep it, burn it like Washington, or use it as a temporary base for the war? *Was* there much of a long term plan, or were they focused more on taking it first?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/e8hq43/what_did_the_british_plan_to_do_if_the_captured/
{ "a_id": [ "fack6tn" ], "score": [ 6 ], "text": [ "I've written [pretty extensively](_URL_0_) before on the causes of the war, on [British war aims](_URL_2_) and their [alliance with American Indians](_URL_3_), and how they contrasted with [American goals](_URL_1_). To make a long story short, th...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9mdy7o/who_won_the_war_of_1812_between_the_united_states/e7egpsx/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7xzsty/why_didnt_great_britain_invade_america_during_the/duchphe/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a96zwe/why_did_the_...
3n4kyt
What was the mentality/practice behind conducting electro-shock therapy on homosexuals as a "cure"?
Looking for a better understanding on how/why this was conducted.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3n4kyt/what_was_the_mentalitypractice_behind_conducting/
{ "a_id": [ "cvl6gdo" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "I'm no expert on this, but I'm currently reading [Steve Silberman's Neurotribes](_URL_0_), which is a cultural history of autism. It's not specifically about homosexuality, but it does delve into the use of electro-shock therapy on autistic child...
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[ [ "http://www.amazon.com/NeuroTribes-Legacy-Autism-Future-Neurodiversity-ebook/dp/B00L9AY254", "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-scot/shock-the-gay-away-secrets-of-early-gay-aversion-therapy-revealed_b_3497435.html" ] ]
3twnhz
Why didn't the Greeks try to explore west?
I have heard/read that the Greeks were able to calculate the circumference of the Earth. If they were able to do this, then wouldn't they be able to tell that there was more land westward (the Americas)?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3twnhz/why_didnt_the_greeks_try_to_explore_west/
{ "a_id": [ "cx9zknb" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "Precisely because they were able to calculate the circumference of the Earth. Ancient Greek ships weren't able to handle the open ocean, and it was thought all the way up until Columbus' time that there was nothing but open ocean between Europe a...
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[ [] ]
4d2alo
Did the USSR have any kind of youth counterculture movement like the USA during the late 1960s?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4d2alo/did_the_ussr_have_any_kind_of_youth/
{ "a_id": [ "d1n8hb9" ], "score": [ 13 ], "text": [ "[Punk in the Soviet Union](_URL_0_)\n\nedit: not in the 60's, but might be interesting." ] }
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1fb02b/was_there_a_punk_subculture_in_the_soviet_union/?ref=search_posts" ] ]
30tu6a
How far into North America did the diplomatic/economic sphere of the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican empires extend? For instance, would a Native American living on the Chesapeake have heard of massive, city-building empires to the south?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/30tu6a/how_far_into_north_america_did_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cpvqun8", "cpw0ahn" ], "score": [ 8, 212 ], "text": [ "If you check our [FAQ](_URL_0_) we have a whole section dedicated to pre-Columbian contact that may answer your question.", "Connections between what is now the American Southwest and Mesoamerican are so well establish...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/nativeamerican#wiki_pre-columbian_trade_and_contact" ], [ "http://www.pnas.org/content/107/50/21283.full", "http://kjknudson.com/publications_and_presentations/JAA_Somervilleetal_macaw.pdf", "http://www.jstor.org/stable/2694879", "http://www.jsto...
2nhamk
What does "punk" mean in this context?
I was reading something written by a relative in about 1930 in which he describes going to a party and having a "punk time". What does this mean? The author was from upstate New York, if that helps. I looked up the word "punk" and all I can find is that it meant "prostitute"... all indications point to him trying to b...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2nhamk/what_does_punk_mean_in_this_context/
{ "a_id": [ "cmdo9bt", "cmdoexw" ], "score": [ 17, 8 ], "text": [ "\"Punk\" was used to mean listless or generally poor. So this could be taken to mean that he was going to a party that was bland and he wasn't having a good time. Would that make sense in the context? Context is everything....
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[ [], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuggets:_Original_Artyfacts_from_the_First_Psychedelic_Era,_1965%E2%80%931968" ] ]
15pzm9
Did any significant amount of early-ish American settlers return to Europe?
If so, what were some of the reasons? How were they received/perceived? Were they seen as oddities? What else? Do you know of any individual cases?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/15pzm9/did_any_significant_amount_of_earlyish_american/
{ "a_id": [ "c7oqwar", "c7orfdb", "c7ou96e", "c7ouobg", "c7oyk9b", "c7oykqa" ], "score": [ 3, 8, 4, 15, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Some did. The most prominent one in the north was probably Edward Winslow who was one of the political leaders a Plymouth. He was event...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Winslow#Leadership_at_Plymouth_and_with_Cromwell_in_England" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darién_scheme" ], [], [], [], [] ]
2dbwul
When NSDAP wanted to replace Roman law with German law, what did they meant?
One of the points of the original NSDAP platform from 1920 was: 19. We demand the replacement of Roman Law, which serves a materialistic World Order, by German Law. Why Nazis objected to Roman Law (did they saw ancient Romans as not white?), and what did they meant by "German Law"? Did they wanted to introduce Anglo...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2dbwul/when_nsdap_wanted_to_replace_roman_law_with/
{ "a_id": [ "cjoepjz" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "A little while ago, there we had [a thread](_URL_0_) concerning this rather obscure topic. Perhaps you want to take a look at it." ] }
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2c1taj/part_of_the_nazi_party_platform_reads_we_demand/" ] ]
1bmrt7
Were left leaning student beatnik types any less hostile towards the Soviet Union in 1960s than most "normal" Americans at the time?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1bmrt7/were_left_leaning_student_beatnik_types_any_less/
{ "a_id": [ "c987esv", "c98abj4" ], "score": [ 6, 3 ], "text": [ "[Students for a Democratic Society](_URL_0_) was one of the most popular and powerful of the \"New Left\" student groups. SDS was founded in 1960, and permitted Communist party members within their ranks (this was a change f...
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[ [ "http://www.sds-1960s.org/" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_davis", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gulag_Archipelago#Historical_impact_of_the_text" ] ]
38gnro
How come the Abwehr were so inefficient and seemingly completely useless in gathering intelligence?
From what I've read about them they were not at all good at their job and the only success in their legacy is dealing with the logistics of annexing neighbouring states.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/38gnro/how_come_the_abwehr_were_so_inefficient_and/
{ "a_id": [ "crv2cu4", "crv9w4n", "crvb08v" ], "score": [ 12, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "Look up what they did in the Netherlands. They were very effective in gathering intelligence before the invasion, trained, supplied and provided information for the Brandenburgers who took vital bridge...
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[ [], [], [] ]
1t4hsz
Are there any examples of a unit or part of an army effectively going rogue and that started doing their own thing?
I ask this because i'm playing a game called Spec Ops: The Line where there is a rogue battalion of the US army. It made me wonder are there an real examples of this happening throughout history?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1t4hsz/are_there_any_examples_of_a_unit_or_part_of_an/
{ "a_id": [ "ce4csnv" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "There are many, many examples of this in Roman civilisation alone. Not to put too fine a point on it, but are you aware of Julius Caesar and [crossing the Rubicon](_URL_0_)?" ] }
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[ [ "http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/caesar.htm" ] ]
28s8q6
Rangers in history
Where there ever any rangers in history? Like Faramir and Aragorn from Lord of the Rings or Will and Halt from the Rangers Apprentice series. If you haven't heard of them basically they are exceptional archers that are superb at remaining unseen using there skills and a mottled green cloak, to be general. If there were...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/28s8q6/rangers_in_history/
{ "a_id": [ "cie4jzd" ], "score": [ 25 ], "text": [ "Well, the archetypal form of those sorts of characters certainly existed. Tolkein, as a professor of English, was very aware of his influences and what he was drawing on. The later horde of fantasy authors ripping him off? Probably less so. \n\n...
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5raunu
Were more artillery shells fired in WWII or WWI per capita?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5raunu/were_more_artillery_shells_fired_in_wwii_or_wwi/
{ "a_id": [ "dd5ur08" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "per capita what? Per artilleryman? Per frontline infantryman? Per European population?" ] }
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3kni3n
Back in the days when people believed witchcraft was a real thing and prosecuted people for being witches, how could they on one hand believe in malevolent magic and yet believe they could arrest, imprison and execute a "witch" and the witch would not escape/take revenge with their magic?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3kni3n/back_in_the_days_when_people_believed_witchcraft/
{ "a_id": [ "cuywuld", "cuz1ccd", "cuz8tsd", "cuzie1j", "cuznw3r" ], "score": [ 874, 44, 23, 4, 2 ], "text": [ "The answer lies in our conception of magic. To most people in the modern world the first image that comes to mind is Harry Potter making things fly around...
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[ [], [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benandanti" ], [], [ "https://books.google.com/books?id=LngTuKdHLiIC" ] ]
bk6z5l
Did medieval knights lift?
Is strength training a modern phenomenon, or have people who wanted to become strong always picked up and put down heavy things over and over?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bk6z5l/did_medieval_knights_lift/
{ "a_id": [ "emedv6g", "emg3jiu" ], "score": [ 12, 3 ], "text": [ "I highly recommend [this thread](_URL_1_) by /u/knight117 and [this one](_URL_0_) by /u/kardlonoc which both deal with the question you ask. \n\n & #x200B;\n\nThe TL;DR is \"sort of\". They trained but primarily in a more ...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2h2kwv/did_medieval_exercise_include_pushups_or_situps/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6lhry3/how_did_medieval_knights_stay_fit_for_combat/" ], [ "http://www.thearma.org/essays/fit/RennFit.htm" ] ]
3m8w7q
Would we really have made more scientific progress today if it where not for the decline of the roman empire and the dark ages?
[deleted]
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3m8w7q/would_we_really_have_made_more_scientific/
{ "a_id": [ "cvd6azt" ], "score": [ 13 ], "text": [ "For one, the Roman Empire was actually not a very innovative entity. There are a few pieces of advanced technology like concrete which would not be re-discovered until after the renaissance but for the most part the Empire was simply good at ach...
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mos2i
Can you recommend resources that can be used to teach the Enlightenment to high school students?
I am in a credentialing program to become a history teacher, and I am putting together a unit plan for the Age of Enlightenment as a final project for a class. The unit will be about 3 weeks long for a high school class. What are some good documents, preferably short (high school, though can be longer if you could re...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/mos2i/can_you_recommend_resources_that_can_be_used_to/
{ "a_id": [ "c32s45m", "c32vb02", "c32xa0r", "c32s45m", "c32vb02", "c32xa0r" ], "score": [ 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "It depends on how far you wish to go with the ideas. The ideas of Francis Bacon certainly weren't new to Europe, and he really didn't ha...
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[ [], [], [], [], [], [] ]
1yddbe
I'm a young Macedonian man in the Hellenic period. Why would I follow Alexander the Great to the edge of the known world knowing that death was certain? What was life like for me during Alexander's conquests?
*Clarification*: Hellenic period should be Hellenistic Period
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1yddbe/im_a_young_macedonian_man_in_the_hellenic_period/
{ "a_id": [ "cfjk1dl", "cfjlt57" ], "score": [ 102, 35 ], "text": [ "This is a great question and a fascinating one. It's always difficult to tell what the average person's life was like in antiquity. If you ever study Alexander's life in depth, you'll run into many unanswered questions an...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_cavalry", "http://www.petersommer.com/travel-writing/alexander-the-great-travel-article/", "http://books.google.com/books?id=OiMWqRokCZ4C&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=alexander+the+great+average+soldier&source=bl&ots=mhOgLzEmRR&sig=4wDkMY4yCakAv9U...
1s2e95
What are the earliest accounts of 'roleplaying'? I assume children always played pretend but what did adults have any kind of pseudo-D & D in the past? When did these hobbies start to become 'a thing', basically?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1s2e95/what_are_the_earliest_accounts_of_roleplaying_i/
{ "a_id": [ "cdtb59e", "cdticjb" ], "score": [ 23, 10 ], "text": [ "Having asked my colleagues at #Twitterstorians, they suggested the following piece, which should answer your question.\n\n_URL_0_", "War reenactment was an early sort of 'roleplaying', where people dress in the uniform...
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[ [ "http://www.robmacdougall.org/blog/2007/05/dungeon-master-zero/" ], [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War_reenactment", "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sealed_Knot_(reenactment)" ] ]
1uc1xc
How did "...berg" and "...stein" become Jewish last name suffixes? It seems like they should be universal names for Eastern Europeans.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1uc1xc/how_did_berg_and_stein_become_jewish_last_name/
{ "a_id": [ "cegls48", "ceglwmo", "cegxw33", "ceh7htd", "cekzwxg", "cemg78o" ], "score": [ 22, 152, 2, 2, 2, 2 ], "text": [ "Jewish names can be patronymic, matronymic , occupation or place names, or even chosen for their cadence! for example:\n\n**Patronym...
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[ [], [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1782_Edict_of_Tolerance", "http://sh1.webring.com/people/bt/touviagoldstein/documents.html", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Friedrich_Karl_vom_und_zum_Stein" ], [], [ "http://books.google.fr/books?id=4LssAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage...
5xq62n
Why does North Korea have such few allies?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5xq62n/why_does_north_korea_have_such_few_allies/
{ "a_id": [ "denik7n" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "North and South Korea both claim to be the one true Korea with the other one being an illegitimate government. Historically, both sides have legitimate claims with Pyongyang and Kaeseong both being major capital cities of former dynasties during ...
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5nas3e
Why do European monarchs almost always have adjectives applied to their names? (i.e. Louis "the Pious" of France)
Also, is it something that was added by historians after the fact, or were they generally given during a monarch's reign? (Presumably some, like Charles the Bald, wouldn't have liked this).
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5nas3e/why_do_european_monarchs_almost_always_have/
{ "a_id": [ "dca4oie" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "For both Louis the Pious and his son Charles the Bald, these were both names by which they were known during their lifetimes. As for Charles' opinions on his nickname, we've no record of how he felt about it, but he might well have like it and fo...
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5gl112
Treatment of French colonies
I have a task in school to talk about how the french treated their colonies. I have found some information, but i would like to know more
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5gl112/treatment_of_french_colonies/
{ "a_id": [ "dat313m" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Hey there, AskHistorians allows homework questions, but other people can't do the work for you - for the way HW questions are treated on here see [the rules](_URL_0_) and [this roundtable discussion](_URL_1_). To boil it down, you have to show th...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_homework", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4cb022/rules_roundtable_8_the_raskhistorians_homework/" ] ]
3iho7w
Where does the church's money come from?
I understand that in the past things were different, but nowadays the roman catholic church is far from its days of glory, still it manages to fund every church around the continent? Donations can´t suffice I mean...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3iho7w/where_does_the_churchs_money_come_from/
{ "a_id": [ "cugmmwf" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "This goes well within the 20 year rule, you may want to ask this on a religious oriented sub, such as /r/Catholicism or /r/Christianity.\n\nAs an aside, the church can have jobs outside just being a priest. I know my local pastor is also a succes...
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1nreak
How did "x" become the conventional, go-to variable?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1nreak/how_did_x_become_the_conventional_goto_variable/
{ "a_id": [ "ccldrty" ], "score": [ 32 ], "text": [ " > You'll find details on this point (and precise references) in Cajori's History mathematical notations, 340. He credits Descartes in his La Géometrie for the introduction of x, y and z (and more generally, usefully and interestingly, for the ...
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[ [ "http://jeff560.tripod.com/variables.html", "http://jeff560.tripod.com/mathword.html", "http://archive.org/details/historyofmathema031756mbp", "http://mathoverflow.net/questions/30307/explanation-why-x-y-z-are-always-variables/30414#30414", "http://jeff560.tripod.com/mathsym.html" ] ]
8b0buj
Ku Klux Klan's reaction to Hilter
How did the Klan react to Hilter and him advocating the creation of a white ethnostate? How did they view the second world war? Were they anti-Germany for their connection to the U.S./ U.S. identity and them viewing German rule as totalitarian/anti-indivual freedom, or were they in support of Nazi Germany and their ent...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8b0buj/ku_klux_klans_reaction_to_hilter/
{ "a_id": [ "dx30wk2" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "[From a previous answer](_URL_0_):\n\nSo the history of the KKK and the Nazi movement isn't a particularly big one, but given the similarities - being largely centered around ideologies of racial exclusion - it shouldn't be a surprise that they d...
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6gy4nr/the_recent_e3_reveal_of_the_new_wolfenstein_game/diugt1v/" ] ]
4eoupv
Battle of Leuctra - the defeat the broke Sparta's power
As u/Iphikrates suggested, I've started a thread for the questions. I have a few of my own. Now I understand a lot would be conjecture and interpretation based on our sources, so if I could get a current state of the debate and what's more widely accepted in unclear situations that would be great! Here are my question...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4eoupv/battle_of_leuctra_the_defeat_the_broke_spartas/
{ "a_id": [ "d22dlmm" ], "score": [ 12 ], "text": [ "**1/3: Historiography**\n\nThe Battle of Leuktra (371 BC) is notoriously difficult to reconstruct. As Pritchett once remarked with obvious exasperation, \"there are more reconstructions of Leuktra than of any other ancient battle, and the end is...
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[ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4ejs5f/why_were_there_so_many_famous_pitched_battles_in/d21cea5" ]
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2tr77m
was Nero (the emperor) crazy from the beginning ?
Hi I found two different stories about Nero. the first (from BBC documentary) says that Nero was good man in the beginning, but after "Great Fire of Rome", when he tried to reconstruct the town, he become foolish of art. In the second, (other documentary) it's said that he was crazy from the beginning and the fire was...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2tr77m/was_nero_the_emperor_crazy_from_the_beginning/
{ "a_id": [ "co1psuq" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "I wrote [an answer](_URL_0_) to a similar question a few months back. The tl;dr of it is that Nero likely never was crazy, he was just really unfit to be an emperor of Rome." ] }
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2iuvet/why_and_by_who_was_nero_accused_after_the_fire_in/" ] ]
ewrurj
In the 1970s UK sitcom Fawlty Towers, a few guests are shown to live permanently at the hotel. Was this common during this time? What factors led people to choose life in a hotel, and did this have a long history?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ewrurj/in_the_1970s_uk_sitcom_fawlty_towers_a_few_guests/
{ "a_id": [ "fg5bmyy" ], "score": [ 695 ], "text": [ "Hotel living has a *long* history--the *Eloise* books by Kay Thompson are probably the most famous example. I can talk a little bit about some of the earlier history, specifically, hotel living in Paris!\n\n*(This is adapted from several of my ...
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dympbs
Why did 20th amendment required 3/4 of the states to be ratified?
My understanding is that for an amendment to be ratified, it is required that 2/3 of the states have to approve the said amendment through their legislative process. However, the section 6 of the 20th amendment sets the limit at 3/4 of the states: Section 6. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have be...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/dympbs/why_did_20th_amendment_required_34_of_the_states/
{ "a_id": [ "f82ahx3" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "I think a couple of things are getting mixed up here. \n\nFor the process of amending the Constitution, as laid out in the 1787 document (Article V), here is the original language:\n\n > The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem...
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60kzbf
What do we know about the fowl of the roman empire?
My understanding is turkeys are a much more recent addition to european cuisine than other birds. What poultry would a Roman have typically eaten in the late empire? How would they have prepared it?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/60kzbf/what_do_we_know_about_the_fowl_of_the_roman_empire/
{ "a_id": [ "df7c4nl" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "Fortunately there is a cook book from the late 4th or early 5th century CE. That book is Apicius. Keep in mind these recipes would have been for the upper class of society. There is a section on fowl which includes chicken, pheasant, goose, duck ...
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[ [ "http://www.gutenberg.org/files/29728/29728-h/29728-h.htm#bki_chvii" ] ]
30uqnv
In the UK, how did political power shift away from the nobility?
At one point in time, the Parliament was dominated by the nobility but nowadays it's dominated by the "common man" (though a cynic may say it hasn't changed at all). My question, specifically, is basically when did it become OK for someone who wasn't born to noble blood to hold actual political power?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/30uqnv/in_the_uk_how_did_political_power_shift_away_from/
{ "a_id": [ "cpvzxg3" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "It was taken from the hands of the nobility in 1999 when Labour removed the rights of peers to sit in the House of Lords, which is the UK's second chamber.\n\n92 hereditary peers are left there today, along with 26 Princes of the Church. The rest...
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129g3o
How did the first century Greeks and Romans view women? Further, how was this different from how Christians treated women?
I come from a very conservative Christian background, and in studies I have begun to question the role of women in the early Church. On the one hand they are seen as equal to men (Galatians 3:28), but on the other they are to be silent in the assembly (1 Corinthians 14:34). This leads me to my question on the treatme...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/129g3o/how_did_the_first_century_greeks_and_romans_view/
{ "a_id": [ "c6ta2fv", "c6tdaen", "c6tdefi" ], "score": [ 3, 5, 9 ], "text": [ "There's an [interesting article on this at _URL_0_](_URL_1_).", "Rodney Stark wrote an interesting article in the mid-90's arguing that as early Christianity attracted a disproportionately large num...
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[ [ "PBS.org", "http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/women.html" ], [], [] ]
7kz79d
Monday Methods | An Indigenous Pedagogy
Good day! Welcome to another installment of Monday Methods (ignore that this was submitted Tuesday night), a bi-weekly feature where we discuss, explain, and explore historical methods, historiography, and theoretical frameworks concerning history. Today, I want to talk about something slightly different. It does conc...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7kz79d/monday_methods_an_indigenous_pedagogy/
{ "a_id": [ "drkbuv0", "drlzkz9" ], "score": [ 5, 6 ], "text": [ "This is incredibly interesting as a way to approach teaching. Do you know if this is implemented in non-indigenous settings too or is it something that is a process within specifically indigenous settings?", "Another ver...
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[ "https://i.imgur.com/yfzc5B1.png" ]
[ [], [] ]
1c0opv
Is it true that there have been 29 years free of war in all of human history?
I've heard this "fact" many times, and apparently it was claimed by Will Durant. I can't find the context of this statement or his methodology in determining it however.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1c0opv/is_it_true_that_there_have_been_29_years_free_of/
{ "a_id": [ "c9bvyy7" ], "score": [ 10 ], "text": [ "It rather depends how you define things. If you count tribal disputes as wars, then it is unlikely there was ever a year without war. If you don't count tribal disputes, only formal armies, then the majority of human existence was without war. ...
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3ijh7x
Why didn't Hitler tell Mussolini about his plans to invade the USSR?
I saw this on a documentary today. It was a total surprise to Mussolini. I thought the Italians were in it from the start. Why didn't Hitler tell him and when did the Italians get into the USSR war?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ijh7x/why_didnt_hitler_tell_mussolini_about_his_plans/
{ "a_id": [ "cuhanfl", "cuhb7qj", "cuhbh6s" ], "score": [ 85, 20, 8 ], "text": [ "This one is kind of complex. \n\n[Operation Barbarossa](_URL_2_) was the operation the Axis had planned to invade the Soviet Union. Nazi Germany had started to amass troops and equipment and had a pre...
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[ [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pact_of_Steel", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Expeditionary_Corps_in_Russia", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Italian_War", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Greece", "https://en.wikip...
182pco
Urban abandonment during late antiquity and the middle ages.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, why were the great cities mostly abandoned? Well, not just the major cities, but urban areas in general. Society gravitated towards a more sustenance based economy and rural farming etc. For instance, why were the aqueducts left broken after the Goth victory? You had both the Ostro...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/182pco/urban_abandonment_during_late_antiquity_and_the/
{ "a_id": [ "c8b2e5s" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "In the case of the Roman empire, there are several possibilities:\n\n- The loss of North Africa to the Vandals. North Africa was the breadbasket of the Western Roman Empire, and without it, huge cities could no longer be supported. There was a si...
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12zv9c
Hello AskHistorians, what are the most interesting or important books within your specialty, and what are they about? I am a teacher, creating a recommended/optional reading list for highly motivated students. Thank you!
I am creating a list of optional/recommended reading for those special students who really want to go above and beyond and learn more. I can tell you about good books to read within my own subset of interests, but there are a lot of areas that I know fairly little about. If there's a book that you think is worth readi...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/12zv9c/hello_askhistorians_what_are_the_most_interesting/
{ "a_id": [ "c6zjky0", "c6zjn8y", "c6zkbf2", "c6zl3m9", "c6zl9vu", "c6zlm3o", "c6zm347", "c6zmink", "c6zmlz5", "c6zmzas", "c6zoly0", "c6zomp7", "c6zqe2r", "c6zvcz8" ], "score": [ 2, 8, 6, 3, 21, 12, 2, 4, 2, 7, 3, ...
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[ [], [], [], [], [ "http://www.aidanfc.net/a_year_in_pyongyang.html" ], [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/san2c/thoughts_on_storm_of_steel_in_stahlgewittern_by/c4cka77", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/12mw78/what_impact_did_the_first_world_war_have_on_the/c6wj...
2wqylg
What is the mythological precedent for Jesus's single resurrection?
Ancient religions were full of "dying gods," gods and goddesses who died and then rose in a specific cycle. We have Adonis, Persephone, and Dionysus, and that's just in Greek mythology. The list is massive, but these all have the idea of a cycle in common. They'll die again, and come back again, forever. Are there any ...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2wqylg/what_is_the_mythological_precedent_for_jesuss/
{ "a_id": [ "cotdn0x", "cotdn4c", "cotr800" ], "score": [ 4, 30, 9 ], "text": [ "'The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt' by Toby Wilkinson describes how \"original sin [and] final judgement before a great god, and the promise of a glorious resurrection\" (p143-144) are already devised...
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[ [], [ "http://www.worldcat.org/title/riddle-of-resurrection-dying-and-rising-gods-in-the-ancient-near-east/oclc/48966476&referer=brief_results" ], [] ]
9meyt9
American WW1 vet grave markings.
I’m trying to do some research on a relative who fought in WW1. I haven’t been able to find much info other than what’s on his grave. The tombstone reads as follows: Name, PFC CO.A 13th M.G. BN. WORLD WAR 1 It’s my understanding that he was a machine gunner and fought in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. I’m trying to...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9meyt9/american_ww1_vet_grave_markings/
{ "a_id": [ "e7e47di", "e7e5em7" ], "score": [ 2, 2 ], "text": [ "That's his unit. Company A, 13th Machine Gun Battalion.\n\nSee page 76 of this PDF\n\n_URL_0_", "Hi there! The MG BN probably stands for Machine Gun Battalion. You might find our [resources on locating military records](...
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[ [ "https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/023/23-2/CMH_Pub_23-2.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjtn5KMgffdAhXIT98KHV4jDaoQFjAFegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw03HCpceVlbfoUvg93XYMmJ" ], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/militaryrecords" ] ]
bcgkcp
What is it about Jamaican culture - opposed to other Caribbean nations - that produced so much extraordinary music?
“Extraordinary music”, being quote subjective, judged here on artistic and creative quality, as well as universal resonance and international popularity.
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bcgkcp/what_is_it_about_jamaican_culture_opposed_to/
{ "a_id": [ "ekqsr3w" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Not to stifle discussion, but /u/hillsonghoods wrote [some fantastic replies to a similar question](_URL_0_) of mine which I'd recommend checking out." ] }
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9h8xj3/from_ska_to_rocksteady_and_reggae_to_dub_jamaican/e6ae1oa/" ] ]
3zj9k6
What do we know about the Helots before they were enslaved by the Dorians/Spartiates? Did they ever manage to liberate themselves?
Additional question which I'm not sure is subreddit appropriate: are the modern inhabitants of the Peloponnesus closer to the Spartiates, the Perioieci or the Helots?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3zj9k6/what_do_we_know_about_the_helots_before_they_were/
{ "a_id": [ "cymod9v" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The ancient sources for helots are of such paucity and quality that scholars keep getting to diametrically opposite conclusions about who they were, what was their servial status, and the timing of their servitude. If you're interested in Helotry...
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[ [ "http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2005/2005-06-26.html", "http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Thuc.+4.80", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorian_invasion", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephor" ] ]
2dwd63
What was the origin and meaning behind the haircuts of Medieval Japan?
Last night I was watching *Kagemusha* by Akira Kirosawa (great film, a must watch), and strangely became curious about the haircuts of the various daimyos, and their retainers. Each rank appeared to have a different hair style. What started these various hairstyles and what were their meanings?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2dwd63/what_was_the_origin_and_meaning_behind_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cjtzqr7" ], "score": [ 2 ], "text": [ "Frankly I only know of the common topknot (\"Chonmage\") which was mostly done as a way to ensure that the kabuto helmet would fit snugly on one's head. The idea was that the topknot would be able to fit through a small hole in the helmet. Over...
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65f3qw
When I think of the legacy of dueling, I picture it as an exclusively male enterprise. Is this really the case? Or are there records of women dueling as well?
Forgive me if this skates too close to the "throughout history" sort of question -- I guess I will narrow it down to 17th-19th c. Europe, if that helps. Did women ever duel? If so, with what weapons? And over what subjects?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/65f3qw/when_i_think_of_the_legacy_of_dueling_i_picture/
{ "a_id": [ "dg9qcyw" ], "score": [ 14 ], "text": [ "Not discouraging any new answers coming in, but you better believe that /u/Georgy_K_Zhukov wrote about [this topic already](_URL_0_). Hope it helps!" ] }
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[ [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4sgees/in_western_europe_or_the_americas_did_women_ever/d593h46/" ] ]
32hj6h
I was told that there is so much historical proof of jesus' ressurection that you can't claim it didn't happen, how true is this?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/32hj6h/i_was_told_that_there_is_so_much_historical_proof/
{ "a_id": [ "cqbtgxs" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "**Commenters:** Please keep our commenting rules in mind as you respond to this. We've already had to remove a lot of comments that weren't up to the standards of the subreddit.\n\n**OP:** We actually have this question asked from time to time, ...
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[ [ "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/rubhc/so_what_do_we_actually_know_about_the_life/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/259vcd/how_much_evidence_is_there_for_a_historical_jesus/", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1sbq67/we_are_scholarsexperts_on_ancient_judai...
34gqic
Was Russia/Stalin truly hoping to share the Europe with Germany/Hitler or was Stalin playing a waiting game?
Ive read some history accounts that paint Stalin as being totally shocked and emotionally crushed that his "friend" Hitler decided to back stab him. Ive read that he locked himself in the room and would not talk to folks for 3 days. Was he really that shocked? Wasn't he planning the same move against Hitler or did h...
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/34gqic/was_russiastalin_truly_hoping_to_share_the_europe/
{ "a_id": [ "cquojaj", "cquqwml" ], "score": [ 310, 53 ], "text": [ "First of all let me say that Stalin didn't leave a diary so we can't exactly say what his emotions or personal thoughts were with confidence. That said, he was probably neither of those things. \n\nThe idea that he locked...
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1mxr0s
What was going on in China that so many of them migrated to work for the railroads in the U.S.?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1mxr0s/what_was_going_on_in_china_that_so_many_of_them/
{ "a_id": [ "ccdlnr8", "ccdotfp" ], "score": [ 9, 9 ], "text": [ "The Taiping Rebellion started in 1850. It was fairly bloody, even by Chinese standards. The effects of that rebellion also inspired others to rebel and there were associated problems with flooding and famine. _URL_0_", ...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Rebellion" ], [] ]
14x8cs
what did it cost to go see an actual mozart opera?
what was the ticket price in current cost? did it include anything like snacks?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/14x8cs/what_did_it_cost_to_go_see_an_actual_mozart_opera/
{ "a_id": [ "c7haydl", "c7hdzih", "c7hgjnn" ], "score": [ 81, 32, 8 ], "text": [ "I can't seem to find any really solid sources right now, and all my books are still at school (I'm home from college on break right now), but I have studied music history quite a bit, so I can at leas...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_operas_by_Mozart" ], [], [ "http://bazonline.ch/kultur/klassik/Wie-Topverdiener-Mozart-sein-Vermoegen-verprasste/story/18066880", "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L6d-cxfUiEs/TLXo-FBGz0I/AAAAAAAAAag/qNya8qPy2fs/s1600/Don+Giovanni_Bill_Oldest.jpg" ] ]
9szdkl
Why did Mormonism succeed?
I just learned in my APUSH class about the rise of Mormonism in the 1800's and from all the facts, I don't understand why it succeeded far more than any other movements. Somebody claiming to have a third part of the Bible just seems like it shouldn't have worked. What factors led to the rise of Mormonism in America?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9szdkl/why_did_mormonism_succeed/
{ "a_id": [ "e8t7vlp" ], "score": [ 450 ], "text": [ "Yay, a question where I actually have some level of cursory expertise!\n\nTL;DR at the end. Sorry for typos, didn't proof before submitting.\n\nTo begin understanding how Mormonism was allowed to flourish requires a brief understanding of the P...
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sy3wq
How do we know how many people died under Stalin and Mao?
I ask because I've been reading some things which suggest that the numbers are exaggerated (possibly to slander communism?) and so I was curious as to how the accepted death tolls came about.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/sy3wq/how_do_we_know_how_many_people_died_under_stalin/
{ "a_id": [ "c4hywal", "c4hzepn", "c4hzjux", "c4i0k6a" ], "score": [ 14, 7, 6, 8 ], "text": [ "We honestly don't know accurately, it's mostly educated guesses and deduction, some will be higher than reality and some will be lower than the true number. It's just like with mo...
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[ [], [], [], [] ]
7mjqp5
How did Native Americans in Canada survive the massive snow dumps and -20/-30 degree weather?
Checking my app, it says it feels like -28. How did the Native Americans survive this? I understand they had clothing made out of skins but even so... did they hunt in these garments? What happened if they got wet from snow? How did they get food when there’s three, four layers of snow 90cm high? How could woman have c...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7mjqp5/how_did_native_americans_in_canada_survive_the/
{ "a_id": [ "drurank", "drv5ksc" ], "score": [ 989, 674 ], "text": [ "1. Could you please specify what era you're interested in? In 2006, 50.3% of people living in the Northwest Territories identified themselves as Aboriginal Canadians (First Nations, Metis, Inuit, or multiple/other Aborig...
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[ [ "http://moses.creighton.edu/kripke/jesuitrelations/", "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/42ban7/how_did_the_early_settlers_on_the_east_coast_of/cz9btqy/" ], [] ]
1kb8rn
How exactly did the Japanese worship their Emperor in the early 20th century/ww2?
Was there a set of rituals? Did they actually pray to him? Would dying for your country get you into paradise? What were children instructed in schools? How did it sync up with other religions?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1kb8rn/how_exactly_did_the_japanese_worship_their/
{ "a_id": [ "cbn6ga7", "cbn7unr" ], "score": [ 5, 4 ], "text": [ "To my knowledge the Emperor wasn't praised as a god via rituals as that would go against their religion to their many gods, it would have been seen as an insult.\n\nIn the early 20th century/WW2 era the Emporer was often tho...
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31hkg2
How did Nazi Germany a regime born out of the ruins of World War 1 have so much access to a diverse pool of top notch academics by world war 2? ( Rocket scientists, Gunsmiths, Cytologists/ciphers, Tank and aircraft engineers)
I mean isn't it absolutely crazy how a destitute nation could have access to such great minds as to have made the Enigma, Tiger tank, V3 rocket and stermgever?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/31hkg2/how_did_nazi_germany_a_regime_born_out_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "cq1rc1d", "cq1ri1v", "cq1rkkk", "cq1s28h", "cq1ul3o" ], "score": [ 131, 29, 12, 3, 3 ], "text": [ "It seems to me that you assume that if there is hunger and some political chaos that all the institutions stop functioning? Germany before WWI was one of ...
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[ [ "http://www.worldeconomics.com/Data/MadisonHistoricalGDP/Madison%20Historical%20GDP%20Data.efp", "https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c6VaKFh7znO4RT_FBJxQcQLepehkf_4ymwZclpnx-M8/edit?usp=sharing" ], [], [ "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ewfg2/was_germany_far_ahead_technolog...
2tqnvr
Why are bronze and brass not as common metals to make things as they used to be in antiquity?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2tqnvr/why_are_bronze_and_brass_not_as_common_metals_to/
{ "a_id": [ "co1g483" ], "score": [ 5 ], "text": [ "we have harder metals to work that produce a better product in the end.\n\nThe main issue with bronze is that its a rather soft metal and doesn't keep its edge well. While early iron suffered similar issues (with less reparability) the moment you...
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1v9rkj
Why does the Dutch government reside in The Hague if the capital is Amsterdam ?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1v9rkj/why_does_the_dutch_government_reside_in_the_hague/
{ "a_id": [ "ceq9muv", "ceq9mwr", "ceq9nii" ], "score": [ 4, 58, 8 ], "text": [ "Short answer: the seat of political power, nowadays known as *het Binnenhof*, has been in the Hague since 1446. [The wikipedia entry of het Binnenhof](_URL_0_) can give you some more details on the loc...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binnenhof" ], [ "http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/encyclopedie/monarchie/prinsjesdag/ridderzaal/", "Steljevraag.nl", "http://www.reddit.com/u/TheDomCook", "http://english.prodemos.nl/English/Visitor-Centre", "http://www.steljevraag.nl/viewquestion?questionID=1...
2qjaqu
What exactly did the Jewish aristocracy do in Babylon?
Were they doing slave labor? Or were they doing more suitable tasks like being advisors or scribes?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2qjaqu/what_exactly_did_the_jewish_aristocracy_do_in/
{ "a_id": [ "cn6oo8k" ], "score": [ 13 ], "text": [ "As a corollary to OP's question:\nWhat was the life of an average Jew in Babylon like? How were the classes divided? Were Jews well integrated into Babylonian society? " ] }
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13dg3s
How true is the statement that the Soviet Union won the World War II in Europe?
The way I understood it was that the Soviets could not have beaten the Germans on the Eastern Front without Allied aid in weapons, vehicles, supplies, etc.. Thus, the true (er) answer was that it was the Allied nations who won rather than any one country. How correct is this?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/13dg3s/how_true_is_the_statement_that_the_soviet_union/
{ "a_id": [ "c72ytmi", "c732x96" ], "score": [ 7, 3 ], "text": [ "There are two acceptable answers to this question. Militarily, the Soviet Union wins World War Two. They grind the Germans up, tie down major parts of the German army, and push gigantic distances (while taking serious casual...
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f6hyof
Why was being able to flank an opponents army so powerful pre-gunpowder?
Why were formations not able to adjust to being attacked from all sides? According to my simple logic, the amount of people actively fighting on each front line would still be approximately the same, so while not having a retreat-route sucks, casualties should be about the same as when both armies clash in a straight l...
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f6hyof/why_was_being_able_to_flank_an_opponents_army_so/
{ "a_id": [ "fi5bx4t" ], "score": [ 8 ], "text": [ "More can always be said, but the following previous answers are quite excellent explanations.\n\nu/Iphikrates offers a [comprehensive treatment on just this topic here](_URL_0_), and u/theshadowdawn has a [similar answer here](_URL_1_), with spec...
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[ [ "https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8gt4bc/why_didnt_spearmen_just_spin_around_when_being/", "https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bf9val/why_was_being_surrounded_so_bad_in_antique/" ] ]
254wq0
What was the role of light infantry in Napoleonic era battles?
I was just curious on their roles in battle containing hundreds of thousands of men. I know they were used as skirmishers, but what does that entail?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/254wq0/what_was_the_role_of_light_infantry_in_napoleonic/
{ "a_id": [ "chdt0q7" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "So, first I'll unpack a few things. What I will be talking about is mainly focused on the French Imperial Army, I don't know enough of the other army compositions to help but I am sure that we have the right people to help. Second, within the Fre...
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2lyl4j
Following the death of Augustus, why didn't he wish full power to go back to the Senete?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2lyl4j/following_the_death_of_augustus_why_didnt_he_wish/
{ "a_id": [ "clzgput" ], "score": [ 11 ], "text": [ "*EDIT: While I love the period, I'm not an expert, so please read /u/LegalAction's counterpoints below.*\n\nThere is an overly idealised fantasy, portrayed in for example the film Gladiator though it is not limited to Hollywood, of the Roman Rep...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulla", "http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ljtpu/how_did_the_romans_during_the_principate_the/clwe5yg" ] ]
45tp29
Why were there so few violent border changes between the Christian Iberian kingdoms?
Apart from the Reconquista, the kings in Iberia didn't attack anyone for land it seems in videos like [this one](_URL_0_), why?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/45tp29/why_were_there_so_few_violent_border_changes/
{ "a_id": [ "d00e6hg" ], "score": [ 4 ], "text": [ "A reply to /u/HenkWaterlander ,\n\nMaybe you can clarify what assertion you are questioning, because your wording is ambiguous. Are you suggesting that the Christian kingdoms of Iberia had very little among themselves *before* the Reconquesta? Ho...
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[ "https://youtu.be/pmtzmqLOAVA" ]
[ [] ]
1l0tq5
In a _URL_0_ photoplasty, one of the facts stated that if you were a child in England in the middle ages you would have been sewn into your winter clothing until spring. Can anybody give information on this? Is it even true?
Here is the specific picture I am talking about: _URL_0_
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1l0tq5/in_a_crackedcom_photoplasty_one_of_the_facts/
{ "a_id": [ "cbupdbf", "cburh2e", "cbuyg55" ], "score": [ 18, 61, 19 ], "text": [ "What happened here?", "I can't say that it's never happened, but it seems unlikely that it was widespread. A quick review of a handful of texts doesn't show anything suggesting that this was typi...
[ "cracked.com" ]
[ "http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/photoshop/9/1/6/202916_slide.jpg?v=1" ]
[ [], [], [ "http://molcat1.bl.uk/IllImages/Kslides/mid/K038/K038475.jpg", "http://www.wga.hu/detail/m/memling/3mature3/25more1.jpg", "http://www.forest.gen.nz/Medieval/articles/garments/H44/H44.html", "http://www.flickr.com/photos/26872131@N07/3177675770", "http://www.wga.hu/detail/c/christus...
16sjv9
How often did people in various time periods hear music?
There are a few periods I myself am interested in. Other people here should contribute if they can answer about other periods. One, America in 1910. Two, China during the Han dynasty. Then, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome(Roman Republic and Caesarian Dynasty). Lastly, Germany in the latter half of the 1800s.
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/16sjv9/how_often_did_people_in_various_time_periods_hear/
{ "a_id": [ "c86q04e" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "Before the advent of recording, music was fairly rare, but depended on the situation (especially social class). I can comment briefly on America in 1910 and Germany post-1850.\nIn 19th century Germany, music would have been heard in church, wher...
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2o4vij
Did Roman occupation of areas end suddenly (England 410 AD) or did they slowly withdraw over many years or even decades?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2o4vij/did_roman_occupation_of_areas_end_suddenly/
{ "a_id": [ "cmjt59i", "cmjuwv1", "cmjvo9l" ], "score": [ 6, 3, 28 ], "text": [ "What I'm about to say is heavily debated so be careful.\n\nFor a start how do we define Roman administration? if we define it was direct rule from Rome then Roman control had been slipping for a while,...
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1dkolg
How is it that it took until the mid 19th century for people to understand the negative correlation between keeping a wound clean, and that wound becoming infected?
Over all those thousands of years, with millions of data points, particularly in wars and natural disasters, nobody noticed that keeping a wound covered and clean helped it heal faster?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dkolg/how_is_it_that_it_took_until_the_mid_19th_century/
{ "a_id": [ "c9r8yly", "c9r90r6" ], "score": [ 21, 15 ], "text": [ "This has more to do with differing definitions of \"clean\" than it does with people in the past being stupid. Dressings were expected to kept fresh. People spend a lot of time covered in dirt and grime, but manage not to...
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2eq1bx
How tall was King Louis XVI of France?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2eq1bx/how_tall_was_king_louis_xvi_of_france/
{ "a_id": [ "ck1ts0q" ], "score": [ 3 ], "text": [ "The real height of Louis XVI is not known. However, his coronation \" outfit \" is between 1,90m and 1,93m. \n\nThe tallest King of France was François Ier which was described to be between 1,95m and 2,00m however, thanks to one of his armour, hi...
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8cwqw8
Was there a large amount of fear in the 1930s that the Spanish Civil War would spill out into a larger regional or even global conflict?
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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8cwqw8/was_there_a_large_amount_of_fear_in_the_1930s/
{ "a_id": [ "dxihh2j", "dxipk5f", "dxiwpwz" ], "score": [ 13, 11, 2 ], "text": [ "Certainly.\n\nThis fear was such, that, early on, a non-intervention agreement was signed by many European countries in August of 1936, which created the aptly named Non-Intervention Committee. The mo...
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4cnpun
What role did slavery have in the industrial revolution, if any?
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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4cnpun/what_role_did_slavery_have_in_the_industrial/
{ "a_id": [ "d1k9qle" ], "score": [ 16 ], "text": [ "(1/2)\n\nWell, you've inadvertently waded into what is probably the biggest ongoing debate in the historiography of slavery in North America right now! There is a huge debate raging at the moment regarding the exact role slavery has had to play ...
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1246vt
I'm interested in military formations and how they actually work -- what made them effective against certain types of combat, etc. Any links or videos about this stuff?
For instance, I read somewhere that hollow squares are good for repelling cavalry? How does that work? What is the thought process behind naval formations? Or fighter jet formations?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1246vt/im_interested_in_military_formations_and_how_they/
{ "a_id": [ "c6s048v", "c6s08li" ], "score": [ 3, 3 ], "text": [ "This is too wide a topic to cover in a single post so let me deal with the one question you specifically asked. The hollow square (as a pike formation mostly) works well against cavalry for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the ...
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7iw3kt
Did ancient cultures have any concept of the waxing and waning of the moon being caused by Earth casting a shadow?
Was it always "the moon is shrinking, the moon is getting bigger," or what?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7iw3kt/did_ancient_cultures_have_any_concept_of_the/
{ "a_id": [ "dr1uaea" ], "score": [ 9 ], "text": [ "Just as a point of clarification: the waxing and waning of the moon are not caused by the earth's shadow; it is a result of the moon rotating around the earth, and from our perspective, the full half of the moon that is illuminated by the sun app...
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ci590b
How did 0-60 become the standard by which a car's acceleration is judged? Why did 60mph become synonymous with "fast"?
AskHistorians
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ci590b/how_did_060_become_the_standard_by_which_a_cars/
{ "a_id": [ "ev2wyrr" ], "score": [ 1170 ], "text": [ "Automotive journalist here. \n\nYour question is intimately tied to the history of automotive magazines, and I’m not aware of a really good, academic history exploring that. I can tell you that the form itself dates back to the earliest days ...
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12uvl4
What happened to ancient cities such as Sparta, Carthage and Troy?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/12uvl4/what_happened_to_ancient_cities_such_as_sparta/
{ "a_id": [ "c6yao53", "c6yexe2" ], "score": [ 13, 10 ], "text": [ "All were destroyed; Troy before the Golden Age of Greece, Carthage by a victorious Rome around 150 BC, and Sparta was sacked by the Goths around 400 AD after centuries of empty autonomy as a curiosity within the Roman Empi...
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[ [ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsakonian_language" ], [ "http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quartier_Punique.JPG", "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Sparti_in-river-Eurotas-valley_flanked-by-Taygetos-mountains.jpg", "http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Layers_of_Troy.JP...
31ollf
How tall was Jesus Christ?
My seminary buddies and I were debating this. What's the consensus?
AskHistorians
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/31ollf/how_tall_was_jesus_christ/
{ "a_id": [ "cq3hsuy" ], "score": [ 7 ], "text": [ "\nThere is no literary or other ancient evidence that directly bears on this question, so one is forced to speculate based on average heights of people in antiquity.\n\nThe only article I've ever seen address this is a 2002 issue of Popular Mecha...
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[ [ "http://books.google.com/books?id=VM8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=popular+mechanics+face+of+jesus&source=bl&ots=OZMu3R-xPN&sig=uPy8RWFvUScKF7k9eEiO1jb0km0&hl=en&ei=qCw3TPegEsOAnQfw8pSEBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CDUQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q...