query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
How has the power of executive to make tactical military decisions in conflict changed over the last century? And what powers do they retain now? | [
"Just a nitpick, the decisions you mentioned are more strategic than tactical."
] | [
"Good question! The answer throughout history depends largely on context. For example, the process followed by The Russian Federation in modern times to annex Crimea was vastly different than the measures taken by the American government when annexing the Hawaiian Islands in 1898. Depending on the reason for the an... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
A popular saying is, "history repeats itself." How do experts in the field feel about this saying? | [
"I certainly don’t think that’s true in a literal sense, but the motivating factors behind historical events certainly don’t change all that much over time. Humans are inherently self-interested and in many cases this is what leads to conflict. Competition for scarce resources, greed, lust, envy and fear will alway... | [
"Many of course are teachers. If we do not remember our history we are condemned to repeat it. There are many ideas floating around, political ideas mostly, about how to run the government. Most have been tried. If we read our history we can try to avoid the mistakes of the past. History is a broad field. Genealogy... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
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How accurate is bill wurtz's "history of japan"? | [
"You might want to check out this previous post on this question. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Is this explain like i'm five or explain like i'm a theoretical physicist?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
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I just read that major works by Cicero, Aristotle, etc. are missing. How often do these things get found? Any hope of excavating a library? ... | [
"there is also _URL_9_ that was a big coup for the development of epicurean philosophy _URL_8_ anyone know of a place online that reports new findings? i find it very interesting but whenever i hear of something to that effect it is just by random luck."
] | [
"It didn't set anyone back technologically. There were no secret weapons or forbidden knowledge hidden there. The value of the library was that it was a central hub of learning. There was so many rare and unique books there that it attracted a lot of really smart people. It may have been the largest library at one ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about History:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | December 21, 2015–December 27, 2015 | [
"Here's my weekly rundown. Also, for anyone wondering, there will be an end of the year \"Best of 2015\" thing, but it won't be until January, to allow for inclusion of December posts. * [\"Is it true the UN let the Srebrenica Massacre occur?\"](_URL_1_) got great responses from both /u/polybios and /u/Elm11. * /u/... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
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Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | August 28, 2017–September 03, 2017 | [
"Hello all you wonderful readers and contributors of AskHistorians! I hope everyone is having a great weekend and bring you the latest batch of popular and/or interesting questions which did not get an answer yet: /u/JJVMT - [Why wasn't Dante's Divine Comedy translated into English until the late 18th/early 19th ce... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
History Graduates; I'm having trouble coming up with a topic for my 12,000 word dissertation, and i'm interested in knowing what others have done theirs on. What did you choose to do? | [
"I've done my undergratuate work on J.F.C. Fuller's interpretation of Hannibal's campaign and battles in Italy. Fuller used Hannibal as an example in his *The Foundations of the Science of War* (1926), a book which has heavily influenced modern day military thought. I was basically hedging, still in doubt whether ... | [
"Hi guys. I hope this is the right place to post this, I'll move it if it isn't. I'm currently writing an essay on the working class in the British Empire and wondered if anyone could give me any good sources relating to the development of the working class and the impact of the Empire on the working class 1870 and... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about News:"
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In Ken Burns's The Civil War, it's mentioned that after South Carolina Senator Preston Brooks savagely beat abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner with his cane on the Senate floor, Senators began carrying knives and pistols to work. What sort of documentation do we have on this? | [
"You'll be interested in expert /u/freedmenspatrol's epic [6-part account](_URL_0_) of the whole affair!"
] | [
"Not sure if libertarians is the correct term to use here, he maybe referring to the likes of North Carolina governor Zebulon Baird Vance and Georgia governor Joseph E. Brown both of whom resisted Jefferson Davis and were believers in state's rights. Brown was particularly bad, trying to prevent Georgia state troop... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What made soviet engineering/design so subpar? | [
"I think your premise might be somewhat flawed; Spacecraft parachutes are pretty close to the outside edge of what's possible when it comes to 1960s technology. Early US spacecraft had a number of parachute failures in the early years, though they were only fatal to monkeys. It's also worth noting that the equivale... | [
"Innovate and innervate are different words. :-) The Soviets did both. For example, their rocket designs are in some ways better than US rocket designs, and their fighter plane designs are excellent and partly innovative."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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Where did the foundational ideas of America come from? | [
"First, it's important to realize these ideas of religious freedom, personal liberty etc.. came from various English, Scottish and French philosophers. This era was known as the Enlightenment in European society. The majority, if not all, of the Founding Fathers in America knew of the ideologies and wished to incor... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was the "Closing of the West"? | [
"This refers to the closing of the frontier. In 1890, the US Census Bureau declared that the frontier had closed in the sense that there was no longer any free land for people to take. The declaration would have probably gone largely unnoticed except that American historian Frederick Jackson Turner gave an importan... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How far would a mid 14th century traveling minstrel be able to travel in England? | [
"Could you elaborate on your question a bit? Otherwise, the answer will be \"as far as they could/would want to travel.\""
] | [
"The Middle Ages is a pretty huge period that spanned centuries, so you might want to refine your question. The daily life of a monarch in the 8th century was incomparably different from that of a 16th century one."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
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} |
What were the repercussions of the War of the Roses? | [
"Question is a bit broad. Ultimately, the repercussions involve the Tudors (Henry VII) gaining the throne as the Lancastrian claimant, but then he married Elizabeth of York and the two houses were reunited anyway. However, this paralleled the rise of a merchant class and steady erosion of royal power. The War of th... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Historically, why has the security of Great Britain depended upon British control of the Mediterranean? | [
"Try reading David Abulafia's The Great Sea, why the Mediteranean has been so important in so many periods is nicely dealt with there. It also has a substantial period on the British domination of it, though Britain itself is somewhat peripheral."
] | [
"The international war between France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. For example, did you know that the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War was the Siege of Gibraltar? The British had the means to put down the revolution, even after their defeat at Yorktown (which, it must be said, was pri... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What history books would an eighteenth-century law student (specifically Thomas Jefferson) read? | [
"Thomas Jefferson sold his extensive library of 6,487 books to Congress in 1814, to replace their library of books lost in the fires of the burning of Washington during the War of 1812. [The catalog can be viewed here, sorted by category, as determined by Jefferson himself.](_URL_0_) Section I, Parts 1-5 cover huma... | [
"Could you link to a source for someone speaking in favour of the British use of concentration camps during the Boer Wars? The history books on that period that I've read (a long time ago when I was at school) were quite damning of them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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When did propaganda start？ | [
"I'm not trying to write off your question but; It depends on how you want to define propaganda. Does that include coins bearing image or phrase? A statue? A corner stone with your name on it effecting some structure? Using the dictionary definition - a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitud... | [
"What do you want to know about them exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
WWII – the true scope | [
"Just to clarify, and I hope this isn't a dumb question as you wrote \"WWII\" three times, but your mention of ANZACs and Turkey makes me wonder if you mean WWI? Turkey was neutral in WWII (until February 1945) and though the ANZACs were briefly reformed in WWII (for about a month), they're most closely associated ... | [
"Origins World War Two V for victory meaning the end of the war and hopefully a new lasting peace to follow."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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How historically accurate is Les Miserables (the movie or the book)? | [
"From what I've gathered, the depiction of 19th century France was fairly accurate. You have to realize that Victor Hugo live during this time period, so it wouldn't be too hard for him to write about what he knew. Of what was written, the general feelings of poverty, child labor, disease, criminality, and classism... | [
"Generally high fantasy involves worlds where magic and fantastical creatures are common. Example: LOTR Low fantasy is when there are subtle fantastical elements in a more realistic world. Example: Game of Thrones (at least so far in the first half of book 1)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
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} |
How does the aftermath of world war two affect us today? | [
"This is a very broad question about an enormous international event. Can you narrow it down at all? Is there a particular kind of thing that you're hoping to hear about?"
] | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why would a marriage cancel a government debt in 1830 North Carolina? | [
"I read the document and was curious also so I went down a google rabbit hole and came up with a a link that should explain it. It's pretty fascinating! Hope it helps! _URL_0_ ETA, regarding why the document would use Pounds for repayment, All I can assume is they wanted a stable currency as the British Pound wa... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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What happened in the period around 400 b.c.? | [
"The graph cites a broken link to the US Census Bureau. A few minutes of digging led me to [this table](_URL_0_). As you can see, the only number for 400 BCE is from Biraben, whose numbers are higher than the McEvedy and Jones numbers the table depended on before. Biraben numbers often are the upper limit, but acco... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
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The Evil British Empire? | [
"> The book seems to argue that a lack of understanding on the part of the British led to policy mistakes with serious repercussions felt today. I had no clue this was even being debated any more. British colonialism left a substantial mess in it's wake."
] | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Education:"
} |
How did Pan American Airlines go from a ubiquitous, world spanning brand to complete dissolution? | [
"There were many factors contributing to its downfall. After World War 2 there was a growing demand for air travel and as a result many competitors sprung up despite lobbying efforts. In 1973 when OAPEC started an embargo that caused an oil crisis, Pan Am was left with massive operating costs as well as a shaky and... | [
"Long ago there were many private passenger rail companies in the USA. But when the government spent billions of dollars on the interstate highway system, it basically paid for a free competitor to the trains, thus putting most of them out of business. To avoid the total collapse of that business, the government co... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Old bayonet found in Swedish forest | [
"This looks to me to be a [brown bess bayonet](_URL_4_), which were issued in Sweden as m/1808 and m/1812. The dimensions certainly fit, and the markings would suggest that this one was issued to the southern battalion of the Gotland Militia (Gotlands Nationalbeväring), as indicated in your [third picture - 7) S 25... | [
"I heard about the biking discovery too, they found a 3000 year old bike buried under a bike shop"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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How seriously did the American media treat Ross Perot's 1992 presidential campaign? | [
"I lived through that election. It was the first election I followed as a kid. Ross Perot was taken seriously enough before he quit the race (and then rejoined). He was polling rather high and I recall people thinking he had a real shot. There was no internet and Perot bought a lot of TV time to explain his message... | [
"Anybody can run for the Presidency assuming they meet the age and citizenship requirements. It's up to voters to decide if they're qualified to be President. In the 90's, Ross Perot did really well as a third party candidate. He had no political background and managed to get 20% of the popular vote in 1992 and 8% ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
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} |
Tips for integrating GIS with historical research? | [
"I've always thought it would be interesting to do a viewshed analysis of a medieval battlefield or castle siege. It would be interesting to know what different people, from commoners to lords, could actually see and perceive as the battle progressed. Especially interesting when you have weapons like the longbow th... | [
"It's a big system. It also carries a bit from state to state. Are you interested in the application process? Policy? Logistics?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
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Why did Kaiser Wilhelm II oppose the Night of the Broken Glass, even though he was a known anti-Semite? | [
"Well without access to internal documents that demonstrate a persons beliefs it’s hard to speculate on peoples thoughts, but I would assume it’s because the Kaiser didn’t advocate for violent action against the Jews. You have to remember that lots of people were antisemetic at this time, but this doesn’t mean they... | [
"Nazi ideology was not merely at odds with Soviet ideology; it was created in direct and hateful opposition to Marxism and all Slavic people (which includes most of the Soviet population.) Hitler spoke of Marxism and Judaism as the world's two evils, considered Slavs to be barely human and Soviet Communists to be p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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When Julius Caesar wrote about himself in the 3rd person, did anyone think that was weird? | [
"While waiting for a direct answer, for the commentaries you might like to see 'How was Caesar's \"Gallic War\" created and distributed?' at _URL_0_ , multi-part reply by /u/XenophonTheAthenian . They get to the third-person issue in the middle of the second part, but you might want to read everything up to it to g... | [
"We didn't. His name was Brutus in Latin. In Latin, all nouns change their endings depending on their use in the sentence. \"Brute\" ('broo-tay') is the vocative form, used when directly addressing someone. If we were talking about, say, Brutus' dinner, we'd say \"cena Bruti\", in the genitive form. We modify prono... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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Source - hallucinogenic fish in the Roman Empire (X-post with /r/archaeology) | [
"\"Saupe\" is the name for this fish that you'd probably have the best luck searching for - in Greek, σάλπη, which has [a short entry in LSJ](_URL_0_). Athenaeus' *Deipnosophistae* preserves fragments from various authors on this fish, which can be found [here](_URL_3_) (there's also a fragment of Epicharmus a coup... | [
"Hey, this doesn't include all of Mesoamerica, but you might like this post by /u/400_Rabbits: [Just how complex was Aztec philosophy?](_URL_0_)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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It's 1959 in middle-class America. My child has just been born with Down syndrome. I don't listen to the recommendation to institutionalize him. How do I raise him in a hostile social context? | [
"Hello everyone, In this thread, there have already been a large number of comments that have been based on anecdotes, that is, personal recollections of relatives or others with Down syndrome. However, we do not allow [personal anecdotes](_URL_0_#wiki_no_personal_anecdotes) as the basis for answers here. While th... | [
"My great grandfather was in World War I and would never talk about it. The family was always afraid to ask him questions. One day when my parents went to visit him toward the end of his life, he suddenly started talking about the war. My dad said he talked for hours and it was totally unprovoked and unexpected. My... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
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} |
Why would some white people attempt to pass asnative American? What were the causes and how prevalent was it? | [
"This feels like more of an /r/AskSocialScience question, since it seems like blatant cultural appropriation and exoticism of an oppressed group, as well as fetishisation of their perceived noble savage-ery."
] | [
"The term \"african american\" came about as a deliberate attempt to reduce discrimination by making race about ethnicity and not about skin color, to get away from the racist connotations associated with the term \"black\". As there were no comparable negative connotations associated with \"white\", there was no r... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
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Suppose you run a bakery in London in 1271. Besides risen bread what (if anything) do you sell? | [
"Related: I've always failed at finding out when \"yeast\" was discovered in England as a thing to be cultivated, both for bread and ale makers. That is, when did individuals in England or the UK have the know-how to make yeast-risen bread and ale at home?"
] | [
"What other people say is generally true, but also n the specific case of French bread, because it goes stale very quickly. Breads made from soft wheat, and breads with a very open texture, go stale almost instantly. A decent baguette will be fit only for cooking by the evening if it was bought in the morning. He... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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Tuesday Trivia | Captain America's Historical Comrades | [
"I feel the obvious candidates to include in a list of fake people made real are King Arthur and Robin Hood. I'm sorely lacking in expertise on the legends of the former but his inclusion in medieval histories (perhaps most famously in Geoffrey of Monmouth's *History of the Kings of Britain*) is fascinating. There ... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
Has there ever been a near successful attempt of a military coup/uprising against the US government? | [
"[There was a significant claim of a coup attempt in the 1930s.](_URL_0_) Smedly Butler, a Marine Corps general and at that time the most highly decorated soldier in US history, claimed to congress that he had been approached to aide in a coup to oust FDR. Long story made short, business leaders were unhappy with t... | [
"If I remember right, Mussolinis government was overthrown by the dissent, who then formed their government and gained support of the military, killing their fascist leaders. I cant think of a time an independent nation switched sides in the middle of a war and didnt also change the group of people in charge"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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During the 1850s, illegal logging in the Great Lakes region was so bad that the US Navy was called in to help stop it. How did these "timber pirates" operate, and why were they so successful even after the US Navy was involved? | [
"I live in Wisconsin. Is there anywhere in the state where I could see first hand items from this era? Infrastructure or left over commercial areas?"
] | [
"When used appropriately, martial law means a certain portion of the country is under military control, but the country at large remains under civilian control. Those civilian authorities decide when it should end. As for value, it allows military resources to be better used it emergency situations, typically a war... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
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What role did Cusco School painting have in Indigenous society in Colonial Peru and Bolivia? | [
"I really believe the paintings were meant to bring Jesus and biblical perspectives into a Andean context. I think that just like Rome and Greek perspectives have affected the style and manner of the narrative of the Bible so too did the South American painters. Michelangelo and Caravaggio depicted scenes filtered ... | [
"A follow-up and related question: how about young people in other parts of the world in this time period? I.e. South Asia, China, West Africa, South America?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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Did skippers on ships a 100 years ago actually knock their biscuits against the table to make sure there were no worms in them? | [
"In 1917, no, most likely not. At that point food preservation techniques and the use of electric power aboard ships meant that most bread was fresh baked daily or would be at most a day or two old -- if you ever visit the *USS Texas,* launched in 1914, you can see the bakery ovens on the main deck, behind the gall... | [
"Flour is a major component in the making of bread. It would also be used in things like crusts for pies (along with sugar and fruit). Cornmeal does not spoil, which would make it particularly important to emigrants on the Trail, and can be used to make corn mush, or \"hasty pudding.\" Flour and water baked in a sl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
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The history in the U.S. behind the adoption of the DD bra size | [
"Hey there! I'm one of the bra fitting nazis over at /r/ABraThatFits, the community that produced that post you linked to, so I re-asked your question over there [and got some good answers if you want to check them out!](_URL_0_) It was super weird to see two of my favorite subreddits collide like this. Overall, ho... | [
"Additionally, do we have documents on the public perception of electricity?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
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Is it true San Francisco's Chinatown has a 'secret city' underneath it? | [
"By the way, there's a remnant of a tunnel (only a couple of metres at most, it's been blocked off) just off the basement of the Artist and Craftsman Supply store on Pacific Avenue near Broadway. Not sure what the story is with it (possibly it's from the Prohibition era and was used for smuggling liquor) but if you... | [
"Who says those areas don't have crime? There are Asian gangs that operate in San Francisco and Sacramento."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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} |
Does anyone know who the woman in this picture is? The photo pops up on google searches about the French Resistance and is the cover photo of Blake Ehrlich's "Resistance: France 1940-1945" | [
"Based on [this post](_URL_1_), it appears to be a French Resistance fighter named Micheline Blum-Picard (later Micheline Glover), who worked as a courier for resistance cells in central France and as an interpreter/liaison with Allied forces after D-Day. Blum-Picard married a US Army officer and emigrated to the U... | [
"Osprey Publishing, which tends to be more 'accessible' and image-focused tends to have volumes upon volumes dedicated to Uniformology. They have multiple volumes for the various Armed Forces of World War II. A few of their titles that may interest you: \"The Romanian Army in World War II\" by Mark Axworthy \"The R... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
Are there any success stories when it comes to the dismantling the British Empire? | [
"I think this needs a little more clarification and will dare an answer even though it is wildly out of my scope. Canada and Australia were both part of the empire and seem to be doing pretty well... Is there something about either that you consider unsuccessful? Many of the island territories (Barbados, Jamaica, ... | [
"Welcome to the one of the strongest arguments against the prohibition of firearms."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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Why is there a Georgia in Europe and one in America? | [
"That really only exists in English and a few other languages. In German, Polish, Russian and many other languages, there is a different pronunciation for the country of Georgia, while the state of Georgia is always pronounced Georiga. Georgia the state was named after King George II of England who granted the stat... | [
"It's not the same thing. England is a country. The United Kingdom is a country made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Britain and Great Britain is the island on which England, Scotland and Wales is on. You've basically asked the equivalent of asking an American why the US has so many different n... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Geography:"
} |
How many sovereign governments has the United States helped overthrow in covert operations? How many of these were democracies. | [
"_URL_0_ It's about 20. Though more if you count that the CIA usually precedes the US military into any country we invade."
] | [
"The coup largely came about because of the Iranian decision to nationalize its oil industry. This upset the British greatly and the decision to attempt to overthrow the government was decided. The British convinced the US that Iran was close to falling to Soviet influence and as a result decided to assist in regim... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about History:"
} |
Is "The Washing of the Spears" considered a credible work of history? | [
"It is extremely dated, and doesn't represent the current state of historiography concerning the Zulus. I happen to know that /u/khosikulu [doesn't have a high opinion of it](_URL_0_), and I'll repeat my charge that it looks like Morris didn't bother to consult any Zulu language sources for the book. You'd be bette... | [
"If you're interested in Precolumbian history 1491 is a good start. If you are looking for modern revisionist history you can look to Howard Zinn's work, especially \"A People's History...\" Were you looking at the treatment of any subject in American history in particular?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Education:"
} |
What Is The Best World History Book For A Historically Ignorant Person? | [
"Have a look in the AH book section under [general](_URL_0_), lots of good stuff there."
] | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Ada... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Does there exist recordings of Scandinavian sea shanties? If not shanties, then songs such as Rolling Down to Old Maui. (Any time period) | [
"Evert Taube and his son Sven-Bertil Taube made some recordings of traditional seafarer songs (sjömansvisor), of which some can be found available online. The latter made an album called Seglarsånger (sailor songs) which is available on Spotify and possibly youtube. There's also apparently [The Song and Tune Catal... | [
"Listen to something like Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D. That is melodically very close to what a modern Pop song sounds like. Just with different instruments obviously. They didn't have electric guitars and DJs then. Also what the other guy said. There have been simple song through ages like drinking songs and fol... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What is the origin of the name "Arlington"? | [
"My research shows that the name of Arlington county in Virginia came from [Henry Bennet](_URL_1_), 1st Earl of Arlington. [Arlington or Harlington, Middlesex](_URL_0_) is a place now in London. And that name came from a Anglo-Saxon name/phrase? Hygereding tun: \"Hygerǣd's people's farmstead\"."
] | [
"In a related question, where the hell do Brits get the \"F\" in Lieutenant?!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Do the Spartan's live up to their reputation? | [
"Can't help you myself, but u/XenophonTheAthenian has an excellent writeup about this exact question [in this post.](_URL_0_) I highly encourage you to read it, and then come back with follow-up questions if you have them. The answer I linked deals mostly with military matters, but I seem to recall the same user w... | [
"It's not about winning. It's about sending a message."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why were contraceptives flown from the air to German soldiers in Stalingrad? | [
"Where did you find information about airlifting contraceptives to German soldiers at Stalingrad?"
] | [
"They were aware that something was happening, but they had much bigger concerns at the time. They were fighting wars on several borders, and constant bombings made them more worried about their own skins than whatever might have happened to their Jewish neighbors. Source: Grandmother who lived in Dresden during t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | October 31, 2016–November 06, 2016 | [
"Highlighting couple of questions from last week that did not receive an answer and were popular and/or interesting: /u/TheChivalrousRogue asked if [Berkeley College students really sent medical supplies to the NVA during Vietnam](_URL_1_) /u/David_Does_Dallas wanted to know if [Spartans were schooled to regard the... | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What is the point of history and why is it important? What would be your answer if someone would ask you that? | [
"I would say that history is important because it gives you a sense of perspective on things. The way things are now is not the way they've always been, and therefore not the way they always *will* be. Different cultures have had different morals, different practices, different aspirations: therefore, our own moral... | [
"I would ask you - as I would have asked myself decades ago - what do you want to write about? That's where you start. Then you develop a good question around that. So, what do you want to write about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | August 10, 2015–August 16, 2015 | [
"Weekly rundown! /u/vicar-me-baby on [\"In the 1980s and early 90s, why/how did tennis shoes become associated with the African-American community?\"](_URL_1_) /u/-InsertOpinion- answered [\"How closely did Catholic crusaders and Byzantines co-operate, if at all, during crusades?\"](_URL_0_) /u/TheFairyGuineaPig on... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about News:",
"pos": "Represent the document about News:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I was always told that my great grandpa worked on U-Boats during WWI (German side). Can you tell what rank he was from this picture? | [
"He was an Oberleutnant zur See. [Link](_URL_0_) (WW2 link - but ranking remained the same)"
] | [
"It could be that he was attached to an RAF squadron. Do you know what unit he belonged to?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
African metal working | [
"West Africa is probably one of the places where metallurgy was independently invented, meaning they probably did not learn how to make metal from contact with those who did, unlike, say the Europeans. [UNESCO published a book about it](_URL_0_) around ten years ago, and recent research further supports the local i... | [
"small scale food and resources compared to large scale industrial whaling"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Found some letters in an old 1900's sewing machine, dated(?) 1928. Possibly Yiddish. Care to assist in deciphering? (x-post /r/translator) | [
"I would guess the language is likely Yiddish. I don't know how to read some of the cursive, but I see that the contains both the double vav (two straight vertical lines) and the double yud (two commas up top.) Those letters don't really exist in modern Hebrew from my knowledge but are common in Yiddish"
] | [
"Those are some very interesting pieces & I hope someone here can identify them for you. In the meantime, consider cross-posting to [r/WhatIsThisThing](_URL_0_). They may be able to help."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Did Mount Vesuvius used to have one peak rather than the two it has today? | [
"if you don't get answers here, you might try x-posting to geologists in /r/AskScience"
] | [
"Mt St.Helens is a Composite volcanoe they are built by multiple eruptions, sometimes recurring over hundreds of thousands of years, sometimes over a hundred years. A dome has been growing slowly within the crater of Mount St. Helens since the eruption of 1980. It reawakened in 2004, spewing steam and ash up to 10,... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | September 12, 2016–September 18, 2016 | [
"Hi everyone. I got drawn into rather long-winded thread about Greek ethnicity in Southern Italy prior, during, and immediately following the Norman Conquest. [This is the thread](_URL_0_), you can jump to [here](_URL_2_) where I get to the cusp of what it meant to an ethnic Greek living in Sicily in the late eleve... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What is the happiest story from history you have encountered in your research? | Floating Feature | [
"In the late nineteenth century, coal miners went on strike in Pennsylvania and shut the mines down. Many mules who lived and worked in the coal mines were brought up to the surface for the first time in years. And that's why I found a newspaper story claiming the mules were so happy to be dancing in sunshine again... | [
"Chronological: - Ray Harris Jr.- The History of World War 2 - Mike Dunkan - The History of Rome - Robin Pierson - The History of Byzantium (follow up podcast) - Khodadad Rezakhani - Iranologie (History of Iran) - The British History Podcast Other: - The AskHistorians Podcast (Intervies with AskHistorians contribut... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Did the obstacles on the D-Day beaches actually offer cover? | [
"Any cover that a Czech Hedgehog provides to infantry is marginal and the benefits of deploying them outweigh the risks. [Here](_URL_0_) an image of what getting cover from Hedhegogs would look like. Note that the Hedgehog itself is is about 3/4 the size of a standing man and when prone it can only effectively cove... | [
"Id like to piggyback a related question: Would Operation Dragoon in southern France be cancelled if the Normandy landings failed?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
I have heard that had it not been for the abundance of Slaves the Romans would likely have developed a steam engine. Is this true? | [
"It's hard to speculate on *why* an ancient culture *didn't* develop certain technologies, but it's generally accepted that the Romans *did* have all of the essential components required to assemble a basic one, including the aeolipile, pistons and cylinders, gearing, and one-way valves. However, what they didn't h... | [
"You may be looked at oddly however the concept of race that has been developed today did not exist then. Also, there was significant contact with the Far East and Rome which cause great consternation from the conservative elite as the rampant purchase of luxury goods was seen as decadent. Pliny the Elder remarked ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Big Flood or lots of little Floods? | [
"There is [no geological evidence of one single world-wide flood](_URL_1_). The next best theories are: * That there were strong floods in some local areas in ancient history or prehistory, the stories of which ended up as myths in those areas. Those myths were then borrowed by neighbouring cultures and spread. One... | [
"* Dehydration from low fluid intake * Slow blink rate, causing dry eyes * Poor body posture * Hey. Hey. Hey Listen. Hey. Look. Hey. Hey. Hey. Look. Hey. Listen. Listen. Hey."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Is the concept of a truce (the agreed temporary cessation of hostilities) a universal concept? Earliest examples? Earliest reneging? | [
"The Hittite-Egyptian peace treaty (or [Treaty of Kadesh] (_URL_4_)) is the oldest extant peace treaty. Thought to have been created c. 1259 BC, it was an agreement between Pharaoh Ramses II of Egypt and King Hattusili III of Hatti. Both the [Egyptian] (_URL_4_) and [Hittite] (_URL_5_) versions survive and have bee... | [
"It depends who you ask, when you ask them, if anyone else can hear their answer, and who you are. Often terms like \"Legal War\" and \"Legitimate War\" are used by politicians to describe situations of conflict so they don't look like bullies. In the broadest accepted understanding of the difference, a legal was h... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | October 17, 2016–October 23, 2016 | [
"I got a little busy with [What horrible thing did a presidential candidate say in 1856?](_URL_5_) Now I feel like St. Sebastian, except far less fabulous."
] | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about News:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about News:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
I've had this Nazi Dagger for awhile, can you answer some questions about it? | [
"The logo on the handle is the symbol of the Deutsche Jaegerschaft, the German Hunting Society, which was the official state organization for hunters. Membership in the DJ was compulsory in order to obtain a hunting licence by the end of the 1930s. Stags are a common symbol among German hunters (hence Jaegermeister... | [
"Do you have any more info that could be helpful? Where did you find it? Is it a family heirloom, and if so, where-ish do you think your ancestors were 100ish years ago? Anything that could help steer people in the right direction would be great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did Pirates actually fly the Jolly Roger or is that a common misconception? | [
"hi! you'll find lots of answers to your pirate questions here in the FAQ * [The Golden Age of Piracy, Life of a Pirate and Other Related Topics](_URL_3_). Re flags, see particularly [Why did Pirates even have flags?](_URL_2_); re signing up, /u/DavidAOP points out useful comments in this post [I am an English peas... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Say I'm a pirate in the High Middle Ages in the Mediterranean. Am I only raiding coastal communities or am I also attacking ships? | [
"Ramming was a big element of pre-gunpowder naval warfare. Ram, board, murder, take, and repeat. Why do you believe it would be *easier* to raid costal communities? In its early history, the republic of Venice seized various cities along the Dalmatian coast (Pola, Zara, Ragusa, Spalato) to better check pirate raidi... | [
"**4.** On the whole, pirates tried to avoid getting entangled with naval vessels, especially something large like a frigate, so for you to hang around with one would give you a fair level of immunity from pirates. However, depending on your own nationality you might want to think twice about going near a frigate. ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What was the general US public and government view on the UK during WW2? | [
"It's a very broad question. On tech, it is believed there was an unwritten agreement to share even nuclear tech from Manhattan, after UK provided some scientists, both British and refugee. The agreement seems to have been void after Roosevelt's death. Obviously, pre America's entry, Roosevelt was well known to be ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Floating Feature | Wintertime Holiday Tales of Heartwarming Sentiment | [
"Forty-seven years ago, we left our world and sailed across another for the first time. [Apollo 8 Christmas Eve broadcast, 1968](_URL_1_) *\"Good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and god bless all of you--all of you on the good [Earth](_URL_0_).\"* ([Transcript](_URL_2_))"
] | [
"High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Floating Feature: Holiday Book Recommendations | [
"If you are looking for a good biography of a scientist for a history/science buff, David Schwartz's _The Last Man Who Knew Everything: The Life and Times of Enrico Fermi, Father of the Nuclear Age_ (Basic Books, 2017), is fun and readable and well-done, I thought. Biographies can be overly fawning or overly critic... | [
"High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Beyond tyrannical regimes, scares, and wars, has any government spied on the common citizen to the same extent that the USA has been doing recently? | [
"This question is going to be difficult to answer because it requires subjective judgment and requires knowledge none of us have. We don't really know the extent of American domestic spying. It also, maybe, breaks one of the rules of this sub. That being, no questions about recent history, the last twenty years. If... | [
"Because most people who do not live in a cave realized decades ago that this has been going on. Very few people and/ or countries are that naive, not to know that this is going on in every country in the world"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is modern Eyemakeup based on Traditional Pakistani/Indian styles? | [
"Indians nor Pakistanis invented eye makeup. It's been around for a long time, even back to the Egyptians. And Classical civilizations used eye makeup too."
] | [
"Does anyone know of any good texts on Sassanid Persian culture?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
Can anyone help me decode the header to a telegram from 1978? | [
"It's a so called date time group and they are still used in the military today. The first two numbers are the day, number 3-6 the time, the letters are the time zone and month and the last two numbers are the year. The first DTG is from the 13th November 1978 at 03:18 Zulu time."
] | [
"Never mind, really high. Just realized the video is from 1995"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Just watched "London has fallen", and i noticed that the POTUS in the movie named Great Britain as "America's oldest ally". | [
"What about Morocco? They recognised the 13 colonies as a sovereign nation in 1777. France may have been the first official ally of the United States, but in terms of international relations generally I think it makes sense to describe Morocco as the oldest friend."
] | [
"\"I have more men with guns than you do. Comply or else. \" This is how all governments work."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What was everyday life like for the Oxford University student of class 1096? | [
"As I have explained before on AH, [Oxford was not actually founded in 1096.](_URL_0_) Paris, Bologna, and Oxford all play rhetorical games to pretend they're the oldest Western-style university, but no one really accepts Oxford. (Even Oxford. Their official website says something like \"there was evidence of teach... | [
"They were made in chronological order from when the state became part of the US."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Question regarding coordinates in war diaries Second World War | [
"The third digit is a way of specifying specific points within a particular grid square. It could equivalently be represented as 69.7,77.4 - i.e., the point specified is seven tenths of the way between 69 and 70, and four tenths of the distance between 77 and 78. Divide each side of the grid square in question into... | [
"_URL_0_ Might be of interest to you it includes the Napoleonic War debt and public bonds in the Netherlands from 1624. Details inside!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why is January 1st, then? | [
"hi! check out this section of the FAQ (tl;dr: it was those pesky Romans as usual, by Toutatis) * [The year and months](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"How long has it been since you quit?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
PhD: Don't Even Bother? | [
"You may be interested in u/sunagainstgold's Monday Methods thread [Why You Should Not Get a History PhD (And How to Apply for One Anyway)](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"\"Local Man Asked For Hit Advice On Reddit Before Murdering His Wife, Police Say\" - I can see it now..."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Does the US ever permanently destroy classified materials? | [
"Speaking as a trained archivist who works in this field, the answer is yes, classified materials are destroyed regularly. All records created by the Government are described by a records schedule which indicates how long the records need to be retained, and also the classification level of the records. Just becaus... | [
"Because it's not just the American public that would get ahold of the information. Say, for example, they declassified every operation they have ever run to combat a terrorist attack. Terrorists would get ahold of the documents and study them in order to learn how not to get caught. If I'm remembering correctly, a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do you receive a trophy if you win a contest? What's the historical background? | [
"In this thread on why trophies are often cup-shaped /u/TheJucheisLoose explains that vessels filled with olive oil were awarded at ancient Greek and Roman events. Other theories on trophies and specifically cup-shaped trophies are also discussed, but that's the most ancient tradition mentioned. _URL_0_"
] | [
"It's an award it doesn't really do anything in itself. What comes with the award is up to the city. Its more of a tradition then anything else."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
[meta] Would it be possible to flag answered posts? | [
"Hi! This suggestion actually comes up a lot. [Here’s a discussion on why we don’t so that](_URL_0_). The primary issue with an answered flair: > The main reason why we don’t have an ‘answered’ flair (or tag) for questions is that – as has been explained above – there is no definitive answer to a historical questi... | [
"IMO, this looks like a failure. Currently, the top five posts are five different answers. Can anyone ELI25 and send me in the right direction?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Did cavemen have less sensitive skin than we do today? | [
"I would recommend /r/askanthropology for their take on current hunter gatherer societies and their skin features and /r/askscience for their take on skin's ability to adapt to harsh conditions."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How credible was the threat of an American Monarchy in the early days of the nation? | [
"/u/Evan_Th says a lot of good things. The Federalists were good republicans and had no interest in establishing a monarchy. Yet neither party trusted the other. The political divisions in the 1790s were so stark that members of each party believed that the other party was downright anti-American and needed to be d... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
So, a little update about moderators | [
"Emeritus, we who are about to post salute you! *fistbumps* If you ever need someone to poke about anything, shoot me a PM. Best of luck with all of your endeavours, and remember! If you can't find a way....make one."
] | [
"Thank you, those posts honestly get in the way of my enjoyment of the subreddit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When were first lock systems built for water transport? | [
"Look to the early flash locks of [ancient China]( _URL_0_). (Just happened to run across that the other day while looking into the Ohio canal system that opened up exploration to the west.)"
] | [
"Because there wasn't one single company producing electrical components for all countries at the various times that these countries were producing their infrastructure."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Electrical plugs and their design:"
} |
When and why did crucifixion fall out of practice? | [
"It was abolished by the Emperor Constantine and so fell out of use in both the Eastern and Western Roman world - I believe this is contemporaneous with Constantine's baptism in 337 and done out of respect for Jesus. The practice was resumed by the Umayyad caliphate (see Sean A. Anthony's *Crucifixion and Death As ... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Just found out that crew of the USS Franklin was almost charged with desertion after being blown overboard by explosions or rescued from the fires. What was the captain thinking? | [
"Based on witnesses' accounts in at least [one documentary film](_URL_0_) dealing with the attack, the *Franklin* predicament came about because the captain was negligent in his handling of operations and preparedness for attack (\"pompous and cocky\" as one put it), and accusing the crew for the failure covered up... | [
"Yeah, Tora! Tora! Tora! is pretty good. It did though confuse even some historians into thinking Yamamoto said the Sleeping Giants quote. Pearl Harbor got so much wrong. For starters, the US didn't have modern warships stationed at Pearl Harbor. For another no US army pilots were transferred to the RAF to get comb... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What does the "D" in D-Day stand for ? | [
"It's just a placeholder for the date of an attack until that information can be released- briefings are always done on a 'need to know' basis."
] | [
"What do you want to know about them exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
To what extent did pre-modern fighting forces focus upon physical fitness? | [
"Although there is certainly plenty of room for fresh answers specifically focused on the full breadth of your question, the topic of pre-modern training regimens is one that has cropped up here from time to time. It's attracted some superb responses that you might like to check out while you wait for new ones, suc... | [
"Would you be willing no elaborate on what you mean by \"standard European model\"? In the past century or so, there have been quite a few significant changes in how states and governments around the world, organized and equipped themselves for the business of organized violence."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | August 24, 2015–August 30, 2015 | [
"This Week's Rundown! /u/textandtrowel on [\"How did medieval Islamic historians write about/conceptualise the history of their religion? Please also tell me about who wrote history in the medieval Islamic world, why, and what written history was used for in medieval Islamic society.\"](_URL_0_) /u/prufrock451 on [... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about News:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about News:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
When and why was the hoplon shield retired? | [
"I'm sure you'll get more informed answers soon, but until then: The hoplite shield was mostly used to fend of spears and swords. These weapons have a small area of impact, so the round shield was enough to give you a good protection. During the ancient Greece (before the rise of Rome) It was mostly considered cowa... | [
"Could you give an approximate year or period of the Empire when a citizen would be traveling?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How did the deads of Pompeii end up sometimes in positions in movement rather than laying on the ground? | [
"It is the result of the heat of the pyroclastic flow that killed them. Think of a steak when you put it in a searing hot pan, it contracts. Similarly the muscles of the victims of Vesuvius contracted in death as the super heated gas and fine particles of the pyroclastic flow engulfed them. As the flow cooled, i... | [
"It is because the legs curl inwards when they die when muscles contract and hydraulic pressure is lost. Some have elastic tendons that pull the legs in without any muscle use, that is hot grasshoppers jump. So if a insect die standing on all legs the legs would curl in after a time and they would no longer be stab... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How bloodless was the Glorious Revolution really? | [
"Even the official story is far from bloodless if you consider the various conflicts in Ireland and Scotland."
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
No offense meant but is there really any basis to the whole silly "The french army always retreats and are cowards" jerk? | [
"I feel the same way - it's juvenile. Here are a bunch of posts on this topic (I'm sure there are more.. I remember rounding up links on this several months ago) [How accurate is this \"French military history\"?](_URL_2_) [How true is the statement that France has won more wars than anybody else](_URL_8_) [Hey his... | [
"Any chance that anyone could actually give an unbiased account of this perspective rather than just turning this into a \"this opinion is retarded\" circle-jerk?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
American Presidential Historians, what were the most fascinating bits of the Truman era? | [
"Truman very much struggled with the decision to drop the Atomic bombs, and refused to give into pressure to drop a third bomb. It's something interesting with fairly easy access to material. Of course you also have the development of the Truman doctrine, and could look into US aid to assist the Greeks in their civ... | [
"When Adams and Jefferson were President and Vice President respectively they were in the midst of their feud and were extremely bitter towards one another. Adams and Washington also had their issues but far less so. Also Johnson and Lincoln were not so hot either. And later when Vice Presidents were selected at ti... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What was the computer and technology of our grandparents generation? What did our great great grandparents struggle to adapt to? | [
"The term \"grandparent\" can imply any number of decades: mine were born in the 1880s and 1890s before the airplane and only two of them barely lived long enough to hear the term \"computer\" as applied to a mechanical computers in the modern sense of the word. Their parents (my great-grandparents) could not have ... | [
"Two main reasons: The younger generations grew up with tech, so they don't know \"the old ways,\" while older generations are hesitant to use the tech. Also, younger brains learn things more easily than older brains."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
The Half Has Never Been Told | [
"You'll be interested in [this](_URL_0_) older post by u/sowser, which goes into some detail about why Baptist's work is \"a very poor effort\" and pretty controversial."
] | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Was the only reason for buying an indulgence from the Church a genuine belief, or was there some other benefit/compulsion? | [
"Related question- what was the average cost of an indulgence? Would poorer people \"save up\" to buy one?"
] | [
"Generally speaking: * He objected to the idea that people needed to repent through official church procedures and argued that people could successfully repent through a personal connection with Jesus; * He denied the ability of the Pope to absolve people of divine punishment; * He disagreed with the church about P... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Religion and History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Religion and History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why is September 1993 referred to as 'Eternal September'? Was it inevitable and what effect did it have on the internet? | [
"I's a Usenet slang expression. Members of Usenet believe that a large influx of new users from AOL degrades the standards of discourse and the behavior on Usenet in particular but also on the Internet as a whole. Usenet originated among some of the early nodes of the internet, some of which were universities. In ... | [
"To be a little less specific, what did people think the future in general would be like before the Industrial Revolution?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
To what extent did the cultural propaganda help win the cold war? | [
"There's a bit of stuff about the British agency responsible for propaganda, the IRD, in [this article](_URL_0_). It doesn't really answer your question, but it does do a number of other things. It talks about how our view of the Cold War changed over time, especially with relation to historiography of the USSR, wh... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Looking for memoirs from the Spanish Civil War written by Spaniards | [
"I would definitely recommend \"Blood of Spain: An Oral History of the Spanish Civil War\" by Ronald Fraser. Just what it says on the label, recollections, recorded in the '70s, from several hundred Spaniards who lived through the conflict, providing a wide array of experiences and perspectives. Not a standalone me... | [
"*The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939-1945* by Nicholas Stargardt. What I love about this one, is that it's focus is on how the German people experienced the war they were fighting, and how this changes over the course of WWII. I am by no means an expert on the topic, but I really liked how it felt a lot mor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
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