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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
675491 | Why didn't WW2 turn into a stalemate and trench warfare as WW1 had | So I understand the to a moderate degree the tactics of blitzkrieg. But the schlieffen plan had a similar concept of a quick offensive to take Paris, so how come that failed but Hitler didn't.
Also this question is not focused on the battle of France how come other theatres maintained a war of movement | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/675491/why_didnt_ww2_turn_into_a_stalemate_and_trench/ | {
"a_id": [
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"The answer to this is quite complex. I'm on a mobile atm. This is therefore only from memory, but I'll try to give you a rough explanation.\n\nYou should understand that trench warfare was not an ideal. In 1914 the various armies facing each othe... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/635toy/comment/dfrq2ae?st=1Z141Z3&sh=a2cfd4a1"
]
] | |
5s8xrs | What is the best historical book on the rise of the Fascist Parties in Italy and Spain? | What is the best book on the rise of the Fascist Parties in Italy and Spain?
Which book would you recommend on this topic that would be good for a person who already has books on their shelf by Francis Fukuyama and Niall Ferguson? I.e. I need an honest and mostly neutral/objective account, rather than one that... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5s8xrs/what_is_the_best_historical_book_on_the_rise_of/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"I find it interesting that you cite *both* Fukuyama and Ferguson in a search for 'neutral/objective' history books. Fukuyama, of course, is widely known for *The Death of History* which is one of the most well known treatise... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
w3tyr | Why was the state religion of Massachusetts disestablished in 1833? | _URL_0_
There's the wikipedia link to the disestablishment dates for North American colonies, but there's not much information on why they were disestablished then. I thought that there was a revival of religious fervor during this period which makes the disestablishment of the state religions all the more puzzlingly... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/w3tyr/why_was_the_state_religion_of_massachusetts/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Because the Jeffersonians gained political power shortly before this time period. There was a growing Baptist-Republican influence in Massachusetts to counter the Congregationalist-Federalist forces in the years after the revolution, and as diffe... | [] | [
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_religion#Protestant_colonies"
] | [
[
"http://dc.library.okstate.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/theses/id/1844/rec/10"
]
] | |
1arqfd | How did the lives of the elite in the Soviet Union under Stalin compare to the lives of the elite under Truman post-war? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1arqfd/how_did_the_lives_of_the_elite_in_the_soviet/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Under post war Truman the elite could expect a high tax rate, but they were obviously very well off. Under Stalin they had near unlimited power, but there was a 50/50 or greater chance that Stalin might purge you if he thought you'd encroach on h... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
17v5tl | What are some good sources that captures America's attitude towards communism after the Russian Revolution? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/17v5tl/what_are_some_good_sources_that_captures_americas/ | {
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"text": [
"It is quite brief, but I found that Only Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen gives a general overview of how the Russian Revolution contributed to a \"Red Scare\" in the United States. I believe it's chapter 3.\n\nI'm aware there is some controver... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.amazon.com/Only-Yesterday-Informal-History-1920s/dp/0060956658"
]
] | ||
1w7ba2 | What did Judaism look like around the time of Jesus' birth? | Judaism, as every other religion, has fractured into many different points of view since its early days.
What I'm curious about is how it had changed by the time Jesus rolled into town on his donkey(s).
Was the theology of the day different from what we read in the OT? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1w7ba2/what_did_judaism_look_like_around_the_time_of/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"I'm not a historian and am not prepared to give a comprehensive answer but I can recommend an excellent book that gives in depth look - Professor Lawrence Schiffman's [\"From Text to Tradition\"](_URL_0_). \nYou can also ch... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.amazon.com/Tradition-History-Second-Rabbinic-Judaism/dp/0881253723",
"http://www.reddit.com/r/Judaism/comments/1trkb6/lawrence_h_schiffman_ama/"
],
[]
] | |
1vijkx | My history teacher told me women in England dressed more masculine during ww2 as a tribute to all the lost men at war. Any truth to this? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1vijkx/my_history_teacher_told_me_women_in_england/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"It wasn't so much as in tribute as necessity. With so many men drafted into the war women were called on to do jobs they usually wouldn't, such as working in factories. Occasionally the long dresses that were fashionable at the time would catch ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
49kjo6 | How did armies counter Roman fossas? | Title. The Romans built special asymmetrical trenches with pikes at the top for defense during seige. Are there any examples of enemies countering this? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/49kjo6/how_did_armies_counter_roman_fossas/ | {
"a_id": [
"d0tbz74"
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"text": [
"The Romans weren't exactly the first to use trenchworks. Aeneas Tacticus mentions them a whole lot of times, including disguised trenches and fancy stuff like that, and they show up in lots of authors going way back--Homer has the Achaeans at Tro... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
5sb1jp | Why did tanks not have effective sloping early in WW2? | If you look at turrets from ships before the invention of the tank all featured some degree of sloping, with some having completely rounded turrets. Why was this not applied to tanks, for example the the PzKpfw III, IV and VI. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5sb1jp/why_did_tanks_not_have_effective_sloping_early_in/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"It was applied to tanks. The fact that sloping an armoured plate helped it deflect bullets better was known long before WWII. If you look at the French Renault FT tank, you see exactly what you just described: a rounded conical turret. The Americ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://tankarchives.blogspot.ca/2014/01/arming-vickers-tanks.html"
]
] | |
43r8qp | Why was Venus not named Jupiter? | Venus is the brightest object in the night sky (besides sun and moon of course) which would make more sense to be named after the most powerful god Jupiter. Was the way Jupiter/Venus named intentional, meaning did they know the sizes of the planets around the time when they were named or was this just a coincidence tha... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/43r8qp/why_was_venus_not_named_jupiter/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"hi! There's definitely more room for exploration on this one, but fyi, this question has come up a few times; here are a couple of the threads that specifically address Jupiter wrt its relative brightness\n\n* [What, exactly, did it mean for a pl... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3bhr3k/what_exactly_did_it_mean_for_a_planet_to_be/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1k9ok6/did_ancient_greeks_know_that_olympos_was_the/"
]
] | |
79l8cp | Why did Nero have a strange neckbeard in the 1st century when no other Roman emperor was depicted with a beard at all until Hadrian in the 2nd century, and even then it was a full and normal kempt looking beard? Did Nero just not care about his appearance even in statues? | I've never even seen any other ancient statue with a beard like this: _URL_0_
| AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/79l8cp/why_did_nero_have_a_strange_neckbeard_in_the_1st/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Imperial portraiture is an intensely studied phenomenon. Nothing about it seems arbitrary - imperial portraits can be dated and distinguished by the number and positioning of the curls along the forehead. For example, the tousled hair of Augustu... | [] | [
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero#/media/File:Nero_1.JPG"
] | [
[]
] | |
5zqo0y | Why did the USSR not incorporate Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania etc into the union? | Why did they remain as individual countries and not brought into the union as new Soviets? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5zqo0y/why_did_the_ussr_not_incorporate_poland/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Simply put, there really wasn't any need for them to do it.\n\nIn 1945, the Yalta Conference saw the Big Three (US, UK, and the USSR) agreeing, among other things, on allowing the countries of Europe to choose their own governments through free... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2een7v | If possible, what country can we trace to be the true successor of the Roman Empire? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2een7v/if_possible_what_country_can_we_trace_to_be_the/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"I looked in the FAQ and [this section](_URL_0_) probably has more answers than you could ever want.\n\nThis is one of those questions where I just have to ask \"Who cares?\" Roman identity is something so schizophrenic and malleable that at one ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/darkages#wiki_heirs_to_the_roman_empire"
]
] | ||
3nkxob | Prior to 1991, did any notable political scientists "call" the Cold War in favor of the Soviets? | A professor of mine insists that the USSR was, for essentially all of its rivalry with the US, at a significant disadvantage. He makes the case that the Cold War was "already won" by the time Reagan assumed office, but I feel like he may be biased by hindsight.
Did any respected scholars predict that the Russians woul... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3nkxob/prior_to_1991_did_any_notable_political/ | {
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"text": [
"As a follow-up question, was it generally assumed that the Cold War would eventuall... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/97unclass/soviet.html"
],
[
"http://www.amazon.com/Our-Globe-Under-Siege-III/dp/B001K96HEI",
"http://www.amazon.com/No-Wonder-We-Are-Losing/dp/B00155H1P6#productDescription_secondary_view_d... | |
2wxm62 | How long where ancient battles, and how long was a man expected to be in battle and actually be fighting? Also how was fighting was it mostly 1v1 or groups of men acting as a unit even after the charge? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2wxm62/how_long_where_ancient_battles_and_how_long_was_a/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"The model suggested by the Roman scholar Adrian Goldsworthy is that combat would be broken up by long pauses as each side caught their breath and worked themselves up to enter combat again. \n\nThe 'hard' men of that side, be they centurions or ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
29b4z6 | How far back in time can our conception of politics be used to look at political factions? More specifically, could the factions of the French Revolution be placed on the "Right to Left" scale? | I know a good bit about political theory, enough to know that the "Right to Left" scale is already pretty worthless when looking at specifics. For instance, I often am told Jacobins are extreme Leftists, but they also supported Laissez-faire capitalism which is not exactly mainstream of the extreme left.
Were there an... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/29b4z6/how_far_back_in_time_can_our_conception_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"cij7mql",
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"score": [
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2
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"text": [
"The terms \"left and right wing\" actually originated during the French Revolution. The various legislative bodies were initially seated from right to left based on their social rank, and that slowly evolved into our modern ... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
4ejs5f | Why were there so many famous pitched battles in ancient history? | It seems to me like it required a lot of organisation and expense to arrange a mass battle on the field. From what I've heard, most battles were skirmishes, sieges or raids for pillaging, because that's what generally won a war.
Why then, were there pitched battles? What examples can be drawn up for why this was, at ... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4ejs5f/why_were_there_so_many_famous_pitched_battles_in/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"For Classical Greece, there's a couple of reasons. The main one is that the city-states had no professional army and no money to create one. Their military forces were literally the population in arms. Since most people could not afford to leave ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
27wie9 | How did 18th Century warships aim their cannons? | Did the cannons have a horizontal aiming arc? I understand that they could wedge the cannon to gain elevation/depression on the gun, but what about side-to-side movements?
What about in the thick of battle when there was a lot of thick smoke from all the broadsides? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/27wie9/how_did_18th_century_warships_aim_their_cannons/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"Cannon could be traversed slightly side to side when run out, but this was rather uncommon and usually only reserved for the guns at the front of the ship when coming into action (broadside guns, not chase guns pointed forward). For the most part... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
b5p91t | Ratio of Killed and wounded in early modern warfare | What was the typical ratio of killed and wounded in early modern warfare? Is there some change through the period based on development of new weapons? Also I wonder why the ratio is highly different between units in the same battle, e. g. at the battle of Leuthen, the ingantry regikent Kalckstein has 24 killed/missing ... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/b5p91t/ratio_of_killed_and_wounded_in_early_modern/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"My information comes mostly from the Napoleonic Wars, which I would place outside the Early Modern period. While they were all fought with the same weapons as earlier conflicts, there use on the battlefield was often quite different, so applying... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
89tgyq | When did US laws change to allow biased journalism and why? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/89tgyq/when_did_us_laws_change_to_allow_biased/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"This submission has been removed because it is [soapboxing](_URL_0_.) or [moralizing:](_URL_1_) it has the effect of promoting an opinion on contemporary politics or social issues at the expense of historical integrity. There are certainly histor... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_no_.22soapboxing.22_or_loaded_questions",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_no_political_agendas_or_moralising"
]
] | ||
81xno7 | What sort of humour was popular in the late Middle Ages? | I've heard tell of the dark and scatological sense of humour that people seemed to have in the Middle Ages, evidenced by folk tales, sermons and exempla. But I am having trouble finding literature on the subject. So, what sorts of stories or jokes were sure to provoke laughter from the people of Late Medieval Europe? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/81xno7/what_sort_of_humour_was_popular_in_the_late/ | {
"a_id": [
"dv67o65",
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"score": [
165,
436
],
"text": [
"Check out these threads on Medieval humour and what they found fun/funny. The first one will probably interest you the most:\n\n* [Medieval Jesters - What kind of jokes did they tell?](_URL_1_) by /u/texpeare\n\n* [Why a... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1hbf52/what_did_people_do_for_fun_in_their_free_time_in/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1p2n54/medieval_jesters_what_kind_of_jokes_did_they_tell/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3tva6h/why_are_there_so_many_medieva... | |
6muhrb | What was the practical difference between Napoleonic Imperial rule and Ancien Regime? Was it just the same monarchy with a different name? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6muhrb/what_was_the_practical_difference_between/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"The idea that Napoleon was merely aping the pre-1789 political order was one of the many attacks on Napoleon made both by the Jacobin left and the emigre Bourbons. Beethoven reportedly claimed Napoleon was reaching for the imperial crown the Revo... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/government/legislation/c_constitution8.html",
"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Eroica_Beethoven_title.jpg",
"http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/government/legislation/c_charter.html"
]
] | ||
68zafl | How/why did the Austrian Empire become diplomatically isolated in the aftermath of the Crimean War? | When Austria refused to honour the Russian alliance, instead declaring neutrality, and pinning down large Russian armies along the Danube, it clearly estranged itself from the Russian Empire. Yet, it doesn't seemed to have gained any consideration from France or Britain for this position.
Just a few years later, Franc... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/68zafl/howwhy_did_the_austrian_empire_become/ | {
"a_id": [
"dh2t7w2"
],
"score": [
14
],
"text": [
"If anyone could clarify the details of the alliance between Russia and Austria I would appreciate it for background on the question! "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
4c1qf8 | Were there psychotropic drugs in 5th century BCE Athens? | I was teaching Plato to undergrads this week, and one of them asked if Plato was on shrooms when he came up with some of his more out there metaphysics. The idea was part joking, but I started wondering what exactly the culture of drugs was in this era and if there were any of the mind-altering variety available. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4c1qf8/were_there_psychotropic_drugs_in_5th_century_bce/ | {
"a_id": [
"d1eh80b"
],
"score": [
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],
"text": [
"I don't know of any such drugs being known or commonly used in Classical Greece, but they may well have existed. The most famous story of Greeks tripping balls is Xenophon's account of men of the Ten Thousand eating \"mad honey\" on their march t... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1m4a83 | Have there been and recent significant geographical changes since the rise of civilization? | I recently heard about a Greek island city that was destroyed and submerged by a volcano, earthquake, and tsunami tag team off the coast of Peloponnese. There was another called Helike on the coast of Achaea which was destroyed in a similar manner. I started wondering about any even bigger events. So my question is sin... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1m4a83/have_there_been_and_recent_significant/ | {
"a_id": [
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"score": [
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3,
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],
"text": [
"Those of us who draw historic maps always have to be cognizant of such things. The biggest things we have to root out are manmade reservoirs, changes to river courses, and land accretion in river delta... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Karte_Mesopotamien.png",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelusium",
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/HuangHeZmenyDolnihoToku.PNG"
],
[
"http://www.seacityresearchnet.com/archives/category/existing-adaptations/artificial... | |
8i0psd | Tuesday Trivia: Maps of Earth and Sky | From the [fold-out (!) map in the 12th century *Liber floridus*](_URL_0_) to the [Strava heatmap](_URL_1_) of where people (who own GPS watches and like to brag on social media) run and bike, maps tell us as much about the people who make them as about the terrain they map.
For today's technically-it-is-still-Tuesday-... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8i0psd/tuesday_trivia_maps_of_earth_and_sky/ | {
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"text": [
"Fantasy maps have a fascinating history, which we've talked about a bit in the past, but for me one of my favo... | [] | [
"https://imgur.com/a/NV4aHx3",
"https://www.strava.com/heatmap#4.55/-107.24315/39.48120/blue/run"
] | [
[
"http://theblogthattimeforgot.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/hyborian-musings-mappa-mundi.html"
],
[
"https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/inquire/Discover/Search/#/?p=c+1,t+portolan,rsrs+0,rsps+10,fa+,so+ox%3Asort%5Easc,scids+,pid+,vi+",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7sja6m/what_do_the_in... | |
f0ka2g | Any idea of the civilization that built the maltese megalithic Temples? | I have been obsessed with these temples for the past year and just want to know of the society that built them. They must have been at least somewhat advanced to be able to build such grand structures.
But then again, there has never been any remains of cities found, so they must have been just a simple agricultural ... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f0ka2g/any_idea_of_the_civilization_that_built_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"fgyh5xn"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"There is a thread about the temple-builders on Malta [here](_URL_0_) with a lot of discussion and source recommendations by myself and others."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/e8vvfk/who_were_the_temple_builders_of_malta_and_what/"
]
] | |
6oksdy | According to the very few documented meetings between Vikings and Arabs, how did they perceive each other's manners, beliefs, and technology? | I say "very few" because it seems difficult to get a deep, detailed answer this question of mine. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6oksdy/according_to_the_very_few_documented_meetings/ | {
"a_id": [
"dkijwdu"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"It doesn't fully answer your question but it is slightly relevant so check out [this](_URL_0_) answer by u/Kiviimar"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5tlx1e/how_did_the_vikings_view_islam_as_compared_to/?st=j5do5t93&sh=becc87f7"
]
] | |
80roh1 | When the Zimmerman Telegram was decoded, how did they know what language the original message was written in? Were there multiple attempts to decode in various languages? | Was it in German, Spanish, English? I'm just generally curious as to what the decoding process was like. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/80roh1/when_the_zimmerman_telegram_was_decoded_how_did/ | {
"a_id": [
"duxurv3"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"The Zimmermann Telegram was a message sent from the German Foreign Minister, Arthur Zimmermann, to the German ambassador to Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt. As it was a message from one German speaker to another, the original plaintext was in Germa... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2e71a9 | Would WWII Japan have done better without building the Yamato? | Specifically, would they have been more evenly matched with the U.S. if they had concentrated on aircraft carriers instead of battleships? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2e71a9/would_wwii_japan_have_done_better_without/ | {
"a_id": [
"cjwo4e4",
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"score": [
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"text": [
"The answer is yes and no. Hiroyuki Agawa, a former IJN naval intelligence officer turned naval historian famously quipped \"the three greatest follies of the workd were the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids and the battlesh... | [] | [] | [
[],
[]
] | |
abf9c6 | What did men wear in the 12th century? | I've found a good deal of information on what women wore in the high middle ages, but not so much on men. What did they wear, from underclothing to outer garments? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/abf9c6/what_did_men_wear_in_the_12th_century/ | {
"a_id": [
"ed1vlbo"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"There is more to be said here, but you may get a partial answer from my previous response:\n\n[Why did the tunic fall out of favor in Europe?](_URL_0_)\n\nI'd be happy to answer any follow-up questions!"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/71pj5t/why_did_the_tunic_fall_out_of_favor_in_europe/dndgre6/"
]
] | |
2id5dh | Want to learn more about Norse mythology (specifically Ragnarök) | I've recently developed a keen interest in learning about Norse mythology, more specifically the events of, and leading to, Ragnarök. I tried to jump in with some Wiki surfing and looking at the Poetic Edda, but that ended up being fairly dense and tough to follow. Are there any good, "beginner level" sources I can go ... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2id5dh/want_to_learn_more_about_norse_mythology/ | {
"a_id": [
"cl13xy1"
],
"score": [
9
],
"text": [
"The Prose and Poetic Eddas are really your only options when it comes to Norse Mythology. If you're looking for scholarly discussions of them, Terry Gunnel is always a good option - he just finished putting together a collection on apocalyptic th... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
xxoza | Kutuzov: comically poor general or wise and patient strategist? | Having just finished War and Peace, I was surprised by Tolstoy's sincere praise for the Russian general who slept through planning for Austerlitz. What is the opinion of the historians of this subreddit regarding Kutuzov's relative merits? Was he the right choice for Russia in 1812? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/xxoza/kutuzov_comically_poor_general_or_wise_and/ | {
"a_id": [
"c5qivpp",
"c5qn0uf",
"c5qn9qa"
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"score": [
21,
5,
3
],
"text": [
"Despite the fact that War and Peace is fairly accurate, I would not rely on it as a source. It's still historical fiction, even though it's the best historical fiction ever. \n\nKutuzov served under Su... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.amazon.com/Russia-Against-Napoleon-Story-Campaigns/dp/0670021571"
],
[]
] | |
5cq3wp | I think Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a great colonial novella. What are some other good examples of literature from the Age of Imperialism/colonialism? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5cq3wp/i_think_heart_of_darkness_by_joseph_conrad_is_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"d9yzz9g"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"\"[Shooting an Elephant](_URL_0_)\" by George Orwell. He was a police officer during colonial days in British-run Burma (Myanmar). The story tells of a time when local people required him to shoot a mad elephant- he didn't want to do it, and in... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/887/"
]
] | ||
1ltlxd | What makes Mao Zedong such an evil person? | I've seen multiple things on the internet saying how Zedong is the most evil man of all time -- more evil than Stalin or Hitler. However, I don't know why; I was never taught in school anything about him, or how China became a communist country. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ltlxd/what_makes_mao_zedong_such_an_evil_person/ | {
"a_id": [
"cc2mhko"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"I'm not a professional historian, but I consider myself a student of modern China, and have read a reasonable amount on the subject.\n\nI think calling Mao \"the most evil man of all time\" is a strong exaggeration. I would in fact defend him fr... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
2tcnjd | When monarchies were the norm, did any contemporary political theorists write about the madness of appointing a child as king or queen? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2tcnjd/when_monarchies_were_the_norm_did_any/ | {
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"cnxwjx3",
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"score": [
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62,
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17,
7,
5,
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"text": [
"You have to understand that even in an absolute monarchy, Kings and Queens who were underage nearly always had... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/hobbes/leviathan-d.html#CHAPTERXIX"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
9fnw92 | Did the US rely on oil from South East Asia prior to Pearl Harbour? | Given recent news that the US is now the largest oil producer in the world, I'm interested in the import/export levels historically. I know the embargo on oil exports to Japan was a factor in their decision to attack Pearl Harbour and the British and Dutch bases in South East Asia, but I also heard the US has been a bi... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9fnw92/did_the_us_rely_on_oil_from_south_east_asia_prior/ | {
"a_id": [
"e5y7vxr"
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"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"The US at the start of WW2 was the largest oil producers at 1940. In this graph [here](_URL_0_) the US produces 182 million of metric tons of oil each year. It was out producing almost every other top oil producing countries on the list combined.... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://digital.library.northwestern.edu/league/le0280ah.pdf"
]
] | |
1c9h1b | When people defend Margaret Thatcher by arguing she "broke up the unions" what do they mean? | This seems to be the one recurring rally cry for thatcherite supporters, but nobody has ever been able to expand upon it for me. Not living in the time, I am unaware of the power of unions, but as a rather leftist believer I've always seen unions as a good thing.
I am specifically interested in anecdotal evidence of c... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1c9h1b/when_people_defend_margaret_thatcher_by_arguing/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9eck7j"
],
"score": [
166
],
"text": [
"When Thatcher became Prime Minister, Great-Britain (GB later on) was referred to as \"the sick man in Europe\". In the previous 2 decades, there was an average GDP growth of about 0.8%. The inflation rate was incredibly high, in the 1970's the ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_miners%27_strike_(1984-1985#Variation_in_observing_the_strike)",
"http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,926945,00.html",
"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-448602/How-Scargill-begged-Kremlin-fund-miners-fight-Thatcher.html"
]
] | |
5gadk0 | I have heard that French was the "court language" of many Renaissance monarchies outside of France, such as Scotland and Russia. What, in concrete terms, did this mean? Why was the use of French so widespread? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5gadk0/i_have_heard_that_french_was_the_court_language/ | {
"a_id": [
"daqy1id"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"Prior to Peter I and Catherine II, Russian court language was a kind of Church Slavonic, and showed a mix of East Slavic features that we find in modern Russian along with a large proportion of South Slavic loanwords. To illustrate, a noble at c... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
5m2atd | Do you use literary works as a source in your field of history? How are they used? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5m2atd/do_you_use_literary_works_as_a_source_in_your/ | {
"a_id": [
"dc0vae7"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to pitch this to the rest of the mod team as a possible Monday Methods topic. :)"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
anlbxl | Where/when did aspects of fantasy writing originate? | From where did the ideas of dwarves, elves, wizards, etc. come? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/anlbxl/wherewhen_did_aspects_of_fantasy_writing_originate/ | {
"a_id": [
"efv1ems"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"/u/itsallfolklore answered a similar question just recently [here](_URL_0_)"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/anb7qt/origin_of_orcs_elves_and_dwarves/?utm_source=reddit-android"
]
] | |
b3v7wh | Is there any historical reason for the Mormon faith to basically own Utah? | Everything from state laws to voting habits, it is clear that Utah is heavily dominated by a faith that isn’t in the top 20 of most popular religions. I was wondering if there’s a history on how this came to be? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/b3v7wh/is_there_any_historical_reason_for_the_mormon/ | {
"a_id": [
"ej2k963"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"In short, because they founded the state.\n\nThe Mormon domination of Utah came to be as they were the first whites to permanently settle in the territory, known as the “Mormon Exodus”, many thousands of them fled persecution which included a bri... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3e7rwu | How involved were Roman emperors in the day-to-day running of the empire? | Were there any who were notorious micromanagers? Any who were well-known for letting other people do all the work? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3e7rwu/how_involved_were_roman_emperors_in_the_daytoday/ | {
"a_id": [
"ctcswk3"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"I was able to read *The Emperor Domitian* by B.W. Jones last year that was all about what a relentless micro-manager Domitian was, especially with regards to economic manipulation of not only the Roman economy as a whole, but careful provincial m... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1ap79o | What is the most surprisingly interesting topic related to US history you have ever researched? | I have been assigned a research paper that can be about anything that pertains to US History. As such, I wanted to hear some ideas for possible topics. | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ap79o/what_is_the_most_surprisingly_interesting_topic/ | {
"a_id": [
"c8zki7m"
],
"score": [
2
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"text": [
"I wrote my thesis on court interpretations of tariffs in the late 19th century, solely because I found [this case, Nix v. Hedden,](_URL_0_) to be rather humorous. I had originally wanted to write on the case in a U.S. Legal History course, but I... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=8906408028119690393&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr"
]
] | |
1gjymh | Did the Germanic tribes ever try to emulate the military strategies of the Roman Empire? If not, why didn't they adapt? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1gjymh/did_the_germanic_tribes_ever_try_to_emulate_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cakylc0"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"Hi! This question is awfully similar to one answered earlier [today](_URL_0_), and Celebreth gives a really good answer. Hope that helps!"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1gj5qh/after_the_enormous_successes_of_the_roman_army/"
]
] | ||
2il02a | Is it true that Machiavelli was a 'statesmen for hire' and were there others like him at the time? | I've heard that Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a sort of audition to prove his political acumen to Italian rulers, in the hope that one would hire him as a member of their government. The concept strikes me as a bit odd--for example, I can't imagine a US Cabinet member pulling up stakes and taking a UK ministerial job... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2il02a/is_it_true_that_machiavelli_was_a_statesmen_for/ | {
"a_id": [
"cl37dxc"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"This is complex. \n\nMachiavelli's writing indicates that he was fiercely loyal to the Republic of Florence. This made him somewhat inconvenient to the Medici, who were at the time trying to dismantle the republic and declare themselves Grand Duk... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3z25sa | Are there people that share similar genetics with the ancient Israelites/Jews? | Due to the migration of the Jews, they've largely picked up genetics of their host countries. Are there still people with similar genetics such as the Palestinians or people in that part of the world? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3z25sa/are_there_people_that_share_similar_genetics_with/ | {
"a_id": [
"cyinulz",
"cyitx4m",
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"score": [
3,
8,
2
],
"text": [
"Question for the Historians: do Historians include genetics in their area of studies? Would Anthropologists be better equipped to answer?",
"To truly answer the question you're asking, we'd have to... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://bga101.blogspot.com/2013/10/eurogenes-k15-now-at-gedmatch.html",
"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25079122"
],
[
"http://dienekes.blogspot.com/"
]
] | |
3i4sw2 | Were the indigenous North American trade routes ever connected to the South American ones? | For instance, a flow of copper ore from Michigan down to the Aztecs? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3i4sw2/were_the_indigenous_north_american_trade_routes/ | {
"a_id": [
"cudbn4d"
],
"score": [
12
],
"text": [
"You can find some good answers related to your question in the FAQ:\n\n* [Trading](_URL_0_) across North Amerca\n\n* [Trading](_URL_1_) between Mesoamerica and the Andes\n\n* [Trading](_URL_3_) between North America (US/Canada) and Mesoamerica.\... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1o734s/how_extensive_were_the_north_american_trade/",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1b058m/was_there_communication_between_andean/",
"http://www.jstor.org.proxy.library.vanderbilt.edu/stable/2891092?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents",
... | |
1iqq5x | How widespread were submarines before World War 1? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1iqq5x/how_widespread_were_submarines_before_world_war_1/ | {
"a_id": [
"cb75fqu"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"We have reliable historical evidence of submersibles being constructed from the 1620s and on. The [Van Drebbel design](_URL_1_) was powered by oars and was reported to be successfully tested in its day (1620-1624) and shown in recent reconstructi... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://fotos.subefotos.com/a44ba10bec687fc16e7836383471aef4o.jpg",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Van_Drebbel.jpg",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_submarine_Plongeur",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Turtle"
]
] | ||
4uwob6 | Did the main Soviet nuclear threat to the continental United States in the earlier stages of the Cold War – masses of nuclear-armed bombers streaming southward across the arctic – actually exist? | I've been trying to formulate this question for awhile, but since it's Air and Space week I felt compelled to ask now!
Prior to the rise of the ICBM as the main instrument of a hypothetical nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union, the means by which the Soviet Union would presumably have delive... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4uwob6/did_the_main_soviet_nuclear_threat_to_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"d5uvcwc"
],
"score": [
7
],
"text": [
"You have kind of answered your own question here, American rhetoric of a \"bomber gap\" in the mid-1950s were reacting to a grossly inflated threat. Although manned bombers were the only truly reliable delivery platform for the early years of the... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3c7om8 | Were there miscegenation laws in European colonies? | Could, for example, an Indian man marry a white British woman in colonial India? And if their were laws against miscegenation, did they differ from colony to colony? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3c7om8/were_there_miscegenation_laws_in_european_colonies/ | {
"a_id": [
"cst4jc9"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"You can find a bit on the topic of miscegenation in colonial Peru [here](_URL_0_). "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/20gdxx/how_were_antimiscegenation_laws_justified_during/"
]
] | |
3xj8oj | I've heard that Plague Doctors may have "unknowingly" protected themselves from airborne germs with their herb-stuffed masks, but do we know how effective, if at all, they were? | Had anyone tested the effectiveness of a lavender-stuffed mask at protecting one from inhaling bacteria? Or did plague doctors have a noticeably lower mortality rate when wearing their costume? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3xj8oj/ive_heard_that_plague_doctors_may_have/ | {
"a_id": [
"cy570t9"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Charles de Lorme, who popularized the full costume, lived to be 94. This was not however, actually indicative of the mask actually working. [Most people at the time](_URL_0_) even believed that the plague doctors were useless. \n\nAt the time, ge... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://jhmas.oxfordjournals.org/content/XX/3/276.extract"
]
] | |
92v5hl | What is it about the UK (or even England) that inspires such beloved fantasy stories? | Mainly thinking of the three most well known: Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter; I noticed that so many of the well known fantasy novels are created by English authors and am curious as to what effects their culture and such had on these writers to create such popular fantasy stor... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/92v5hl/what_is_it_about_the_uk_or_even_england_that/ | {
"a_id": [
"e399317"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Fantasy fiction as a distinct genre involved in different markets based on a variety of influences - it's not a case of any one particular nationality having an oversized influence on the market as much as it is certain key works get more popular... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/essays/shil.aspx"
]
] | |
208lix | Multiple claims about slavery and the Civil War on the Daily Show. How accurate? | Update: The leads and information provided by members of this community were unbelievably helpful. We posted the four fact-checks yesterday and a summary story went up today, with a closing note of thanks to all the redditors who helped. [Here's the summary with links to each separate fact-check.](_URL_2_)
Below are t... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/208lix/multiple_claims_about_slavery_and_the_civil_war/ | {
"a_id": [
"cg0tmqj",
"cg0x0nv",
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"cg12o5c",
"cg1a5qr",
"cg1hp05",
"cg26avc"
],
"score": [
230,
11,
35,
13,
17,
6,
3
],
"text": [
"As a student of American history, I'm inclined to accept the verdicts of James Oakes, Manisha Sinha, and Eri... | [] | [
"http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/mar/18/andrew-napolitano/napolitano-lincoln-tried-arm-slaves/",
"http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/mar/18/jon-stewart/jon-stewart-lincoln-tried-buy-slaves-free-them/",
"http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/article/2014/mar/19/napolitano-st... | [
[
"http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/abraham-lincolns-audacious-plan/",
"http://eh.net/encyclopedia/the-economics-of-the-civil-war/",
"http://www.amazon.com/Reconstruction-Americas-Unfinished-Revolution-1863-1877/dp/0060937165"
],
[],
[
"http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/index.fac... | |
1y1d1n | What language did Muslims in Iberia primarily speak? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1y1d1n/what_language_did_muslims_in_iberia_primarily/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfgi79g"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"As usual, it does depend somewhat on when and where, but generally: Arabic. Once the invasion occurred, Muslims in Iberia were closely connected to the rest of the Muslim world by trade and politics, making Arabic the lingua franca there as els... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
10e9ap | [Rome] I've been recently pondering: Why did the senate not rush to aid Julius Caesar during his assassination? | We know that the senate was almost entirely reformed by Julius Caesar after the civil war ended with Cato's death. The new appointments to the senate were rewards for long time friends who had fought beside him and helped him win the wars. Therefore a lot of the appointments were ex soldiers; officers who had fought at... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/10e9ap/rome_ive_been_recently_pondering_why_did_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"c6cqxw4",
"c6cwylh"
],
"score": [
14,
3
],
"text": [
"Several reasons, the Liberators, armed with weapons and surrounding Caesar were an intimidating sight. And if they were willing the kill the most powerful man in Rome, why would they stop at killing a few more shocked, fear... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/10e9ap/rome_ive_been_recently_pondering_why_did_the/c6cqxw4"
]
] | |
6u1lx9 | How did banks work in the Soviet Union? Were people allowed to save money and accumulate wealth? Was there personal lending? How did this all work in the soviet communist system? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6u1lx9/how_did_banks_work_in_the_soviet_union_were/ | {
"a_id": [
"dlphfbl",
"dlpydjx",
"dlqb13a"
],
"score": [
2258,
11,
11
],
"text": [
"Banking in the Soviet Union was provided by a state run and owned bank, Gosbank. (Literally, The State Bank.) Gosbank was an interesting entity that evolved from the Tsarist Russia’s State Bank in... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
1uhzce | Why did Southern Germany stay Catholic after the Protestant Reformation? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1uhzce/why_did_southern_germany_stay_catholic_after_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"ceiaoi5"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"I'm not really sure what exactly inspired your question, so I could probably get more specific if you follow up, but basically the south of modern Germany has long been a papal power base. The term for the papalist faction during the middle ages ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
277bgi | What other kinds of headwear other than feathered headdresses did people in Mesoamerica wear? | From my experience working in West Mexico the shaft tomb figurines provide an array of different headwear depending on the style and region and none of them depict feathered headdresses. This has made me curious on whether or not other peoples in different regions and time periods made use of other headwear.
[Here](_U... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/277bgi/what_other_kinds_of_headwear_other_than_feathered/ | {
"a_id": [
"chygbnk"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Headdresses in the Maya area also were made of cotton, or cloth, like those found by Saturno at the site of Xultun or the quintessential round heardress for the lineage of Copan, or the Aztec Xiuhuitzolli. In Calakmul there is evidence of some ma... | [] | [
"http://imgur.com/a/He0lZ"
] | [
[]
] | |
3ya71d | How and when did Turks reach Constantinople? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ya71d/how_and_when_did_turks_reach_constantinople/ | {
"a_id": [
"cycehsy"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"This is a rather vague question? Do you mean Turkish people, the ottomans, first encounter with the city or preparing for conquest or what? "
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
2olvfk | Why is there no more significant gold mining in California? Was all the accessible gold mined or is there another reason? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2olvfk/why_is_there_no_more_significant_gold_mining_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"cmoda9q"
],
"score": [
28
],
"text": [
"Modern milling techniques, sophisticated prospecting methods, and fertile ground for prospects - the location of one of the world's greatest gold discoveries - all point to the idea that there could be profitable gold mining in California. Calif... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/23/business/energy-environment/a-clash-of-gold-and-water-in-the-california-pines.html?_r=0"
]
] | ||
6l9bgq | Why did none of the ancient Mesopotamian cities survive? | It doesnt seem that any cities still exist and very few even survived into the common era.
Also, there don't seem to be any historically notable cities at all in southern mesopotamia after the Islamic conquest. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6l9bgq/why_did_none_of_the_ancient_mesopotamian_cities/ | {
"a_id": [
"djs6qtw"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"Well I can't really answer the second part but as for why few ancient Mesopotamian cities survived into the common era there is no one answer that fits all cities. (Note: I'll talk mainly about the Sumerian cities.) \n\nFirst and foremost though... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.2.2&charenc=j#"
]
] | |
eesd74 | How did naval exercises work before missiles? | How did naval exercises work before computers and missiles? I know today they can just do all the steps to fire a missile without firing it and register "hits" with radar and computers, but how did they do it in the 1890s or 1930s?
I've done some reading on the Fleet Problems the US Navy did in the 1920s and 30s, but ... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/eesd74/how_did_naval_exercises_work_before_missiles/ | {
"a_id": [
"fbwonrk"
],
"score": [
7
],
"text": [
"This answer will focus on the RN's wargames of the 1920s and 30s. These generally had two components; a strategic game, carried out on paper, and a tactical game, carried out either with models, or with actual ships. The strategic game attempted ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1ttrla | Is prison rape a purely modern phenomenon? | My understanding is that prison rape is relatively (sad to say) common, at least in the U.S. and Canada, both among men who self-identify as straight and gay. Is this a phenomenon that is endemic to all places in which men are cooped up together by force? Do we have evidence it happened in other prisons, in older times... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ttrla/is_prison_rape_a_purely_modern_phenomenon/ | {
"a_id": [
"cebepqp"
],
"score": [
14
],
"text": [
"In *The Fatal Shore* Robert Hughes talks at length about the prevalence of buggery (huh, awkward. Hope no one's offended by that word) among prisoners in the Australian penal colonies, especially on Norfolk Island. Apparently it was very common ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
752m42 | Are there modern day cities named by Mexicans or Mexican-Indians in the United States before the Europeans got there? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/752m42/are_there_modern_day_cities_named_by_mexicans_or/ | {
"a_id": [
"do34ah9"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Orabi, Arizona, is a Hopi Native American village founded sometime before the year 1100 CE. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the United States. The Acoma Pueblo and Taos Pueblo are also some of the oldest continuously ... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | ||
fjc7fd | The Indigenous Peoples' Histories Floating Feature: A open thread to tell the stories and histories of Indigenous peoples from all corners of the globe! | AskHistorians | {
"a_id": [
"fnp2zjq",
"fnp6xqe",
"fnpi40b",
"fnpngip"
],
"score": [
38,
22,
10,
16
],
"text": [
"This is a history that I have long been fascinated by, but finally wrote up only a few years ago. It looks at the ways in what ideas about we might loosely term \"witchcraft\"... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.irlandeses.org/0610_283to284.pdf",
"http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/bruce-chatwin-letters-from-a-fallen-angel-6506843.html",
"http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/cultures/the_americas/incas.aspx",
"http://www.tierradelfuego.org.ar/v4/_eng/index.php?seccion=4",
"http://www.chil... | |||
1q1rmd | The Westphalian idea, myth or fact? | The conventional wisdom surrounding the treaty in 1648 is that it served as a clear breaking point between the fractured fedual past and the birth of the modern-state. However, scholars such as Andreas Oisander (_URL_0_) contend that this is simply a myth. Proponents of the myth position like Oisander say this about th... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1q1rmd/the_westphalian_idea_myth_or_fact/ | {
"a_id": [
"cd8ijak"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"At the very least such an idea is ethnocentric to Western Europe - the Russian Empire had something like a national consciousness at least as far back as the fall of Constantinople, seeing as it was the only Orthodox state in existence, something... | [] | [
"http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.wlu.ca/stable/3078632?seq="
] | [
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Holy_Roman_Empire_1648.svg"
]
] | |
ahz1on | We know that as the Roman Empire expanded it brought new ideas, inventions and cultural changes to its new territories, i'd like to know if the reverse happened, did this expansion expose the Romans to new ideas/ concepts and did any have a substantial effect on Roman society? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ahz1on/we_know_that_as_the_roman_empire_expanded_it/ | {
"a_id": [
"eejvlbs"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"Hi there!\n\nThe answer is of course, yes. Just to cite perhaps the most blindingly obvious case of this sort of thing, Christianity surely qualifies as having had a \"substantial effect\" on Roman society. [Here](_URL_0_) is a thread on the FAQ ... | [] | [] | [
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3f1joe/assuming_an_atheistic_perspective_what_factors/ctkona4/?context=3"
]
] | ||
2nxw6z | What is the definitive War of the Roses history book? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2nxw6z/what_is_the_definitive_war_of_the_roses_history/ | {
"a_id": [
"cmhzo6f",
"cmi71ig",
"cmie7w0",
"cmieav9"
],
"score": [
52,
9,
3,
2
],
"text": [
"Fair warning, the War of the Roses is a very complex and dense topic to dive into. Any book you pick up worth it's salt, will have (and better have) at least two chapters dedicat... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.amazon.com/The-Wars-Roses-Alison-Weir-ebook/dp/product-description/B005MHHRO8/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books",
"http://www.amazon.com/Wars-Roses-Alison-Weir/dp/0345404335/ref=la_B000AQ41I6_1_1_title_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417451322&sr=1-1"
],
[
"http... | ||
619i0z | In the U.S., slavery is usually portrayed as a purely agricultural or domestic enterprise. Did slavery also extend to more skilled professions? | I was reading a book about the history of railway accidents in the United States, and it notes that one of the first people killed in a railway accident in the US was a slave working as a engine fireman for the South Carolina Railroad. Engine fireman is a fairly skilled job and would require a fair amount of technical ... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/619i0z/in_the_us_slavery_is_usually_portrayed_as_a/ | {
"a_id": [
"dfd6u1e"
],
"score": [
31
],
"text": [
"In short, yes! Slaves were trained as blacksmiths, millers, chefs, dressmakers, and worked in a wide range of industries. Often, their owners would hire out their slaves labor. And slaves would frequently work alongside paid white labor. The bes... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/white-house-was-fact-built-slaves-180959916/#4Z2EtTkCZY0tXYrJ.99",
"https://www.whitehousehistory.org/questions/did-slaves-build-the-white-house"
]
] | |
1dq604 | Why were Philip II of Macedon's military reforms so effective and why had they not been tried before | I've read a few books about Philip's subdication of Greece and the importance of the sarissa and his use of cavalry but I can't figure out why it hadn't been done before or why it worked so well against other elite units like the Theban Band | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dq604/why_were_philip_ii_of_macedons_military_reforms/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9stpk4"
],
"score": [
13
],
"text": [
"Many of them had been--Epaminondas worked towards diversifying the Greek army, Isocrates laid out a formation type of hoplites with lighter armor and longer spears, Xenophon in his *Anabasis* stressed the importance of light skirmishers--but ult... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
f4d3rj | Question about the Utilization of US forces in Honduras during the 1980’s. | Hello all, I know this subreddit only answers more specific questions, so if this does t belong I’ll take it down. My father was a US paratrooper from 1983-?, but my question is what sort of, if any, American units were sent into Honduras? It was my understanding that Central Intelligence was backing rebel groups agai... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f4d3rj/question_about_the_utilization_of_us_forces_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"fhpzsrq"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"The US military has had a continuous, official presence in Honduras since the early 80s, particularly in an air base called José Enrique Soto Cano, near the city of Comayagua. Even today, according to [_URL_1_](https://_URL_1_), there are around ... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://theconversation.com/how-us-policy-in-honduras-set-the-stage-for-todays-migration-65935",
"globalsecurity.org",
"https://new.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ejiv6l/what_exactly_was_the_purpose_and_intent_behind/fcz1win/",
"https://globalsecurity.org"
]
] | |
ecpav4 | Is there any evidence Stalin intentionally exacerbated the Holodomor in Ukraine to suppress Ukrainian nationalism? | This is a claim that's fairly common, and seems to be the belief of most Ukrainians in the modern day. Are there actually any documents which imply that Stalin or other members of the CPSU intended to harm Ukraine with the famine, or is all evidence of this circumstantial? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ecpav4/is_there_any_evidence_stalin_intentionally/ | {
"a_id": [
"fbdk51m",
"fbeai48",
"fbeccvl"
],
"score": [
43,
2,
5
],
"text": [
"Oh boy, *this* question. I did a quick r/AskHistorians search to see if it had been answered before (as I was sure it must have been), but came up empty handed. It's really an honor (though a dubious o... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://khpg.org/index.php?id=1265217823",
"https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/k3grain.gif",
"https://www.jstor.org/stable/23611473",
"https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crimeofgenocide.aspx",
"https://sputniknews.com/world/20080402102830217/"
],
[
"https://www.redd... | |
1dlyqm | I am a resident of the ancient city of Carthage, at the height of it's influence. What is my daily life like? | What kinds of food do I eat? What do I do for entertainment? Where might I work? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dlyqm/i_am_a_resident_of_the_ancient_city_of_carthage/ | {
"a_id": [
"c9ro9wq"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"Your life may be very similar to that of your Roman counterpart. Carthage and Rome were by far the two largets cities in the Western Mediterranean and It was a long way to third so you will see a sort of ancient Cosmopolitan lifestyle, probably m... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3st84n | Were women wearing niqabs/burqas during the Prophet's time? If not, when did that tradition begin? | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3st84n/were_women_wearing_niqabsburqas_during_the/ | {
"a_id": [
"cx0oynr"
],
"score": [
25
],
"text": [
"To my knowledge, the answer is unclear. It seems like veils (face-coverings) were present from the earliest periods of Islam, but that veiling was not required. However, debates about whether or not it is required seem to date to relatively ea... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://cbsnews1.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2014/02/11/01146366-0625-4c53-9a9f-47a534cdd603/thumbnail/620x350/7c30e2af3e18acaf7e59f85ef9a79f76/afghanistan-185023232.jpg",
"http://veil.unc.edu/religions/islam/hadith/"
]
] | ||
419qlo | What was the chain of command in Russian army in year 1800? | I initially made this post in r/books, in reference to Tolstoy's War and Peace, but as suggested to me, might be better suited here.
I've started reading this book but I know little about wars and armies, and I'm totally confused by all these different kinds of officers, like:
Hussar, cornet, colonel, staff officer,... | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/419qlo/what_was_the_chain_of_command_in_russian_army_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"cz0po2y"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"Hello, I'll take a stab at your question. The terms you listed actually have a lot of variation, some are officer ranks while others are very different. I'll just go through and answer to the best of my ability.\n\nHussar - A type of cavalryman w... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
3poo8e | People used to throw their shit in the street in big cities in Middle Ages? | A proffessor got a giggle out of the class when he told us that. In England they just screamed "WATCH OUT!" or something like that, while in Germany they were more organized, with inclined streets and an exact hour to throw it. | AskHistorians | https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3poo8e/people_used_to_throw_their_shit_in_the_street_in/ | {
"a_id": [
"cw8gji1"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Well, no. Not really.\n\nWhile medieval cities were a far cry from what we would call \"clean\", they did at least try. We do know that people on occasion did toss garbage, offal, and human waste into the streets because there are numerous edicts... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
1gh1fb | Is the French in Quebec more authentic? | As the French in Quebec was spoken at the Court of Louis XIV for example. I understand the isolation history.. all of that. The problem is I do not *speak* or understand French well yet.
Today, is it still *the same* preserved French as the day they landed there? Is it still, in many ways, *17th century French*?
Also... | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1gh1fb/is_the_french_in_quebec_more_authentic/ | {
"a_id": [
"cak9b8z"
],
"score": [
6
],
"text": [
"The issue is that both have changed. While Quebec French has maintained some features of earlier forms of French, it's changed things that European French hasn't. Quebec French trills /r/ more often, which is older, and shifts /ɛ/ to /æ/ in som... | [] | [] | [
[]
] | |
25cri9 | If Hitler was willing to sacrifice a ton of soldiers and resources into conquering the USSR, why did he hesitate to launch a massive invasion of Great Britain? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/25cri9/if_hitler_was_willing_to_sacrifice_a_ton_of/ | {
"a_id": [
"chg0gad",
"chg0z6e",
"chg11l2",
"chg2bra",
"chg3gh2",
"chg87ao"
],
"score": [
189,
55,
20,
7,
3,
15
],
"text": [
"The most practical reason is Germany did not possess the naval resources for an invasion of Great Britain at any period of time dur... | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] | ||
rxtjb | Historiography of the Conquest of Latin America | Hi everybody, I have a paper due on the historiography of the Conquest of Latin America. I'm starting with Cortes' letters to the King and Bernal Díaz del Castillo's description of the Conquest. Does anyone know any good books that deal with the actual historiography of the Conquest? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/rxtjb/historiography_of_the_conquest_of_latin_america/ | {
"a_id": [
"c49iju2",
"c49paqp",
"c49q67r"
],
"score": [
3,
3,
3
],
"text": [
"I really enjoyed [Conquistador](_URL_0_): Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs by Buddy Levy.\n\nI think he does a great job of delving into the people instead of just the eve... | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.amazon.com/Conquistador-Hernan-Cortes-Montezuma-Aztecs/dp/0553384716/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333811788&sr=1-2"
],
[],
[]
] | |
1la1mi | How are Wermacht Soldiers Remembered in Germany? | Are they considered victims of the 3rd Reich? Are there memorial services for them or anything that resembles remembrance day? | AskHistorians | http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1la1mi/how_are_wermacht_soldiers_remembered_in_germany/ | {
"a_id": [
"cbx696w",
"cbx6u2y"
],
"score": [
5,
3
],
"text": [
"There are several memorials dedicated to those who died during the world-wars and I think there are memorial services as well. If you compare the attention given to the non-war victims of the 3rd reich, this is negligible.\n... | [] | [] | [
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_hatt%27_einen_Kameraden",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkstrauertag"
]
] |
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