q_id stringlengths 5 6 | title stringlengths 7 300 | selftext stringlengths 0 39.2k | document stringclasses 1
value | subreddit stringclasses 1
value | url stringlengths 4 132 | answers dict | title_urls list | selftext_urls list | answers_urls list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1yc9zg | Are there any good source material on the Warsaw Ghetto to be had online? | Hi guys, I have a project I'm working on which requires unbiased primary sources on the Warsaw ghetto (demographics, population density, supplies, mortality rates, etc.). I've been scouring the net and my library for information about it, but I mostly seem to find holocaust denialist websites and websites referring to ... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1yc9zg/are_there_any_good_source_material_on_the_warsaw/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfj9u9t"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Many of the relevant primary sources wont contain the those specific details in an aggregated way. There are a few great examples of diaries and reports coming from the Warsaw Ghetto. The statistics you are looking for would likely come from seco... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.worldcat.org/title/warsaw-diary-of-adam-czerniakow-prelude-to-doom/oclc/3913266&referer=brief_results",
"http://arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ShowFullRecordLinked?%24searchId=2&%24showFullDescriptionTabs.selectedPaneId=digital&%24digiDetailPageModel.currentPage=1&%24digiViewMo... | |
1j7pwx | Following the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment, were there any cases of slave-owners attempting to continue the practice illegally? | I'm curious as to whether there were any remote corners of The South where slaveowners evaded the government and continued to hold slaves for a few months or even years after the Thirteenth Amendment was passed. Black workers were still treated terribly of course, and human trafficking via criminal organisations persis... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1j7pwx/following_the_passing_of_the_thirteenth_amendment/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbc0e13",
"cbc0gmv",
"cbc2ka2"
],
"score": [
31,
58,
10
],
"text": [
"All across the South during the years following the civil war, a series of \"Black codes\" were passed into law. Their purpose was to effectively re-enslave the freed slaves by justifying their force... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"S.D.Ga",
"http://books.google.com/books/about/Time_on_the_Cross.html?id=ScpPBinpzwoC",
"http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?about=9971973864508256549",
"http://books.google.com/books?id=p7xmPwAACAAJ",
"http://books.google.com/books?id=qKgTp4JKVMcC",
"http://scholar.google.com/sch... | |
3qr7uu | In medieval and pre-modern times, political entities made marriage pacts between heirs in order to secure peace. Often times, this didn't last for more than 20 years, if not even less. Why did they even bother? | this peace didn't last*... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3qr7uu/in_medieval_and_premodern_times_political/ | {
"a_id": [
"cwi14dl"
],
"score": [
11
],
"text": [
"Twenty years of peace is much better than no peace at all. Twenty years is enough time for a generation of young men to forgo military service, time to build infrastructure, time to consolidate power, and time grow a treasury.\n\nThere are also... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Castile#Union_of_the_Crowns_of_Castile_and_Aragon"
]
] | |
fvbxhi | What happened to German and Italian volunteers in the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War after they were disbanded in 1938? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/fvbxhi/what_happened_to_german_and_italian_volunteers_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"fmhopoa"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"I gave a relatively brief answer to this [here](_URL_0_), focusing more on the Germans (for whom I had a relevant source handy). If I get the chance later today, I'll try and expand on it!"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ayxje4/what_happened_to_the_internationale_brigades/"
]
] | ||
31qce9 | What (if anything) did Native Americans think lay beyond the Pacific and Atlantic oceans? | Were there any religious or cultural assumptions about it being the edge of the world? Was there any speculation about there being other continents and civilizations? Mostly thinking of North America but if Central and South Americans had any ideas then I'd be interested to hear those too. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/31qce9/what_if_anything_did_native_americans_think_lay/ | {
"a_id": [
"cq3z8lb"
],
"score": [
7
],
"text": [
"The desert people of the American Southwest generally understood the concept of oceans as not being fundamentally different from a large lake or stream. Among the [recorded] creation myths of the O'odham peoples, at least two contain gods or demi... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1nfs65 | During the Cold War period, was Able Archer and The Cuban Missle Crisis the peak of tensions? | Were there any events that normal citizens wouldn't know about that would be even more tense than those moments? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1nfs65/during_the_cold_war_period_was_able_archer_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"cci6gdc"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"I would see a distinct difference between \"peak of tensions\" and \"closest we came to a nuclear exchange.\" The Berlin crisis of 1948 was potentially a higher \"peak of tensions\" than Able Archer 83, but because the nuclear situation was only ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
230tie | Is the shield wall fighting depicted on the show "Vikings" historically accurate? | It seems like they have made an effort to depict something other than usual hollywood 1v1 fighting but is it accurate for the times with them pushing as a group and occasionally creating gaps for people behind to stab/shoot? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/230tie/is_the_shield_wall_fighting_depicted_on_the_show/ | {
"a_id": [
"cgsm9mw"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Awesome thank you. I checked the FAQ and totally missed it."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1cpgy5 | I hear a lot about rape from the Red Army in Berlin during WWII. Did the German army (and SS) rape women too? If so, why isn't it talked about as much? | Particularly in their occupation of the Soviet Union, but in the rest of occupied Europe as well. I was just kind of shocked when I searched 'rape WWII Soviet women' on google and all that came up were articles about Soviet soldiers rapes. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1cpgy5/i_hear_a_lot_about_rape_from_the_red_army_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9iuf07",
"c9iufyn",
"c9iv703",
"c9ivc7g",
"c9ivf4h",
"c9ivo8k",
"c9j0i5w",
"c9j0rs4",
"c9j7ovo"
],
"score": [
80,
29,
48,
4,
118,
13,
5,
3,
3
],
"text": [
"Yes, there was definitely rape committed by the Wehrmacht/SS. Th... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.wunrn.com/news/2012/04_12/04_23/042312_holocaust.htm"
],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_occupation_of_Japan#Reported_rapes_by_US_forces"
],
[],
[
"http://www.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fgirlsonwar.narod.ru... | |
1ukppx | Just finished watching "12 Years a Slave": Was life for slaves in the southern U.S. during the 1800's really as bad as these movies depict? What was the average life like for an average slave on an average plantation? | Believe me, not trying to undermine the abhorrence of slavery but these plantations in these slavery movies (Django, 12 Years...etc.) are always depicted so horribly, where the slave masters are literally the second coming of Hitler/Satan. I wonder if this done for effect because these are movies. I find it a bit hard ... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ukppx/just_finished_watching_12_years_a_slave_was_life/ | {
"a_id": [
"cej32vo",
"cej8xab",
"cej9rgf",
"cejbk1m",
"cejctqn",
"ceje7en",
"cejgxb0",
"cejib6t",
"cejncs9",
"cejov1t"
],
"score": [
73,
178,
57,
7,
56,
4,
19,
32,
3,
7
],
"text": [
"I wrote a report on slave narratives. I r... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/index.html",
"http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/wpahome.html"
]
] | |
2qrl9b | Why are pipe organs used to play songs or jingles at hockey games? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2qrl9b/why_are_pipe_organs_used_to_play_songs_or_jingles/ | {
"a_id": [
"cnavshp"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"For the same reason that they're used (or used to be used) at baseball games: volume. Even a small hockey stadium is a huge place, filled with screaming fans, and the pipe organ has the oomph to be heard in that environment.\n\nNowadays, most us... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
efpfyw | What was the Roman Empire's opinion of the crusades, and how did they feel about the outcomes? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/efpfyw/what_was_the_roman_empires_opinion_of_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"fc1vhiv",
"fc3ho28"
],
"score": [
9,
3
],
"text": [
"I'm not well versed on their reaction to all of the Crusades, but their opinion of the First Crusade was initially very positive. Emperor Alexius had extracted oaths of loyalty from the prominent Crusader leaders, and promis... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/c32r3y/in_1185_holy_roman_emperor_frederick_barbarossa/eroprbo/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/dzjznq/why_did_bohemund_declare_himself_the_prince_of/f8a1qi0/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/diaqov/when_the_cr... | ||
7pw6gm | How was the East India Company able to maintain rule over the massive subcontinent for over 100 years? Was it stable? Was it more than a loose administration? How much indigenous resistance was there? Did this change under direct British rule? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7pw6gm/how_was_the_east_india_company_able_to_maintain/ | {
"a_id": [
"dskkz1t",
"dsl4wgj"
],
"score": [
69,
41
],
"text": [
"While there were a numerous way in which the English East India company were able to maintain control over their massive Indian territory , I will cover some important ways in which they exerted control :\n\n#**Part 1**\n\... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://np.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7n3vom/at_the_height_of_its_power_how_was_the_east_india/ds9y00a/"
],
[
"British.So",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4hvayl/india_1858_congo_1908/d2sxz7e/"
]
] | ||
35ej48 | Do Historians studying Colonial America *need* to be fluent in Native American Languages? | I'm an undergraduate History student interested in studying Colonial America (and more specifically, relations between Europeans and Natives) as a graduate student. All programs I've looked into require reading proficiency in only one language (I'm learning French).
I've had it mentioned to me that as a Historian of ... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/35ej48/do_historians_studying_colonial_america_need_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"cr3qv9g",
"cr3qzed",
"cr3x9z8",
"cr41eml"
],
"score": [
11,
2,
3,
3
],
"text": [
"Probably not. Many of the indigenous languages at that point were only spoken languages and were not written, which is why you aren't finding many, if any, sources in an indigeno... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
3j5hm7 | What role did pike phalanxes play in late 16th and 17th century warfare? | With the prevalence of firearms and artillery, it seems to me like dense formations of pikemen would be slaughtered on a battlefield in the late 1600's. My question is: How would a typical commander of the time deploy and utilize his pike infantry effectively? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3j5hm7/what_role_did_pike_phalanxes_play_in_late_16th/ | {
"a_id": [
"cup7lw5"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"By the time period in question, the pike blocks [(*not* phalanxes)](_URL_0_) have taken further and further secondary roles to shot/firearm troops. \n\nIn the early 16th century, the shot troops are there to support friendly pike blocks and haras... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3iuthl/how_did_late_medievalearly_renaissance_pike/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/330x89/how_were_the_corners_of_musket_protected_from/"
]
] | |
2vmvdt | Did fighting cease at night during the Battle of Stalingrad, or did soldiers fight 24 hours a day? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2vmvdt/did_fighting_cease_at_night_during_the_battle_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"cojfldz",
"cojfw8g",
"cojgcqy"
],
"score": [
22,
27,
115
],
"text": [
"Since I would imagine fighting never stopped and only slowed , I would like to ask an additional question. Did either the Russians or German troops have any tools to aid in thier night vision? I alw... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1hi562 | Homophobic slurs in turn-of-the-century/WWI Britain? | This is for the subject of writing research. Obviously the topic of homosexuality was not discussed openly in polite society, but I'm thinking impolite society, or soldiers at war. I'm familiar with the term ponce but I was wondering about the existence of something equivalent to the way "faggot" is used in the US, wit... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1hi562/homophobic_slurs_in_turnofthecenturywwi_britain/ | {
"a_id": [
"cauob5v",
"caup3xl"
],
"score": [
3,
10
],
"text": [
"Just to clarify, in the TV show Deadwood, the profanity was anachronistic (in other words, no \"cocksucka\"). The show creator chose to go this route because he felt using period-appropriate slang would have sounded silly r... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadwood_(TV_series)#Use_of_profanity"
],
[
"http://www.straightdope.com/",
"http://vicepresidents.com/blog/2010/12/21/miss-nancy-aunt-fancy/"
]
] | |
1jsssx | How big were vegetables 2,000 years ago? | I've read that carrots were much smaller in early history. Is that true of all fruits and veggies? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1jsssx/how_big_were_vegetables_2000_years_ago/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbhz58j",
"cbi2li9",
"cbi6gfs"
],
"score": [
7,
10,
2
],
"text": [
"I don't know about 2000 years ago but the size of vegetables sold to consumers has certainly increased significantly over the last century. One reason for this is crop breeding for increasing fruit wei... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
3u6z3m | Was the fear of communists in the US mostly about the military threat, or the fear of the idea and it leading to a revolution from within? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3u6z3m/was_the_fear_of_communists_in_the_us_mostly_about/ | {
"a_id": [
"cxcqapt"
],
"score": [
16
],
"text": [
"There were many periods of anti-communist sentiment in the United States, each having its own set of domestic and international issues. Many consider the 1930s to be the \"heyday\" of American Communism (see [Harvey Klehr's book](_URL_0_)) becau... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.amazon.com/The-Heyday-American-Communism-Depression/dp/0465029450"
]
] | ||
28qfjj | Did medieval cities have street names?/ How did people in urban areas tell each other where they lived? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/28qfjj/did_medieval_cities_have_street_names_how_did/ | {
"a_id": [
"cidlqe9"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"hi! feedback on street naming in medieval Europe is welcome, but meanwhile, you might be interested in a couple of posts that discuss other times/places without street names, to get an idea of how it works:\n\n[Did streets in Rome use street numb... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/25yj2w/why_does_tokyo_have_such_unusual_street_address/",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/yxmba/did_streets_in_rome_use_street_numbers_during_the/"
]
] | ||
4zb3d1 | In Classical-age Europe, how pervasive was the ability to speak Greek? | For example, I know the bible isn't to be considered a reliable source and all but there are other examples of this phenomenon. In the bible, Jesus and Pontius Pilate were seemingly able to understand one another. Jesus, the son of a carpenter, doesn't exactly strike me as someone whose education extends much beyond th... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4zb3d1/in_classicalage_europe_how_pervasive_was_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"d6udapg"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"The flaw in your premise is asking about Europe, when your question is about Judea.\n\nPretty much west of the Balkans, Latin was the dominant language of the Roman empire, though Greek was very prevalent among educated Romans and among the upper... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1w7ei1 | I have a few questions regarding colonial-era naval battles. | [I found this image](_URL_0_) while satiating my curiosity over old naval battles.
Can someone tell me a little about the processes of a battle like this? Were there set methodologies for taking a ship, strategies that were trained onto the crewmen for this kind of event?
How risky was it for a captain to engage in s... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1w7ei1/i_have_a_few_questions_regarding_colonialera/ | {
"a_id": [
"cezf6gt"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"The image which you attach is of the battle between the USS Wasp and HMS Reindeer in the War of 1812.\n\nLike most naval battles, this was fought near land (in the approaches to the English Channel) rather than in the middle of the sea. It is ha... | [] | [
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Marines_Aboard_USS_Wasp_Engage_HMS_Reindeer._June_1814._Copy_of_painting_by_Sergeant_John_Clymer.%2C_1927_-_1981_-_NARA_-_532579.tif"
] | [
[
"http://www.history.navy.mil/ussconstitution/history.html",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_HMS_Reindeer"
]
] | |
drzr5f | How did people "optimise" crops for better yields in ancient civilizations or in the middle ages? | What I'm more curious about is how they started creating more iterations of the same crop. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/drzr5f/how_did_people_optimise_crops_for_better_yields/ | {
"a_id": [
"f6mc0ob"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Interestingly enough, this question coincides with “How was the cow domesticated?”\n\nA little bit of context, the cow (aurochs) before domestication was an absolute brute. They were violent beasts much larger than humans and much larger than the... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1tomsr | Can someone describe with good detail how exactly the sacking of a major city by Roman troops would occur? | What happened to people inside the city, what happened to soldiers and officers still alive (the enemy of Romans), what happened to commerce, trade and daily routine in the city. How long would the Romans stay in a city, is there a reason to raise the city, or keep the city? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1tomsr/can_someone_describe_with_good_detail_how_exactly/ | {
"a_id": [
"ce9zcv5"
],
"score": [
42
],
"text": [
"This is a pretty broad question and there is no hard and fast rule for every aspect of your question. One of the chief concerns for a Roman soldier was booty, particularly during the Republican when such booty would make up the majority of their... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
4usx5s | Why did Standard Oil continue to drop prices as their monopoly went on? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4usx5s/why_did_standard_oil_continue_to_drop_prices_as/ | {
"a_id": [
"d5smxeh"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"I didn't know that happened. I do know that Standard Oil took a huge advantage in economies of scale and scope, that allowed it to drastically lower its cost compared to potential competitors. If Standard Oil did drop prices as you claim, then th... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
1mnsvi | What would a standard English soldier during the late 1300s be composed of? | I'm thinking during the 100 Years war, late 1300s. In the movies I've seen, it seems like most of the standard grunt soldiers were pretty well equipped with mail, a helmet, a sword and a buckler perhaps. How accurate is this? What would the average grunt be equipped with? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1mnsvi/what_would_a_standard_english_soldier_during_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"ccb115k"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Some mail would have been in use. Much would have already shifted to plate harnesses. Since you didn't specify, I'm going to cover basics, using manuscript illustrations for reference, [sourced from here](_URL_1_)\n\n[BL Yates Thompson 35 La ch... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://manuscriptminiatures.com/search/?manuscript=4186",
"http://manuscriptminiatures.com/search/?year=1380&year_end=1399&country=8&country=9&tags=&manuscript="
]
] | |
12xnh5 | Did Vikings or pirates ever develop moral codes limiting what they could do to their victims? | I'm curious both about legal or social rules in the case of Vikings, and moral decrees from pirate captains. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/12xnh5/did_vikings_or_pirates_ever_develop_moral_codes/ | {
"a_id": [
"c6z1c5x",
"c6z2b62",
"c6z3nom"
],
"score": [
101,
4,
2
],
"text": [
"A very curious bit of Viking morals: it's wrong to steal, but it's right to take by force. One of the Icelandic sagas tells of a Viking raid in the Baltic, where the Viking party manages to steal stuf... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Bartholomew_Roberts_Flag1.svg"
]
] | |
cvh80l | Why did the IWW decline so much by the early 1920s? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/cvh80l/why_did_the_iww_decline_so_much_by_the_early_1920s/ | {
"a_id": [
"ey4sogu"
],
"score": [
9
],
"text": [
"The 1907 trial of Big Bill Haywood in Idaho for the murder of former Governor Frank Steunenburg was a first ordeal for the upstart union, and also the most amazing event in US labor history. Read *Big Trouble* by J Anthony Lucas for the incredibl... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3hovx6 | What other dating systems were widely used other than B.C. and A.D.? When were those systems replaced? | Particularly how did they measure time in China and Japan before European influence. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3hovx6/what_other_dating_systems_were_widely_used_other/ | {
"a_id": [
"cu9asds",
"cua85oq"
],
"score": [
3,
3
],
"text": [
"The Japanese used *nengo* (年号), eras declared by the imperial court. They didn't have a set length and a new era could be declared for any of a number of reasons: a new Emperor taking the throne, a natural disaster, astrolog... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_dynasty",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/books/eastasia#wiki_china"
]
] | |
42ujob | By the 15th century, was the army of the Holy Roman Empire, an army of the empire, or of the emperor's own vassals and land? | After reading multiple different documents about the Italian Wars, the army of Holy Roman Emperors Maximilian the first and Charles the fifth are referred to as "the Imperial Army". Was this army actually an empire drawn from across the empire, and thus truly the army of the Holy Roman Empire, or was it the army that t... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/42ujob/by_the_15th_century_was_the_army_of_the_holy/ | {
"a_id": [
"czd944z",
"czd9905"
],
"score": [
6,
7
],
"text": [
"Not to be a pedant, but I believe you mean the 16th century (1500-1600) as the two rulers in question ruled then.\n\nIt's a little tricky to answer but my interpretation, is that the only army in continental Europe at the ti... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
5un7d5 | Did nations/national identity exist before the modern age? | An anthropologist told me they national identity did not exist before the modern age, but I did read in some articles that many historians do not think that this is true.
So I wanted to know what is your take on this. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5un7d5/did_nationsnational_identity_exist_before_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"ddvlyrn"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"It really depends on what you mean by national identity. National identity definitely did exist to a degree but was not expressed in exactly the same ways as we do in the modern era. Pre modern national identity is not the same as modern national... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2t36il | How did the USSR tackle the issue of employment during the decade following WWII? | Were many returning veterans kept on as soldiers, or were they expect to return to their families and farms?
What was the largest source of employment for veterans (obviously the state, but what do they have them doing?)?
How many enlisted soldiers in 1945 became career soldiers? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2t36il/how_did_the_ussr_tackle_the_issue_of_employment/ | {
"a_id": [
"cnvfuy2"
],
"score": [
11
],
"text": [
"The USSR went through an extensive demobilisation process following the war. This was part of the vast, and generally quite successful, programme of reconstruction that retooled and rebuilt the economy. By 1950 the Soviet economic production had... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
7q26cj | Is it true that Vikings let women handle their finances because they thought it was witchcraft? | I keep seeing this statement "Vikings made their women take care of their finances because they thought math was witchcraft" and can't find any proof to back it up. Does any one know about this? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7q26cj/is_it_true_that_vikings_let_women_handle_their/ | {
"a_id": [
"dsp1b9z"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"We think women controlled the material wealth of Viking-Age households because many wealthy women were buried with a [key](_URL_1_). We assume that within the longhouse, there would have been a locked pantry, and only the matriarch of the househo... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=viking+age+weight",
"http://images.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=viking+age+keys",
"https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=oseberg+silk",
"https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=Havhingsten",
"https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&a... | |
1rea1r | Why is the "Water Erosion on the Sphinx Theory" Not Correct or More Popular? | I have a friend who really really believes this theory. Schochs and West and a couple of other Egyptologists have been trying to convince historians that the sphinx is older than previously thought, using evidence of water erosion in the monument as their proof.
I see the photos of it and it looks like water erosion ... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1rea1r/why_is_the_water_erosion_on_the_sphinx_theory_not/ | {
"a_id": [
"cdme3em"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"I had a professor by the name of Peter Lacovara who explained this theory in class and why it is wrong. The body of the sphinx is made up of limestone from a former quarry. Everything around it was cut up and taken away to build the nearby pyrami... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
42icnn | Why has the south of Germany been richer than the north? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/42icnn/why_has_the_south_of_germany_been_richer_than_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"czb6jxg"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"South Germany being the richer half of the country is actually a very recent phenomenon. Over the course of history, the distribution of wealth has changed a lot, depending on political factors as well as the importance of various technologies an... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A4nderfinanzausgleich"
]
] | ||
343yc8 | Have there been riots in history that sparked the change they asked for? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/343yc8/have_there_been_riots_in_history_that_sparked_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cqr4c0u",
"cqr7dki"
],
"score": [
4,
2
],
"text": [
"I recently read a great overview of US riots-- Paul gilje's \"rioting in America\". He identifies many, many riots that achieved their goals, from the 17th c to the present.\n\nAmerican rioting, he argues, has strong roots i... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_no_.22in_your_era.22_or_.22throughout_history.22_questions"
]
] | ||
1ge3zx | How could a country like Afghanistan change from being a fairly liberal country to very strict religious? | After seeing [pictures of women from Afghanistan in the 1950s](_URL_0_), I became curious of how this could happen. Which elements needed to be there? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ge3zx/how_could_a_country_like_afghanistan_change_from/ | {
"a_id": [
"cajccqo"
],
"score": [
16
],
"text": [
"Rodric Braithwaite points out in Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan 1979-89, that the 'liberalness' of Afghanistan was only ever really confined the urban middle and upper classes, who were very much a minority, the majority of the rural popu... | [] | [
"http://www.foreignpolicy.com/files/fp_uploaded_images/100527_19-Afghanistan-148.jpg"
] | [
[]
] | |
3g3ja3 | Why don't Japanies swords have crossguards? | Simply question really. All of the Japanese swords I have seen or heard of have a tsuba, or some variation of disc guard. Disc guards have always struck me as offering very limited hand protection, especially on a two-handed sword, so why didn't Japanese swords evolve beyond the tsuba? Was there any real advantage or r... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3g3ja3/why_dont_japanies_swords_have_crossguards/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctuk6pu",
"ctule96",
"ctupdkz",
"ctuuspd"
],
"score": [
3,
6,
4,
2
],
"text": [
"Swords are designed for specific styles of fencing and combat. Also, while a crossguard protects your hand, it also hinders your movements, determining how you attack and defend. "... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
27ah4j | Was oral hygiene, or lack thereof, ever a deterrent for people to kiss before contemporary methods became available? | Whenever I'm watching Game of thrones or think about times where, presumably, oral hygiene is not near where it is today, and I can't help but think how horrible it must be to kiss someone at the time. Am I seeing this accurately? Has kissing always been a part of people's love lives? And, if so, has this ever been an ... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/27ah4j/was_oral_hygiene_or_lack_thereof_ever_a_deterrent/ | {
"a_id": [
"chz3b9x",
"chz3iam",
"chz3omh",
"chz70qa",
"chz8xjm",
"chz9ork",
"chzfic7"
],
"score": [
370,
69,
168,
15,
13,
40,
6
],
"text": [
"I am not knowledgeable enough on historical oral hygiene practices to answer the first part of your questi... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.love-poetry-of-the-world.com/Egyptian-Love-Poetry-Poem2.html",
"http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.4.08.04#",
"http://themagentahornet.com/ancient-poetry1.html"
],
[],
[
"http://books.google.com/books?id=OtMb_pzRnOoC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=jests+of+hie... | |
26e82d | Did people in British colonies (eg. Canada, Australia, New Zealand) consider themselves British or did they moreover identify with the colony? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/26e82d/did_people_in_british_colonies_eg_canada/ | {
"a_id": [
"chqea47"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"You may be interested in my answers in these previous threads:\n\n* [At what point did Australians and New Zealanders begin to consider themselves as distinct from the British?](_URL_1_)\n\n* [Why did Great Britain grant independence/autonomy to ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ob29o/why_did_great_britain_grant_independenceautonomy/ccqi7fx?context=3",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1sp0tr/at_what_point_did_australians_and_new_zealanders/cdzw49h"
]
] | ||
39xjh9 | How widespread was anarchism as a political movement? | I'm trying to figure out: how relevant was anarchism as a political movement? (I'm thinking primarily of the period of time between when Proudhon was writing in the mid-19th century and the Russian Revolution in 1917.) Was it ever seen by large numbers of people as an alternative to whatever the current state of politi... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/39xjh9/how_widespread_was_anarchism_as_a_political/ | {
"a_id": [
"cs7jnpw"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Here's the start of an answer: \"Anarchism\" was not a widely used keyword until 1880 or so, around the time of the establishment of the The International Working People's Association or \"Black International.\" Prior to that, anarchist ideas pla... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
601a4c | Why is the Bering Strait never mentioned in the Cold War? | [deleted] | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/601a4c/why_is_the_bering_strait_never_mentioned_in_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"df2t96a"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"It's something like 4000 miles from there to Moscow, and 2000 miles to California. In both cases most of the trip would be across wilderness terrain with no major roads or infrastructure to speak of. In the age of nuclear weapons, the war would b... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
g2uthz | In Ancient Rome, who would act as the police detectives? Who would try to figure out who’s guilty for murders so they could have a trial? What methods for investigation would they use? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/g2uthz/in_ancient_rome_who_would_act_as_the_police/ | {
"a_id": [
"fnp4i3m"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"There have been a few previous answers that might be helpful here:\n\n[How easy was it for fugitives to evade capture in the Roman Empire?](_URL_3_) by [u/mpixieg](_URL_2_)\n\n[How were crimes investigated in Roman times?](_URL_1_) by [u/AwesomeD... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/cu1eet/prior_to_dna_evidence_finger_prints_etc_how_did/exw5x58/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/avdbto/how_were_crimes_investigated_in_roman_times/",
"https://www.reddit.com/u/mpixieg/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/com... | ||
4zqe1r | How common was interfaith marriage on the medieval ages? | Also, how unstable was a Christian-Muslim alliance as opposed to a normal union between European christian lords?
And finally, how likely was a lord of a specific religion to give millitary support to their Interfaith friends? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4zqe1r/how_common_was_interfaith_marriage_on_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"d6y2jzb"
],
"score": [
48
],
"text": [
"Great question!\n\nIn the twelfth century Latin Christian attitudes to this question were rather conflicted. On the one hand you have categorical prohibitions against miscegenation and on the other you have early depictions in chronicles and pop... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
5vc22s | How much did the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front know about the German atrocities and the holocaust? For those that were aware of these events (or even participants), how did they rationalize these actions? | I know that the Wehrmacht, though technically separate from the Nazi Party, were instrumental in carrying out the Holocaust on the Eastern Front. But not every soldier of the Wehrmacht could have been an active participant. How much did they know, and how much did they care? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5vc22s/how_much_did_the_wehrmacht_on_the_eastern_front/ | {
"a_id": [
"de28lf4"
],
"score": [
31
],
"text": [
"**Part 1**\n\nI have previously wrote answers to similar questions [here](_URL_0_), [here](_URL_2_), and [here](_URL_3_) and it is not really possible to gauge the number of how many members of the Wehrmacht were directly involved in war crimes,... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3xc03h/just_how_much_of_the_wehrmacht_was_dirty/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5qhz7o/ama_the_german_armys_role_in_the_holocaust/dczdhhm/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4r8pzp/how_often_did_the_regular_german_arm... | |
15qie7 | How often did people trade in money for gold? | Economics has always been an interest of mine. Today, all (most?) countries use a fiat monetary system, but for much of civilization the money system was backed by precious metals (gold or silver, usually).
The economics texts I've read explain that in a country that followed the gold standard the central bank would p... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/15qie7/how_often_did_people_trade_in_money_for_gold/ | {
"a_id": [
"c7oys8q"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"Under a \"classical\" gold standard, money is not convertible into gold; money IS gold. The monetary unit is defined in terms of a weight of gold, and the law defines a right of any individual to go to a mint and turn that weight of gold into an ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2139115",
"http://ssrn.com/abstract=2139115"
]
] | |
epzwgf | Literary Works on European Attire/Fashion | Hello, I have been looking around for good scholarly works on the history of European attire (all aspects of life military, sleeping etc..) and i'm wondering if there is considered a great work for somebody who wants to start reading on the subject.
Thank you for reading. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/epzwgf/literary_works_on_european_attirefashion/ | {
"a_id": [
"femrmdg"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"This is such a very broad topic that there are no scholarly works that deal with the whole thing. On the one hand, you can try Phyllis Tortora's *Survey of Historic Costume*, which is a textbook that can give a broad overview; like all textbooks,... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/profiles/mimicofmodes"
]
] | |
496gjq | How did outsiders view the relationship between the emperor and shogun of Japan? | In particular, I'm interested in how it was seen by the Europeans and the Chinese. Did they remark on the unusual nature of this arrangement? Would official correspondence be addressed to the emperor or the shogun? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/496gjq/how_did_outsiders_view_the_relationship_between/ | {
"a_id": [
"d0qda1g"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"You don't really specify an era, so I'm just gonna talk about the 19th century and the Perry expedition as an example.\n\nWhile planning for the expedition, the US understood Japan as having two emperors, a religious emperor and a military empero... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
u1nof | Why No American Aristocracy? | Why was it that the British Crown did not attempt to create an indigenous aristocracy in colonial North America by dispensing land grants with titles? In other words, why no American Peerage? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/u1nof/why_no_american_aristocracy/ | {
"a_id": [
"c4rkqzf",
"c4rlio6",
"c4rm2yw",
"c4rndrn",
"c4roebb",
"c4roehf",
"c4roxfp",
"c4rpmsi",
"c4rqeac",
"c4rrzur",
"c4rudg5"
],
"score": [
17,
42,
9,
44,
2,
29,
12,
3,
2,
2,
3
],
"text": [
"There were attempts. ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | |
c51soh | Are Palestinians to a significant extent Arabized Jews? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/c51soh/are_palestinians_to_a_significant_extent_arabized/ | {
"a_id": [
"erzk9l8"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Apologies, but we have had to remove your submission. We ask that questions in this subreddit be limited to those asking about history, or for historical answers. This is not a judgement of your question, but to receive the answer you are looking... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
3oq0k7 | What common historical misconception do you find most irritating? | Welcome to another floating feature! It's been nearly a year since we had one, and so it's time for another. This one comes to us courtesy of u/centerflag982, and the question is:
> What common historical misconception do you find most irritating?
> Just curious what pet peeves the professionals have.
> As a bon... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3oq0k7/what_common_historical_misconception_do_you_find/ | {
"a_id": [
"cvzdjau",
"cvzdl55",
"cvze8to",
"cvze8wq",
"cvzeczz",
"cvzenzz",
"cvzf00r",
"cvzf5vu",
"cvzff45",
"cvzfgp3",
"cvzg0ie",
"cvzga49",
"cvzh1tc",
"cvzhq14",
"cvzhrt1",
"cvzjdy5",
"cvzjksr",
"cvzku9g",
"cvzl77p",
"cvzmthg",
"c... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3469g6/when_and_how_we_discovered_that_earth_is_round/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3gq8un/how_did_the_flatearthers_of_the_day_react_when/"
],
[],
[
"https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/94/2f/08/942f0884f6c06b3a0b... | |
26lfc9 | Can you recommend me a couple of books on the history of the Holy Roman Empire, Reformation and the Thirty years war? | The books can be in German, Dutch or English | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/26lfc9/can_you_recommend_me_a_couple_of_books_on_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"chs4oev",
"chs6ixr"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"On the Reformation: Diarmaid MacCulloch, 'Reformation: Europe's house divided, 1490-1700', London 2004. \nEDIT: This is an excellent read, very informative and entertaining\n\nOn the Thirty years war (and naturally with some... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
4rqx20 | How did anti-miscegenation laws in the USA deal with mixed-race couples where neither partner was white? | So for example, if a Chinese or Punjabi farmer were to marry a Hispanic woman, or if a Japanese man were to marry a black woman, what potential consequences, if any, would these couples face? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4rqx20/how_did_antimiscegenation_laws_in_the_usa_deal/ | {
"a_id": [
"d53k17x"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"The usual disclaimer is along these lines: These listings just indicate previous articles that may be applicable. This is not to discourage new questions.\n\nA search for\n\n > jim crow asian\n\n(merely as likely terms to have been in an articl... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3biwdx/when_interracial_marriages_were_illegal_in_some/csngk55",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ix499/how_were_nonblack_minorities_treated_in_the_jim/",
"https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/388/1",
"https://www.reddit.co... | |
97a44t | What caused the guitar, an instrument not found in a typical orchestra, to become the de-facto popular music instrument? | In case I'm not being clear, I mean that most popular music bands ranging from as far back as the forties are guitar-centric, and leading with (or even including) a non-guitar instrument makes your band "niche". Why didn't the piano or the trumpet or the saxophone take off into center stage of popular music? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/97a44t/what_caused_the_guitar_an_instrument_not_found_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"e46o9rk",
"e46z759",
"e47wprl"
],
"score": [
24,
31,
24
],
"text": [
"Relevant question, why did the air instruments (trumpets, saxophones, etc) didn't pass on to later music genres while the percussion and stringed instruments did?",
"Hi, not discouraging further ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6jj12c/when_did_the_modern_concept_of_the_band_begin_ie/djet13l/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4v8ggm/askhistorians_podcast_067_20th_century_popular/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6ovuj7/how_did_the_defaul... | |
4c5htm | Were Normans Vikings? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4c5htm/were_normans_vikings/ | {
"a_id": [
"d1f90zv"
],
"score": [
42
],
"text": [
"Most people living in Normandy were not descended from Vikings. Following Rollo's appointment as Duke there was no mass-migration of Scandinavians. It was primarily the elite that were descendants of the original Viking invaders, and they very o... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
122mdn | Why were Roman replicas of the bronze Greek statues made of marble? | Romans liked classical Greek art so much they tried to copy it, right? Why not replicate the originals in the way they were suppose to be? Wouldn't it take less skill and time to mass produce bronze statues instead of marble ones anyway?
Not sure if I worded this question well at all. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/122mdn/why_were_roman_replicas_of_the_bronze_greek/ | {
"a_id": [
"c6rmbhf"
],
"score": [
13
],
"text": [
"They often did, but marble is cheaper than bronze, so *most* replicas were marble. The Roman use of Greek statues was very often a change in context from public to private--many of the most famous statues were originally set up in either officia... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
4pejof | Was the failure of communism due to inherit flaws in the ideology or because the countries that adopted it were poorer and fewer than their capitalist counterparts? | Russia had always been poorer than England, France and eventually Germany. Here is a map of the GNP per capita of European countries between 1880 and 1938 _URL_0_ Russia and many of the countries that would come to be part of the Soviet Union are much poorer than countries in Western Europe. China was also a poor, wa... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4pejof/was_the_failure_of_communism_due_to_inherit_flaws/ | {
"a_id": [
"d4kbx21"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"You seem to have a bunch of different questions here. For the questions in the last paragraph you might consider /r/HistoryWhatIf ."
]
} | [] | [
"https://i.imgur.com/oVivRC1.png"
] | [
[]
] | |
1r5dpm | How expensive were candles in the 18th century? Could only the rich afford to light their homes after dark? Was it a major expense to host a party at night considering candles were made of beeswax or the wax extracted from sperm whales? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1r5dpm/how_expensive_were_candles_in_the_18th_century/ | {
"a_id": [
"cdjqohi",
"cdjvbyl",
"cdkhlsv"
],
"score": [
17,
10,
2
],
"text": [
"You are forgetting about [tallow](_URL_0_) candles, which have also been around for a long time. They are made from rendered animal fat. Candles would not have been very expensive, though the very p... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallow"
],
[],
[]
] | ||
62257p | Are there any families from the Roman Republic period that survived into Late Antiquity? | I have heard that the Anicii family dated their ancestry to the Roman Republic. Is there any truth to that? Any other families? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/62257p/are_there_any_families_from_the_roman_republic/ | {
"a_id": [
"dfjxc42"
],
"score": [
36
],
"text": [
"There are plenty of claims, but there is no way for modern historians to confirm any of them. The Anicii only appear in 298, when Anicius Faustus became the consul and I don't think there's any indication that they publicised their Republican he... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
4hpkmh | Were "perfume cones" a thing in ancient Egypt? | As a child, I read in one of those "101 Wacky Historical Facts"-type books that Egyptian women would put cones of scented wax on their heads, which would melt throughout the day and drip down their bodies, perfuming their skin. It popped into my head recently and I Googled around, but I can't seem to find anything defi... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4hpkmh/were_perfume_cones_a_thing_in_ancient_egypt/ | {
"a_id": [
"d2s0yg3"
],
"score": [
7
],
"text": [
"Yes, its pretty well accepted that the yellow and white cones seen in Egyptian art from the New Kingdom are cones of fat that were meant to perfume the person as they melted. However, they were only worn in scenes where people were meant to be en... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3qf59h | How was lumber in the middle ages measured and cut? | I'd like to imagine that even before very precise tools, we liked our buildings straight and square. How did humans measure and cut lumber in the middle ages to meet these needs? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3qf59h/how_was_lumber_in_the_middle_ages_measured_and_cut/ | {
"a_id": [
"cwevmva"
],
"score": [
13
],
"text": [
"Indeed, medievals liked their timber as square and smooth as we do. \n\nI love [this manuscript illustration](_URL_12_), which comes from the [Bedford Hours](_URL_8_), a prayer book from ~1423 CE. It is supposed to depict the building of Noah's ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ef8tgk3bEB0/VM_0ibIjRrI/AAAAAAAAGT4/MU82tzvZySg/s1600/2015-02-02_225727.jpg",
"http://books.google.com/books?hl=fr&id=4MG3AAAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1w29oq/the_primitive_forms_of_sanding_wood/cey29wb",
"https:/... | |
1fmxfv | Who were the first Jamestown colonists? How were they selected? | There were 105 men in addition to the 39 crewmen on the three ships that settled Jamestown in 1607. Who were these men that they would leave civilization and brave the unknown? Did they pay to be there, or were they paid to be there? Were they unskilled laborers or craftsmen, commoner or gentry? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1fmxfv/who_were_the_first_jamestown_colonists_how_were/ | {
"a_id": [
"cabvq8q",
"cabzbsx"
],
"score": [
9,
2
],
"text": [
"While I can't speak to the specific members of the crew that first founded Jamestown, the initial motivations of colonists in the first half of the 17th century were as follows: \n\na) For the rich: A quick profit - either f... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
ao9ml0 | I've asked all over Reddit for help identifying this unknown object. Recently, someone said it was part of a WWII Cryptography Radio. Someone else commented that since it may have historical significance, I should ask for help here. | Album of pictures of the unknown object: _URL_0_
Like I said, I've asked all kinds of different subreddits about this object already, including /r/whatisthisthing, /r/ww2, /r/amateurradio, etc. They're pretty much all stumped. So, I figured I'd ask historical experts in hopes than one of you may know something about i... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ao9ml0/ive_asked_all_over_reddit_for_help_identifying/ | {
"a_id": [
"eg0uip1",
"eg11san",
"eg2heiw"
],
"score": [
4,
9,
3
],
"text": [
"It looks like there was some kind of handle that selected between \"Voice\" and \"Tone\". The CAD files don't show that detail. Does that mounting seem to do anything inside?",
"My father is a radio... | [] | [
"https://imgur.com/a/5cM7SrE"
] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | |
27u6us | How did the early advocates for LGBTQ rights in the US begin pushing their case? What were the methods of the earliest advocacy groups? | To clarify, who did the groups appeal to, raise funds, etc.? I'm curious as to how the movement began its efforts, so I can then try to understand how it gained strength and changed those methods!
Thanks! | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/27u6us/how_did_the_early_advocates_for_lgbtq_rights_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"ci4ipiw"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Great question! Before I get into it, I want to provide a little context. I've talked quite a bit on here about different understandings of 'homosexuality' throughout history. How sexuality was understood and conceptualized has changed dramatical... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
192zgt | Were the Romans cynical about their downfall (or perceived downfall) as (some) tend to be today in America? Was there any "sky is falling" moments or movements? | I'm not limiting this to the actual downfall of Rome, I mean, were there Romans who threw in the towel earlier, citing their then present trends? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/192zgt/were_the_romans_cynical_about_their_downfall_or/ | {
"a_id": [
"c8kbeef",
"c8kbr1l",
"c8kc1v0",
"c8kc5s6",
"c8kcmm4",
"c8kfyi0",
"c8kh48u",
"c8kkmmm"
],
"score": [
56,
17,
7,
5,
134,
9,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"There is a large difference in response to this based on where in Rome you were at the t... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/25010639?uid=3737536&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101715940421",
"http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Cato_Major*.html"
],
[
"http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/72*.html"
... | |
3ocqyn | Was classical music by German composers less popular after World War II? | If more specifics are required to give a reasonable answer, this is how I would ideally narrow down the question, but outside information would be neat as well:
**Did American symphony orchestras program fewer pieces by Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler, or Johannes Brahms after 1942 explicitly because of... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ocqyn/was_classical_music_by_german_composers_less/ | {
"a_id": [
"cvw3i45"
],
"score": [
31
],
"text": [
"Not talking about symphony, because the real drama is at the opera, c'mon! The Metropolitan opera had been performing German-language opera since the 1880s. During 1914-17 the Met did German opera as usual, but when the US entered WWI in late 19... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/gisrch31.r?Term=1944-45&limit=5000&xBranch=ALL&xmtype=&xsdate=&xedate=&theterm=1944-45&xhome=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/bibpro.htm&xhomepath=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/arch... | |
ewe288 | How much was crusader governance and culture in the Kingdom of Jerusalem influenced by local customs? | Was there feudalism like in Europe? I am a Jerusalem-born Frank, would I live more or less the same as my relatives in Paris or would I go to the Hammam and eat falafel (perhaps anachronistic)? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ewe288/how_much_was_crusader_governance_and_culture_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"fg410ur"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"This is what I study in the real world, and partially what my thesis is about, so there’s a lot to say about it! Hopefully this answer doesn’t go on and on forever…I think I've written most of this in previous answers, so here they are, all colle... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
26p1cs | What are the best books or online resources for acquiring a pre-Federalist Papers understanding of the debates of the United States Constitutional Convention? | Are there any documents such as unedited transcripts of debates, letters or publications from the time that describe the process without reference to the Federalist Papers. What I'm looking for is an understanding that would enable someone to say upon reading the Federalist Papers for the first time, "so this is the ... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/26p1cs/what_are_the_best_books_or_online_resources_for/ | {
"a_id": [
"cht3tfr",
"cht8ej9",
"chteheb",
"chttqnp"
],
"score": [
12,
5,
3,
3
],
"text": [
"The [Avalon Project](_URL_2_) at Yale is one place where you can find many of primary sources related to the topic you are interested in. \n\nIn addition, [this website](_URL_0_) ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/",
"http://oll.libertyfund.org/",
"http://avalon.law.yale.edu/default.asp"
],
[],
[
"http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/debates/"
],
[
"http://founders.archives.gov"
]
] | |
1d0d3a | Any good books on Stone Age? | I am looking for a book about Stone Age, like "Stone Age for Dummies". The book should cover all of the stone age and the book should be popular.
I am not a historian or archaeologist, and so I am looking for a "For Dummies" type of book. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1d0d3a/any_good_books_on_stone_age/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9lo909"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Although it is not a book about the Stone Age, Ian Morris's book *Why the West Rules -- for Now* spends several chapters on prehistory as part of a sweeping treatment of the entire history of East and West.\n\nOtherwise, I suggest asking this on ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1cpatw | was there a large difference between various Native American tribe creation myths? | Every society has a creation myth, it seems. I wondered if different tribes of Native Americans had largely different creation myths or if the myths were mostly the same, or if they all shared the same creation myth. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1cpatw/was_there_a_large_difference_between_various/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9irwbv"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Most tribes had their own unique myths but most of these myths shared many common themes. In North America in particular, a common theme is the idea of humans climing out of a dark, shadowy underworld into the earth. In this view life originated ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2f6qap | Did the USSR have any kind of attempt to appeal to the youth similar to how Captain America got big in the US? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2f6qap/did_the_ussr_have_any_kind_of_attempt_to_appeal/ | {
"a_id": [
"ck6hy5i",
"ck6k4pf",
"ck6krbz",
"ck6ljlu",
"ck6qtlt",
"ck6wcw7",
"ck76gt6",
"ck7a63t"
],
"score": [
655,
22,
133,
8,
16,
3,
3,
3
],
"text": [
"The kinds of figures that were lauded by Soviet propaganda were \"everymen\" who, beca... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/11155q/did_the_ussr_and_other_countries_have_a_superman/",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/188xka/during_the_cold_war_did_the_soviets_have_their/"
],
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jETJt_zbnKk",
"http://www.youtube.com/w... | ||
2ojtku | The Byzantines favored blinding to remove a potential rival from politics. How did the act of blinding take place? What was the favored method for blinding someone? What tools were used? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ojtku/the_byzantines_favored_blinding_to_remove_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"cmnwsp1"
],
"score": [
92
],
"text": [
"Two points to make here; Mutilation was a particularly gruesome tool used by the Byzantine (and lots of others), and they used blinding to far greater scope and effect than purely as a way to eliminate potential rivals.\n\nThere is an inherent s... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/Blinding_of_Leo_Phokas.jpg/300px-Blinding_of_Leo_Phokas.jpg"
]
] | ||
20x0ka | How big of a part did the navy play during Ancient Rome? What were some of the largest and/or most important naval battles? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/20x0ka/how_big_of_a_part_did_the_navy_play_during/ | {
"a_id": [
"cg7q6v0",
"cg7v1u8"
],
"score": [
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Rome's navy was actually very important when it had to undergo the Punic Wars against Carthage. Being that Carthage was on the other side of the Mediterranean, sea dominance was critical at the time. Since Hannibal had to ma... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | ||
3nhz3x | Why did Benjamin Franklin not discuss the Revolution in his autobiography? | I know part 1 was written before the Revolution takes place, but as I was reading parts 2-4 he didn't seem to go into detail about his role in it? Why does he do this? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3nhz3x/why_did_benjamin_franklin_not_discuss_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cvojty9"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"The answer for this is fairly simply, apologies therefore if this seems rather sparse for a top-level post. \n\nFranklin does not discuss the Revolution, because he died before finishing the autobiography. "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1cwqd6 | Was being a frontline, front rank, musket-carrying infantryman in conflicts like the Seven Years War a death sentence? | I chose Seven Years war arbitrarily, but essentially any armed european conflict from 1700-1780 is welcome for consideration.
What was done to relieve individual companies in the front line of fire? Or were front-line units frequently reduced to 2/3 and half strength?
If so, how was a coherency maintained at a unit-l... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1cwqd6/was_being_a_frontline_front_rank_musketcarrying/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9ktf7q",
"c9kxn2e"
],
"score": [
3,
3
],
"text": [
"These types of questions have been brought up a lot around here so I will try to sum them up and then post ones I am referring to later (bed time).\n\nOne post talks about how men in these battles would actually be pretty ba... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
ew0w4k | How did humans end up in the Americas before it got ‘discovered’ by Europeans? | This has always bothered me. We know humans originated in Africa. And then migrated around the region and evolved to build ships and to sail to a continent half way across the globe to find.. humans? How did they get there? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ew0w4k/how_did_humans_end_up_in_the_americas_before_it/ | {
"a_id": [
"fg09p5i"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"I would suggest cross posting this question at r/AskAnthropology. They even have an entry in their faq regarding this subject."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2thrm8 | Pretty sure most of these photos are from WW1... what can you all tell me about them? (OC xpost from r/pics) | So i was hoping the denizens of askhistorians might be able to tell me a little about what I'm seeing in [these photos?]( _URL_0_) I found them in a friend's house they're cleaning. Many of the dates on the backs are 1918 so I'm going with WW1. (I know those plane shots are p47's so ww2 on those ones) | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2thrm8/pretty_sure_most_of_these_photos_are_from_ww1/ | {
"a_id": [
"cnzwwae"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"The first four are of American troops during WWI. No patches, distinctive hats, puttees (like an ace bandage wrapped around the shoe tops and lower leg). \nTho others are from WWII, one of an infantry division (91st?) corporal/technician on a wha... | [] | [
"http://imgur.com/a/aSNQR"
] | [
[]
] | |
2todt6 | Did the US *have* to nuke Japan in WWII? | What I mean is, it seems really haphazard and unusual to just drop massive bombs and decimate civilian cities. Was it really necessary? Could they just have bombed the shit out of a not-so-populated area to demonstrate what was possible with the nuke and maybe prompt a surrender or something?
I just came to the realiz... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2todt6/did_the_us_have_to_nuke_japan_in_wwii/ | {
"a_id": [
"co1291w",
"co17rtk"
],
"score": [
5,
3
],
"text": [
"You might be interested in some threads from the WWII FAQ section on \"[The atomic bombs](_URL_2_)\" as well as from a recent search:\n\n**Overview of the Atomic Bombings**\n\n* [Could America have used the atomic bomb on a ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/zzeq1/would_the_japanese_have_likely_agreed_to_total/",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/22b90c/how_did_military_leaders_first_describe_the/",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/wwii#wiki_the_atomic_bombs",
"http://www.reddit.... | |
az8n0g | Was the Propaganda leaflets dropped over japan effective? | After the bombing of Hiroshima the U.S dropped its rather infamous warning leaflets over key cities in Japan. What i'm wondering is whether they were successful in preventing some loss of life. Did some Japanese actually flee from Nagasaki in between the first atomic attack and the second. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/az8n0g/was_the_propaganda_leaflets_dropped_over_japan/ | {
"a_id": [
"ei6nqie"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"Contrary to a lot of internet confusion, no leaflets warning about the atomic bomb were dropped on Japanese cities prior to the bombing of Nagasaki. Certainly none indicated any actual possible targets. You can read the whole story [here](_URL_0_... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://blog.nuclearsecrecy.com/2013/04/26/a-day-too-late/"
]
] | |
4u91nx | What was J.S. Bach's personality like? | As the question says, I'm suddenly interested in the character and attitudes and life of the man behind the music. I'm classically trained in piano and Bach has been one of my favorite composers. I've done a little bit of reading and I've come across conflicting answers - some places say he was fairly religious and per... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4u91nx/what_was_js_bachs_personality_like/ | {
"a_id": [
"d5nsosy"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"I am not a Bach scholar, so take this with caution.\n\nMy understanding is that we don't have much to know about his private life. There aren't many personal documents of his... For other composers we have many letters, and even fragments of conv... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Man_theory"
]
] | |
5i94l5 | What substance (if any) is there to claims of Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact by the Arab or Muslim sailors? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5i94l5/what_substance_if_any_is_there_to_claims_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"db6iugs"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"There's always room for discussion but perhaps the section [Travel and contact across the Atlantic before Columbus](_URL_0_) from our FAQ will answer your inquiry."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/nativeamerican#wiki_travel_and_contact_across_the_atlantic_before_columbus"
]
] | ||
3rq1tv | Could somebody who specialises in American history assess the historical accuracy of the article "Southern Slavery As It Was" written by two American pastors with Confederate sympathies? | _URL_0_
Doug Wilson describes himself as a ["paleo-Confederate"](_URL_2_).
Steven Wilkins is a former board member of the [League of the South](_URL_1_). | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3rq1tv/could_somebody_who_specialises_in_american/ | {
"a_id": [
"cwqeqs8",
"cwqez7k",
"cwqf6v4"
],
"score": [
7,
4,
34
],
"text": [
"I haven't read Wilson and Wilkins' book, but I've read several reviews of it which, as far as I can tell, tear it apart. [Here's one response](_URL_2_) from Rev. Jack Davidson of Eugene, OR, engaging ... | [] | [
"http://reformed-theology.org/html/books/slavery/southern_slavery_as_it_was.htm",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_the_South",
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y0fTaMBESs"
] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/civilwar#wiki_causes",
"http://web.archive.org/web/20130830105312/http://www.joshualetter.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=63",
"http://web.archive.org/web/20130830105624/http://www.joshualetter.org/index.php?option=com_co... | |
3aa0w0 | Roman, Merovingian, and Carolingian political organization: what was the relationship between them? | To be more precise, to what extent was the political organization of Merovingian Gaul (dukes, counts, senators, patricians, etc.) a continuation of late Gallo-Roman political organization under the Western Empire? And to what extent were the Frankish aristocrats of the Merovingian era - dukes, counts, graffen, etc. - a... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3aa0w0/roman_merovingian_and_carolingian_political/ | {
"a_id": [
"csay242",
"csayivi"
],
"score": [
11,
3
],
"text": [
"I can tell you about the Carolingian organization and the birth of feudalism\n\nCarolingian administration was in some aspects a direct inheritor of Roman tradition, attemtping a centralized imperial administration, where i... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
1qkupp | Has there ever been a country that **de**industrialized for self-sustainability purpose? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1qkupp/has_there_ever_been_a_country_that/ | {
"a_id": [
"cde7zcx",
"cdenicn"
],
"score": [
3,
3
],
"text": [
"I personally have no knowledge of any in modern times that did this on their own accord, though Germany post WWII was forced to deindustrialize. The [Morgenthau Plan](_URL_1_) was proposed by [Hengry Morgenthau](_URL_0_.) wh... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Morgenthau,_Jr",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgenthau_Plan"
],
[
"http://www.paulbogdanor.com/left/cambodia/locard.pdf"
]
] | ||
1p5swh | What were relations like between Pirates and Native Americans? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1p5swh/what_were_relations_like_between_pirates_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"ccz5wzo"
],
"score": [
16
],
"text": [
"Mixed.\n\nSome pirates utilized them to great ability, if your definition of \"pirate\" encompases privateers, buccaneers, corsairs, and freebooters. For simplicities sake, I'll use the term \"pirate\" as a catch all term for non-traditional no... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
cingl1 | Why did people think Anastasia survived/escaped the Romanov execution? | Is there any reason why should was more likely to survive than her siblings? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/cingl1/why_did_people_think_anastasia_survivedescaped/ | {
"a_id": [
"evb71zy"
],
"score": [
17
],
"text": [
"There were rumors of each of them being the sibling to have survived, actually - and bear in mind that the full story we know of the Romanovs being executed in the House of Special Purpose was not publicly known at the time. People weren't even ... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/aba044/who_was_larissa_tudor/"
]
] | |
70agth | The Collapse of the Kievan Rus' | Why is it that a powerful Russian state based out of Kiev never re-emerged after the collapse of the Mongol empire despite having been the most prominent Rus' city prior to that?
Also why it is that Kiev was sacked during the Mongol conquest and yet other large cities such as Moscow and Novgorod managed to escape that... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/70agth/the_collapse_of_the_kievan_rus/ | {
"a_id": [
"dn2a7pl"
],
"score": [
9
],
"text": [
"Firstly, Moscow was never a large city prior or during Mongol conquest. And it was sacked.\nSecondly, Novgorod avoided the fate because it was far enough away to the Mongols to not bother to go there. Novgorod accepted the Mongol rule anyway.\nTh... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2wf5ws | Why was Catharism never as succesful as Protestantism? | Why was Catharism which came more than 3 centuries before Protestantism not as succesful as the latter? If I recal correctly Catharism was reasonably widely spread it formed mostly around rich harbor towns (?) like Protestantism (?). What are the main differences between the two? Oh and I would also like to know which ... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2wf5ws/why_was_catharism_never_as_succesful_as/ | {
"a_id": [
"coq8qrs",
"coq9p1d",
"coqvzlf"
],
"score": [
9,
6,
6
],
"text": [
"Hi! You might be interested in this similar thread:\n\n* [How was it that Protestantism spread so far and to so many people in Europe, when previous heresies such as Catharism and Fraticelli were much s... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ovpon/how_was_it_that_protestantism_spread_so_far_and/"
],
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/20qcoq/cathars_and_ranters_didnt_exist/cg5t9ki"
],
[]
] | |
4oipak | Were the plays and poetry made by William Shakespeare considered vulgar, sexually explicit and immoral in his own lifetime, or shortly after his death? Was he considered a great playwright during his lifetime? | I've read in some articles that the plays and poetry of Shakespare was actually vulgar, sexually implicit and he was considered "low art". And that Titus Andronicus was overloaded with gore and violence.
How is the veracity of these claims? What was the reaction of the contemporary English public, or whoever his audi... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4oipak/were_the_plays_and_poetry_made_by_william/ | {
"a_id": [
"d4d6kdj"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Shakespeare was writing for a \"common\" audience, as well as for a noble one. His plays were ones that everyone could understand, which did mean that there are several that have \"low art\" in them. Much Ado about Nothing comes to mind, there ar... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2oie6m | How did one join the Soviet secret police in the 1920's? | I'm writing a memoir (for school) from a first-person perspective of someone who lived in the Soviet Union and looking for more information on the selection process for the Soviet secret police, specifically the Joint State Political Directorate. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2oie6m/how_did_one_join_the_soviet_secret_police_in_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cmnidcn"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"Originally, the CHEKA was originally drawn from Petrograd Bolshevik members. As it grew into the 1920's Felix Dzerzhinksy, the man Lenin put in charge of the CHEKA after its initial head, Moses Uritski, was shot and killed, recruited from members... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
uh5az | What aspects of Turner's
Frontier thesis are still
accepted by modern
environmental historians? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/uh5az/what_aspects_of_turners_frontier_thesis_are_still/ | {
"a_id": [
"c4vdwak"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Forgive me for not directly answering the question, but since there are no responses yet, I'll give a little background on the Turner thesis. You can find the text of the thesis online here (1920 republishing): _URL_0_\n\nThe American frontier ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/turner/"
]
] | ||
zs0xr | How common was violence against peasants in the Middle Ages? Is it exaggerated in novels and films? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/zs0xr/how_common_was_violence_against_peasants_in_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"c679gu1",
"c679s6b"
],
"score": [
17,
27
],
"text": [
"Unfortunately, there are few sources available to answer this definitively. Most chronicles from the time would be more concerned with the affairs if the Church and of those people rich enough to matter.\n\nIt is certainly... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russkaya_Pravda",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudebnik"
]
] | ||
1w7xx3 | Why did the Lorica Segmentata become the foremost armor both before and after the use of chain mail? What was special about the period that favored it? Why did plate not gain prominence again for a thousand years? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1w7xx3/why_did_the_lorica_segmentata_become_the_foremost/ | {
"a_id": [
"cezsjfi",
"cezsxw3"
],
"score": [
9,
14
],
"text": [
"Lorica segmentata was designed largely as a form of scale/plate hybrid armor that had overlapping strips of metal that allowed a wide range of protection. Its initial advantages, namely being more sturdy and resilient as a ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dx0v2/why_did_the_roman_army_choose_to_abandon_its/c9ur99p",
"http://www.reddit.com/user/bitparity",
"http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_mail.html"
]
] | ||
3elnc9 | When the US entered WW2, how far did geography determine where a draftee would be deployed? For instance were those from Cali more likely to head into the Pacific, and likewise New Yorkers into Europe/North Africa? Brit here and it's something I've no idea about! | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3elnc9/when_the_us_entered_ww2_how_far_did_geography/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctg6z7o",
"ctg71b6",
"ctg7o5q",
"ctgj80x"
],
"score": [
79,
230,
486,
11
],
"text": [
"Hello everyone, \n\nUnfortunately, we have already had to remove a number of poor quality responses in this thread. In this thread, there have been a large number of incorrec... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/submit?selftext=true&title=",
"http://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAskHistorians&subject=Question%20Regarding%20Rules",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules"
],
[],
[
"https://books.google.com/books?id=W9YeBgAAQBAJ&p... | ||
1qws7h | What would be found in a WW2 British soldiers rucksack or knapsack | Working on a paper regarding the articles that would be found in the bag of a common British (or any solider for that matter) bag.
Thank you for the help | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1qws7h/what_would_be_found_in_a_ww2_british_soldiers/ | {
"a_id": [
"cdhq2np"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"This [YouTube](_URL_0_) link shows some of the items a British solider would have during the Japanese invasion of Singapore. Some canned food, grenades, .303 ammunition, gas masks and a few other items that I can't make out. It also brings up a... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbszSQaIGz8&t=19m"
]
] | |
14uvle | In light of today's Connecticut shooting, are mass shootings a fairly recent occurrence? | I understand the old adage "Guns don't kill people, people kill people", but with the easy availability of automatic weapons and plentiful ammunition wouldn't you say this is a 20/21st century evolution?
Perhaps there were mass shootings before the 1900's, but maybe it wasn't documented accordingly? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/14uvle/in_light_of_todays_connecticut_shooting_are_mass/ | {
"a_id": [
"c7gmyoh",
"c7gn3he",
"c7gn6ay",
"c7goqu5",
"c7gsusx",
"c7gxk4z"
],
"score": [
9,
4,
20,
14,
3,
6
],
"text": [
"The answer is pretty straightforward. Mass shootings didn't occur when the shooter could only fire one round per minute.",
"I thin... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[
"http://books.google.com/books?id=66bBlXMEVYAC&pg=PA131#v=onepage&q&f=false",
"http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-22/forensic-psych-on-violent-minds/4146324"
],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster#References"
]
] | |
5l9lqr | When did Europeans in New Zealand start adopting the practice of Haka from the Maori? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5l9lqr/when_did_europeans_in_new_zealand_start_adopting/ | {
"a_id": [
"dbul9m2"
],
"score": [
15
],
"text": [
"hi! Hopefully some of the NZ specialists will drop by to address this question, but meanwhile, you can get a little start here\n\n* [Why has New Zealand embraced indigenous culture more than other former British Colonies?](_URL_1_) - /u/Cenodoxu... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2ibo8l/why_were_the_maori_so_much_more_successful_at/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1daol9/why_has_new_zealand_embraced_indigenous_culture/"
]
] | ||
3fqzbh | What were the lives of Black people in the United Kingdom like during the World Wars? | Want to gain an insight for a book I am writing about a family based on these times but it must be historically accurate alongside a compelling story. What did they do, where did they live? Was there stigma, racism much like today? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3fqzbh/what_were_the_lives_of_black_people_in_the_united/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctrgn30"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"side note: did experience differ from Black British and West-Indies/African immigrants? "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
6xsi9j | Why did the Catholic Church seem to be opposed to lay people reading the Bible? | In [this book](_URL_0_) it is stated that the Church was very hostile to translations of the Bible into the common tongues. And in [this book](_URL_1_) it states that there was a papal bull in 1713 that reading the Bible was not for everyone. Why did the Catholic Church have this view? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6xsi9j/why_did_the_catholic_church_seem_to_be_opposed_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"dmi9wln",
"dmibcfn"
],
"score": [
113,
3
],
"text": [
"Not exactly true. Catholic Church does not opposed lay reading Bible. In fact, reading of the Bible is part of the Mass and regular attendee of the Masses will hear a large portion of both Testaments in span of few years.\... | [] | [
"https://i.imgur.com/MI9jV6n.jpg",
"https://i.imgur.com/ZCP0YPW.jpg"
] | [
[
"https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Canons_and_Decrees_of_the_Council_of_Trent/Second_Part/Condemnation_of_the_Errors_of_Paschasius_Quesnell",
"79.It"
],
[]
] | |
ev5t7o | Did slavery play a significant role in Texas secession from Mexico? If not, what changed in the next 25 years? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ev5t7o/did_slavery_play_a_significant_role_in_texas/ | {
"a_id": [
"ffvpnk9"
],
"score": [
9
],
"text": [
"**TL;DR** - It stemmed from existing social pressures all across Mexico, annexation by the US meant the rest of the South's institutions and the Planters gained super strong influence. Sam Houston was alive in 1861, and was vividly and vibrantly ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
f51gvn | After his term as president, John Quincy Adams ran for a seat in the House of Representatives and held it for 17 years. How unique was it for American presidents to run for "lesser," public offices after being president? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f51gvn/after_his_term_as_president_john_quincy_adams_ran/ | {
"a_id": [
"fhx2vw5",
"fhxbgpv"
],
"score": [
69,
677
],
"text": [
"As a a follow-up question, is there any precedent to a former president being considered for Supreme Court Justice?",
"There have been very few Presidents who served in public office after the Presidency. JQA is *by f... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.