query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
It's a common tactic for submarines to "go cold" or "go quiet" to avoid detection. Was this ever used with armour? | [
"Completely different type of combat, sound in the water travels much further than a tank. That said, static positions is common, with tanks staying hull down while in a defensive formation. During offense, you will find armor movement start slow to keep dust down (desert environment) and once close to the target ... | [
"First problem is that there aren't that many subs compared to surface vessels. Second problem is that they aren't equally effective in all waters. Third is that anti submarine warfare is a serious concern for modern navies, and a lot of subs are more or less dedicated to such ASW. Fourth is that subs tend to give ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What is the accuracy of the plaque on the Korean Comfort Women statue in San Francisco, and are the Japanese right to protest it? | [
"There is certainly more to be said on this subject (and I hope somebody does come in and write you a comprehensive answer), but we do have some past responses that may help you: [What were the social ramifications for the \"comfort women\" of World War 2 after the war ended?](_URL_0_) [Why do Korean \"comfort wome... | [
"A related question were there public figures at the time who were apologists that tried to justify for the actions of the Japanese military at Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How reliable are Kenneth C. Davis' "Don't Know Much About the Civil War" and Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States"? | [
"Before anybody else does it, allow me to direct you [to the FAQ for the Zinn portion of the question](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Was there any truth to the rumors that during their election campaigns Nixon and Reagan contacted North Vietnam and Iran (respectively) while their opponents administrations were engaging in diplomacy? Was there any type of investigation or fallout? | [
"Nixon (or at least his campaign chief of staff) contacted *South* Vietnam and promised them a better deal with him as President. LBJ knew this, because he was surveilling the South Vietnamese embassy in the US. There are tapes of him denouncing Nixon for \"treason,\" and he had the Nixon campaign planes bugged. I... | [
"Christopher Hitchens wrote a whole book on the subject and discussed it at length in multiple interviews, I have included the link to one such video below: _URL_0_ As far as I understand it, the main allegations relate to Vietnam and Cambodia, specifically the allegation that Kissinger deliberately orchestrated t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
What did they do with the formerly Czechoslovak embassies in foreign countries after they split? | [
"The foreign assets of Czechoslovakia mostly went to the Czech Republic, which was seen as the successor state. Slovakia, for the purpose of international relations, was a new state. Businesses and industries not yet privatized were split by location, and new national bodies were set up to run monopolies like the ... | [
"I can't answer, but Albania, Slovakia (as part of Czechoslovakia) and Romania were all members of the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How did humans think to superheat ore into metal? | [
"You may get better answers in /r/AskAnthropology. The earliest smelting pre-dates history, back around 9000 BCE. So we don't have a written record of why or how the practice started. That makes this more an anthropological/archeological kind of question."
] | [
"Heat and pressure compresses the carbon molecules into a diamond, same thing can be done with corpses if you burn everything down into carbon."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What happened to all the star forts of the early modern period? | [
"This question has been attracting a lot of one sentence answers and wikipedia links about still-existing star forts. Posting about the continuing existence of some star forts is a good addendum or expansion to a *full answer* actually engaging with the OP's central question, which these responses have not been doi... | [
"Are you considering the 18th century to be in conjunction with the great divergence?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why are Dumas' heroes called musketeers when they use a rapier, not a musket? | [
"Answered your question in another thread but anyway: Because Dumas modelled his main characters after, somewhat unsurprisingly, four musketeers. [Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan](_URL_0_)(Yeah, take a wild guess at why that was shortend, quite a mouthful), [Armand d'Athos](_URL_2_), [Henri d'Aramitz](_URL_1_... | [
"THE French word mousquetaire originally referred to an infantryman with a musket. Over time, the word changed its meaning, lost the connection with the weapon, and referred to a much grander person. A mousquetaire was a gentleman in one of the two companies of the royal household cavalry in pre-revolutionary Franc... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are the most important Marxist works on the Galactic Empire-Rebel Alliance War and why? | [
"I don't think you need to read a book since the marxist analysis of the Galactic Empire is so transparently obvious. You have the Base (Endor) and the Superstructure (Death Star) that reinforce one another and together oppress the masses. QED"
] | [
"Just asked this in the other sticky, but maybe this is the better place for it: Does anyone have any good book recommendations about the Nigerian Civil War or about Biafra as a country?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
What did miners use for light before electricity? | [
"[This site](_URL_0_) shows a variety of miner's candlestick holders that are typical of the designs used in the nineteenth century in North American. Candles were the general convention before electricity because they produced less smoke and burned less oxygen. Light was minimal, however, so accidents could occur.... | [
"Why do some parts of the world call gasoline petrol?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
I'm a railroader, we use "not" as a replacement for the number 0. How did this come about. | [
"It has been used for a long time. The meaning origin is [to see nothing](_URL_0_). Also it is used verbally to help with clear communication, much like the current [phonetic alphabet](_URL_1_) used by military and law enforcement world wide."
] | [
"In spoken English, it's usually clear when someone is stating numbers and when someone is stating letters. (This is not true in serial numbers or passwords, as you may have discovered! The ones that kill me are the official paperwork from a company where the password is given in a font not found anywhere else in t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is number abbreviated No. and not Nu.? | [
"It's an abbreviation of the Latin word *numero* which is the ablative form of *numerus*."
] | [
"Plural is for anything other than one. Zero isn't one. Neither is -1 or 1.5."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is this Wikipedia article at all accurate, regarding a Iranian air strike on an Iraqi nuclear reactor? | [
"I hadnt heard of this either, and was immediately skeptical. However, from what I can tell, the sources are decent. The first source goes to a CIA situation report released in 2005 that specifically confirms the attack happened. The second source is the Nonproliferation Review, which is peer reviewed journal out o... | [
"How would the president conduct a hostile takeover without the military? Also a takeover of what?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why did the use of the word "defenestration" spike in 1904? | [
"It was the fate of King Alexander and Queen Draga in the June 1903 coup in Serbia, though they'd been killed beforehand. The event's importance extended far wider as the new regime was considered pro-Russian, its predecessor closer to Austria-Hungary. Hence it was a fairly hot topic, beyond gossip about the royal ... | [
"We've addressed the issue of crime in the seventies in a couple of earlier threads ... while you're waiting for fresh answers to your question, you might like to review [A Serial Killer expert on the podcast 'Accused' claimed that the late 70s saw such a high number of serial killers because they were raised by me... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Japanese History: We always hear about a domain being worth "20,000 koku" or such. Is there a comprehensive chart showing the assessments of each major division of land? | [
"The Agrarian Origins of Modern Japan by T.C. Smith should be your starting point."
] | [
"The denomination of the currency is fairly arbitrary, reflecting the age and historical values of the monetary system moreso than the current strength. A nation may have had hyperinflation a century ago, or just started at 300 = $1 so that 1 = the price of an ounce of rice or something. Don't read too much into th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How credible are facial reconstructions from skulls? | [
"You may consider asking this question in /r/askscience or possibly /r/AskAnthropology if you don't get an answer here. It seems like your question and potential answers may be cross-disciplinary."
] | [
"We don't know what they looked like or acted like. All of our supposed knowledge of dinosaurs come from their fossils and assumed parallels to extant species."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are there so many pictures of Anne Frank? | [
"According to The Anne Frank Center, USA, Otto Frank (Anne's father) loved taking photographs. \"After the arrest of the eight people in hiding, Miep, Bep, Jan Gies and Van Maaren, the warehouseman, entered the Secret Annex. It was in chaos. The pages of Anne's diary lay scattered on the floor and were gathered up... | [
"Why do you have so many lips and chins?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Biology:"
} |
imagine you're walking the streets of Rome in AD266, what indication (if any) would you see that the empire had fallen on extremely hard time? | [
"In 266 CE ? In Rome, none whatsoever. The Empire was still going strong, although its northern borders were severly battered. The crisis after the assassination of the emperor Maximinus (238 CE) and the rapid succession of emperors afterwards stopped with the avent of the emperor Gallien (253 - 268 CE) who managed... | [
"There are loads and loads of Roman Buildings that only lasted 50 years, or so. They're just not around any more. This is a kind of confirmation bias. *Of course* all Roman buildings we see lasted hundreds of years. That's why we can still see them. I imagine there are some modern buildings that could last a simila... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about History:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about History:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about History:"
} |
How is Richard J. Daley generally viewed by modern Chicago citizens? | [
"If you want to know how Chicagoans currently view Richard J. Daley (vs the more recent Richard M. Daley) it might make more sense to ask in the /r/chicago subredit. It might not be citable, though."
] | [
"How well regarded are the writings of Joseph Campbell by historians?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How effective was The Great Leap Forward? | [
"The Great Leap Forward wasn't effective at all, it was a disaster. The death toll is usually estimated to be in the range of 20-40 million, which is in any case more than the WW1. And the reason why China prospers today is that after Mao a new generation of leaders seized power, led by Deng Xiaoping. Deng made a ... | [
"| Democrat | Republican ---------|----------|---------- Philosophy | Liberal, left-leaning. | Conservative, right-leaning. Economic Ideas| Minimum wages and progressive taxation, i.e., higher tax rates for higher income brackets. Born out of anti-federalist ideals but evolved over time to favor more government reg... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about History:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about History:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
In Vikings S01E07, the Vikings defeated the Saxons in a battle and were surprised of the quality of British steel. Is that likely? | [
"Short answer: No chance. Long answer: The Scandinavians had been making relatively high-quality weapons for quite some time by the viking age, not to mention trading with the Franks and Germans (and Romans!) for several centuries before the Lindisfarne raid. Insofar as pottery and ceramics were concerned, the answ... | [
"This story comes from an English primary source from the twelfth century, what the Viking historian Gwen Jones (The Vikings, second edition) refers to as the \"'C' Chronicle\", which read as follows: \"The Norwegians fled from the English, but there was one Norwegian who stood firm against the English force, so th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | January 27, 2016 | [
"This is an interesting piece of news following new areas of interest [anomalies](_URL_0_) beneath the pyramids."
] | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Have all of the national/political issues arising from WW2 now "shaken out" or been resolved? What are some important ones that haven't? | [
"Not at all in Asia. The region still harbors the bitter resentments of the war. Just today, Chinese authorities seized two Japanese owned ships and demanded repayment for the theft of Chinese ships during the war. But frankly that's the least of our problems. WWII left conflicting interpretations of borders, islan... | [
"A couple issues: * The war technically never ended - the cease fire occurred as the two sides were at roughly the same borders the war started at, and so there was no decisive victory or defeat to remember it by * The war was overshadowed by World War 2 which had ended just 5 years earlier and it wasn't as drawn o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What are the most founded theories and potential explanations for what happened to Roanoke Colony in North Carolina? | [
"Some of my uni professors in the dendrochronology lab (tree rings) at the U of Arkansas did research on this by studying the climate of the area all the way back to about 1100. The research revealed that the 3 year period surrounding the colony was the driest, most extreme period of drought in the 800 years studie... | [
"Hi OP, can you clarify, are you asking about the initial settlement and migrations through the Americas by Aboriginal peoples, or colonization by Europeans? And in either case, what kinds of information are you looking for? This will greatly assist anyone considering answering here. Thanks!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Suppose you were a widowed Roman woman. Assuming you were discreet, would you be risking anything by sleeping with your male slaves? | [
"It certainly wouldn't be unheard of, although a woman would be hazarding a great deal more than a man (they were perceived as lacking self control and thus sexual indiscretion was less tolerated. The issue is that we have few female Roman sources, and even fewer that touch on sexuality. But even in the more auster... | [
"Men didn't prefer virgins because they got to be the first. It was about legacy. Everything they had and were would be passed on to a son, and they wanted to make sure that boy really was his son. Marrying a virgin helped ensure this. Not only could the husband be sure she was not pregnant with another man's chil... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Letter from Gerald of Wales to Pope Innocent III, January 1203 | [
"_URL_0_ *edit* that's about as primary source as you can get baby!"
] | [
"According to my edition of \"On Liberty\" it is William Nathaniel Massey. He was MP for Salford and Undersecretary of State for the Home Department. The source for the speech is The Times of 14 November 1857."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How come the US never had a Lech Walesa type not minority revolutionary leader in the last 60 years? | [
"This submission has been removed because it is [soapboxing](_URL_1_.), [promoting a political agenda, or moralizing](_URL_0_). We don't allow content that does these things because they are detrimental to unbiased and academic discussion of history."
] | [
"It would take a lot of circumstance such as the downfall of the party. Realistically, the most a candidate could get is about 15% in the general election."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Frida Khalo wore a unibrow and light moustache; how would her contemporaries have viewed this style? | [
"Frida Khalo's facial hair was absolutely a statement and one that brought her ridicule. It was not laziness, in fact she darkened parts of her eyebrows with makeup to emphasize the shape. She also embraced her sexuality as evidenced in several of her paintings and photographs of her, and she is quoted as saying sh... | [
"Women enjoy looking up to her because she was a sex symbol in her time, but would have been considered overweight today. She's dead, and a lot of her opinions or values have been taken out of context."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Has anyone read Martin Meredith's 'The State of Africa'? Is it any good? | [
"It's not a particularly original work and it lacks footnotes* (presumably a publisher's decision), but it's useful as a reference. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone with an interest in African political history who might otherwise be turned off by academic accounts. *My edition, at least."
] | [
"Well, if you want general history books about the US from the right and from the left, then read *A People's History of the United States* by Howard Zinn (left) And from the right, *A Patriot's History of the United States*."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Has the "New Year's Typo" ever caused doubt about the actual date of an important historical document? | [
"I'll see this typo now and again in the archives, and it's never caused any doubt for me or a researcher that I can remember. Often people contemporary to the document (most likely secretaries) will make a little hand correction too. One thing to keep in mind is that historical documents very rarely exist in isola... | [
"Common methods of reference would be how many years into the reign of the current ruler, or years past some significant event known to their intended audience."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What are your favorite books about the European Union? | [
"#General Background/Primers: * *Ever Closer Union? An Introduction to the European Community* by Desmond Dinan * *Debates on European Integration – A Reader* edited by Mette Eilstrup-Sangiovanni * *The European Union* edited by Brent F. Nelsen and Alexander Stubb #Formation: * *Origins and Evolution of the Europea... | [
"Just asked this in the other sticky, but maybe this is the better place for it: Does anyone have any good book recommendations about the Nigerian Civil War or about Biafra as a country?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Literature:"
} |
Is it true that during WW2 the Russians would only give a rifle to 1 out of 2 people and have the other carry ammo? | [
"Enemy at the Gates is a movie that magnified a couple of common misconceptions, in particular blocking detachments and armament shortages, about the Eastern Front and Stalingrad. Too bad we never got to see the original Enemy at the Gates, based not on Stalingrad but the Siege of Leningrad, with music from Shostak... | [
"Another way to look at it. A man once invented a gun that can shoot round-after-round in succession. He claimed that this gun, dubbed the gatling cannon, could do the work of a hundred soldiers. He claimed that this would reduce the amount of needed soldiers on the battlefield. Instead, now every army had to pack ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I heard a second hand story of American drug runners in the 60's-70's driving from Afghanistan through Iran to Turkey and then flying the drugs to the US and Europe. true? | [
"Yes, true. There was what was known as the Hippy Trail which ran through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and then on to Nepal in the Himalayas. It was not just used by drug smugglers but by adventurous travellers. Australians used the route to come overland to Europe in VW camper vans which they sold in London to people... | [
"The drugs are grown, produced in South and Central America where the governments are paid for or even straight up connected to the drug trade; they are smuggled up through Mexico and cross the border much in the way illegal immigrants do--cover of night in desolate stretches f border, through tunnels, boats, even ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are some good history podcasts? | [
"Stuff You Missed In History Class Also, /r/AskHistorians has their own podcast. Check it out."
] | [
"Just asked this in the other sticky, but maybe this is the better place for it: Does anyone have any good book recommendations about the Nigerian Civil War or about Biafra as a country?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Literature:"
} |
What are some good history podcasts? | [
"[AskHistorians Podcast](_URL_0_) [Ottoman History Podcast](_URL_2_) [Sean's Russia Blog Podcast](_URL_1_) If you're interested in intellectual history, the aptly named [History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps](_URL_3_) has delved extensively into the history of Africana, Indian, and European philosophical tradition... | [
"Just asked this in the other sticky, but maybe this is the better place for it: Does anyone have any good book recommendations about the Nigerian Civil War or about Biafra as a country?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Literature:"
} |
What are some good history podcasts? | [
"Might I recommend the [History of China podcast](_URL_0_) by our very own /u/cthulhushrugged?"
] | [
"Just asked this in the other sticky, but maybe this is the better place for it: Does anyone have any good book recommendations about the Nigerian Civil War or about Biafra as a country?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Literature:"
} |
What is the historic community's feelings toward History's Mankind: The Story of All of Us? | [
"There is a /r/badhistory thread that you may be interested in about the show, link [here](_URL_0_). To summarize, it's pretty Eurocentric, and not very good at fact checking. It also makes lots of grand, sweeping statements that really don't stand up to scrutiny. In short, don't trust anything you learned from it.... | [
"Where do you mean? Europe? The US? Middle East? Africa? Eastern Asia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
[meta]A reminder about flair and what qualifies it. | [
"Let's be academic elitists and only let people with degrees have flair. Cause no one knows anything without a degree. Oh god, I sound like my old dean."
] | [
"Mentioning previous discussions is intended to be a starting point, not to discourage further discussion. Follow-on questions, info, or disagreement is welcome. The FAQ has a section on this very subject at _URL_0_ Unfortunately, the # anchor doesn't work in the Reddit app -- it just goes to the top of the page. S... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Looking for a citation: Intellectuals in Victorian England loved to classify/categorize EVERYTHING | [
"If you want an example of Victorian classification (though not about 'everything') then maybe have a look at the Pitt Rivers Museum (of anthropology) in Oxford. It's orgainsed as it was in Victorian times, with objects sorted by use, not chronology or place of origin. I can't help so much with rooms of the house ... | [
"My answer would be that the foundation of capitalism was born in the Mediterranean several centuries before Protestantism, in the Commercial Revolution of mid 13th to late 14th centuries. EDIT: sorry. More. It also overlooks the fact that Spain owned half the world until the 1830's. EDIT EDIT: I'm an advanced PHD... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is tweed associated with academics in the United States? | [
"From what I understand, it was due to their low cost, as professors did not make much money in many Universities. However, once academia received more funding, the trend kept. It is the same reason that elbow pads are similarly associated, it started as a cost saving measure on the part of a lower income academic ... | [
"If you're talking about America, that's simply not true. Go to any big Reddit thread and you'll see hundreds of comments talking about what a glorious socialist utopia Europe is. Many Americans also have varying degrees of obsession with British culture. Half the women in my family got up at 3 in the morning to wa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How accurate is Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States"? | [
"Hey! FYI, this subreddit's Frequently Asked Questions page (located under Wiki) includes [previous answers related to Howard Zinn] (_URL_0_). I hope this helps!"
] | [
"Well, if you want general history books about the US from the right and from the left, then read *A People's History of the United States* by Howard Zinn (left) And from the right, *A Patriot's History of the United States*."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Did medieval knights lift any sort of weight to purposely build strength? | [
"[There was a similar post a while back](_URL_0_) that may answer your question."
] | [
"The human back is not as fragile as one thinks. People just do not train the back the way they need to in ordwer to stay fit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did medieval knights lift? | [
"I highly recommend [this thread](_URL_1_) by /u/knight117 and [this one](_URL_0_) by /u/kardlonoc which both deal with the question you ask. & #x200B; The TL;DR is \"sort of\". They trained but primarily in a more functional sense. Weapons practice, horsemanship, hunting, exercises in armor etc are all demanding ... | [
"Why do people in Western countries use forks?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Is Ken Burns seen as a historian? | [
"More can be said, but do check out [this link](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"William Jennings Bryan would be a really great character for you to focus on there."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | August 10, 2016 | [
"A Saudi-British expedition has apparently found the oldest human remain yet discovered on the Arabian peninsula, a 90,000 year old middle finger bone: _URL_0_"
] | [
"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 post:",
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Wednesday What's New in History | April 20, 2016 | [
"Of interest to those who conduct research using American libraries and American library tools such as LC Subject Headings, [the hearing for US Librarian of Congress nominee Carla Hayden is happening this afternoon.](_URL_5_) Reference desks nationwide at this time will be largely unavailable."
] | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
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When did the concept of Planning Permission over new buildings or rennovations ruled over by local government/council rather than property owners first start? | [
"This is specific to the UK, where the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 was effective from 1 July 1948. In the US or Canada, development must comply with local zoning regulations (if any exist), but specific permission is not required for new development."
] | [
"What part of Western Europe? Different laws regarding domestic abuse and marriage or divorce, or even moving town, or how independent women could be financially."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
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How/why would nations like Provence acquire several unconnected territoties? | [
"It has to do with the way many lords aquired land in the middle-ages. They often didn't conquer neighbouring territories. Instead they tactically married to eachother to combine the family and the realm which was owned by the families. And the lands of the marying families didn't have to be right next to each othe... | [
"As a follow up question; were lands in Italy considered more valuable than say those in Africa and Gaul?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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Where does the "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" bridal tradition come from? | [
"The full rhyme is Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe. The origins are obscure but the rhyme first gains popularity in Victorian England. Each item is simply something that is traditionally considered lucky for a new bride. Something old - ties... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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When the Apollo missions were launched (or any rocket/space/satellite), did the US or USSR give a heads up to each other so that one wouldn't think it was a nuclear missile? | [
"[Early warning satellites](_URL_0_) (the kind that stare at a region and watch for launches) weren't quite practical yet, so the primary way to detect an incoming missile was by [ground-based radar](_URL_1_) - and that wouldn't necessarily pick up a launch initially. Once something was detected, it could be classi... | [
"Cleaning up satellite debris is a touchy subject because each country would have to be responsible for it. The most recent satellite debri issue was when a Chinese missile blew up an old satellite of theirs as a \"test\". Either it was legitimately a test or a show of \"hey, we can knock your spy satellites out!\"... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
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Were there any benefits to the Great Leap Forward? | [
"I actually just wrote a paper on this. Heavy industry in China actually underwent incredible growth during this period, with heavy industry output increasing by 230% from 1958-60. Global output of resources such as coal and steel increased, resulting in China becoming a global leader in those industries. The numbe... | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
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Why did the US military embed the media in their military units? | [
"> I'm watching the (excellent) Ken Burns series and it really makes you wonder. Well first i think it would be helpful to clarify which one you mean OP. He has done several on different conflicts, all of which generally had press and media members that could be pretty close to the fighting and sometimes file outr... | [
"Did the troops in Vietnam have reliable access to news?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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Pompeii: Do we have a good idea of what lies under the unexcavated parts of the site? Have we found pre-eruption maps or texts that tell us what we would find? Is it possible to study the site without digging? | [
"No, no, and yes. The full street plan can be extrapolated from the existing excavations and there is information that can be obtained by ground-penetrating radar but I would hesitate to say that it gives anyone a good idea of what is there. The problem is that so much volcanic material was dumped on the town that ... | [
"The first archeology was done be a german in the 1800s who was interested in the Iliad. There was a local legend that a particular hill was the site of the ancient city of Troy, so he got a crew and dug into the hill. He found the ruins of an ancient city. For a century archeologists basically went around the wo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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Is there any evidence pf people returning to Asia via the Bering Land Bridge to tell people about the enormous land on the other side. | [
"[Vajda (2008)](_URL_1_) proposes a shared common ancestor between the Na Dene languages of North America and the Yenesian languages of Siberia. While the theory has its critics, most notably Lyle Campbell ( [his response](_URL_0_) ), many linguists find the evidence quite convincing. According to Vajda'a Dene-Yene... | [
"They were descendents from a group of humans that crossed from what is now Russia over to what is now Alaska. This happened 16k to 11k years ago. Eventually as the ice age ended sea levels rose leading to the land they crossed to end up under water. This meant the humans being able to populate the New World withou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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When the Steller's sea cow was discovered in 1741, it was hunted to extinction by sailors just 30 years after its discovery. Why didn't this happen to Manatees or Dugongs? | [
"If you think about it, the polar regions don't support much in the way of agriculture. Sailors in the temperate oceans could hope for a variety of other things to eat-plants, fruits, land animals... In the arctic north, however, food mostly comes from hunting and fishing. The Stellers sea cow was simply easy prey ... | [
"The process for declaring extinction is that a bunch of scientist look for it really hard, confirm that nobody has seen it in a while and confirm that nobody has seen tracks or corpses in a long time. But sometimes they get things wrong and it turns up in another place. The Coelacanth is probably the more famou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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Wednesday What's New in History | June 15, 2016 | [
"A couple of weeks ago I answered a question about [ancient coin collecting](_URL_1_). Earlier this week an [ancient coin collection was found](_URL_0_). The main question the average reader might ask is how do we know this is an actual collection and not just a hoard like the countless others and I think that can ... | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Were there any pre-modern states that were their region's top military power while not their region's biggest economy (or vice versa)? | [
"This is probably kind of a dodge, but the Mongols managed to attack, conquer, and rule at least half a dozen empires that were vastly larger and more wealthy than they were. The Jin & Song dynasties of China, the Seljuks of Turkey/Persia, etc. The kicker, of course, is that by the time the Mongol empire was estab... | [
"> Also, Is there a potential for massive empires to reemerge again? I doubt it. At least not in the classic sense of one central govt controlling massive amount of land. A central govt having huge amount of influence on other nation's govt through ecoonomic pressure however, is entirely possible."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
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"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about History:"
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¿Which factors have caused the decay of the decisive battle? | [
"Actually the most obvious factor contributing to the end of the decisive battle is the continuing evolution and rationalised efficiency of the centralised fiscal-military systems found during the late 19th century. Such systems, especially in Europe, enabled the extensive recruitment, speedy mobilisation and depen... | [
"The main reason is because of the religious background of the United States."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Announcing the 'Best of May' Awardees! | [
"Wow. I... wow. I don't know what to say. Thank you so much! I really enjoyed writing that response, and I'm glad people enjoyed reading it! :)"
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Announcements:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Announcements:",
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Were the lyrics of an offensive song performed by Kate Smith intended to be satire? | [
"On a side note, I want to thank the mods of /r/AskHistorians for their willingness to advise me on this question prior to posting. I had some questions about how best to ask a question of a controversial nature and they were helpful with their advice. I mention this in case anyone reading it has ever felt hesitati... | [
"It was a rallying symbol in Scotland, to summon warriors and to declare battle. The Ku Klux Klan took it from a novel about the Ku Klux Klan (oddly enough), *The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan*, where it was referenced. They did not use it previously. It was primarily used as intimidation. Wer... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
How did Piri Reis map Antartica so detailed while not knowing existed until 300+ years later? | [
"Hi, you may be interested in this recent answer by /u/mikedash * [How is it possible Piri Reis map depict Antarctica to be free of ice since it had ice on it for millions of years?] (_URL_0_)"
] | [
"It's pretty self explanatory. Flat-Earthers believe that the earth is flat, that if you start walking in any direction, you will eventually fall off the edge. It's crazy because the evidence to the contrary is so convincing that no scientist has seriously considered it for over 2500 years."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
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Looking for a good biography on Charles V | [
"[Karl Brandi, The Emperor Charles V](_URL_0_), likely the most complete biography you will find on Charles Quint in English (translated)"
] | [
"Was he the referring to a specific mad professor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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Good books on Charles V? | [
"*The Reign of Charles V* by William Maltby is a succinct account about the emperor and his time. Although it's not quite a layman's book, *Emperor Charles V, Impresario of War: Campaign Strategy, International Finance, and Domestic Politics* by James Tracy examines the intersection of finance and the Charles's mul... | [
"Are there any good introduction books to historiography in general? JFK in particular? Thank you"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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I've had colleagues regard American political climate to be akin to the late Weimar Republic. How would a historian respond to such a claim? | [
"Note that this sub has a twenty-year rule that prohibits discussion of current events and politics, and that will make it a challenge to discuss this question without breaking the rules. There are some extremely hardworking historians who contribute here, but they still have limited time and may not be able to giv... | [
"Fascinating to note that the phenomenon described by OP is in full force here - lots of false association of socialism with communism (akin to associating republicans to fascists) and silly arguments about definitions. No actual engagement with socialist realities in Europe and beyond. I feel we still need an answ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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What was your college history thesis about? | [
"I did my undergraduate paper on the novelist Jack Kerouac. I am working on my master's program now, and am looking at doing something on either the Lincoln County War/Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch or something like that. I did Jack Keroauc partly because I love literature and did a lot of research on the Beat ... | [
"What are some of the primary sources that you have found? This sounds interesting. Would you recommend any books for a fun read?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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What could have led the United States to entering World War One on the side of the Central Powers? | [
"hi potential respondents. As you know, [speculation](_URL_1_) and [what-if scenarios](_URL_0_) are not permitted in this sub, so kindly keep your responses about *actual* events and facts, i.e. instance where the USA seriously considered joining the Central Powers."
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
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When and why did Hitchhiking fall out of fashion in the United States? | [
"Maybe to add on to the question, was there a rise in certain types of crime that influenced whether or not someone hitchhiked?"
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
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For decades in America, hitchhiking was common and deemed reasonably safe. However, it is virtually non-existent today. What caused the shift in opinion? | [
"This is not to discourage further conversation, but this question was asked (and responded to) 3 years ago. The thread is [here](_URL_0_) and in particular u/The_Alaskan , u/grantimatter , and u/soulstealer1984 contributed."
] | [
"In the 1970s and 80s, the US had a huge rash of drunk driving fatalities caused by drunken teenagers. The two reactions considered for this was either raising the drinking age or raising the driving age. The US opted for the former. Whatever you may think of the drinking age in the US, it had the desired effect --... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
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After reading the beginning of Cosmos by Carl Sagan, I am dying to know about the city of Alexandria, not so much about it's destruction, but more about what the city was like in its prime. Can you direct me to quality books or other media that I can learn more from? Thanks. | [
"Edward Watts' intellectual biography of Hypatia--*Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher*--goes deep into Alexandria as a physical place and as an intellectual culture in late antiquity. I know absolutely *nothing* about the topic going in, and found the discussion clear and readable. (If you're in... | [
"I have an interest in Greco-Roman philosophy, and before I started reading primary sources I wanted to know more about who the Greeks and Romans were: their lives, their culture, the views on themselves and the world around them, and the major events that happened around them (ie, the Peloponnesian war). I've bee... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
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Historians: What would you consider the top 3 best and top 3 worst history books you've read. | [
"I can only give one answer for this - 1066: The Year of the Conquest, by David Howarth, is my favorite history book that I have ever read. It's well-researched and well-documented, with a complete bibliography and references to it throughout; but at the same time he includes his own narrative structure and makes i... | [
"Haha, this is a fun and difficult question. There are thousands to choose from. Let me ask a few follow up questions: What time period (medieval, modern, etc.)? What type of history? Do you simply want a political history that discusses how the structure of the kingdom changed form monarch to monarch, or do you wa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
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How are ancient treaties (like Utrecht) updated to modern laws and customs? | [
"There are a couple of ways to answer this. One is to argue that the treaties are updated by current realities and that there are international norms that supersede the treaty. The other is that often these treaties are updated with instruments such as memoranda of understandings between the two states. Finally, tr... | [
"They were a series of negotiations amongst states that establish a common standard for treatment of people in wars who aren't fighting. Such as prisoners, priests, doctors, injured soldiers and so on. It also established the International Committee of the Red Cross. The first one was in 1864 and the last major re... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Military and International Law:"
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What was Plan B for Overlord in WWII, and how close did it come to failure? | [
"I'd like to add that during the Normandy invasion, the Allies also landed in Southern France in September - Operation Dragoon. Also the allies were advancing in Italy, they moved north and captured Florence between June and August 1944. Interestingly the Brazilian 1st Infantry Division fought in Northern Italy dur... | [
"Follow up question: What other types of bootcamp training strategies would drill instructors use? Also what were training structures like when there was a massive influx of troops who needed to be trained quickly, such as when the US joined WWII after Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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In the Hundred Years War, what made English siegecraft so worthless against French town walls? | [
"It's less a matter of technology and more the effort required to bring the technology to bear against the towns. Mining is time-consuming and requires much work and labor. Trebuchets require skilled engineers but also a mean of either building them on the spot (which is time-consuming) or transporting the equipmen... | [
"Well, I haven't seen anything that does but for lack of a better word, for good reason. Forts of the 17th century, such as the Vauban fortresses, served two purposes; they served as garrisons and storehouses or they acted as a barrier which an invader had to take before marching in. These fortresses were expected ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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META: This one quick trick to ensure you never click on a submission with a complete comment graveyard ever again: go to _URL_0_ | [
"What kind of black magic is this? Search isn't supposed to be useful. Thanks!"
] | [
"Reddit just shows it. It even shows it on the normal webpage. It's just hidden with a CSS rule \"display: none\" for each comment. Proof: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
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What caused Robespierre to decide that the use of the Guillotine was okay? | [
"Capital punishment was very common in pre-revolutionary France. For nobles, the typical method of execution was beheading; for commoners, it was usually hanging, but [less common and crueler sentences were also practiced](_URL_0_). When Dr. Guillotine proposed the new method of execution to the National Assembly, ... | [
"This custom came from the French Revolution. In France, the members of the National Assembly that supported the King sat on the right side while those that wanted reform sat on the left. Therefore, conservatives became right wing and liberals became left wing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
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} |
Did RFK have a major role in the Cuban Missile Crisis because he was the Attny General or because he was JFK's brother? | [
"Pretty much entirely because he was the President's brother. While he was assigned to various committee's to do with foreign relations (usually secret \"Groups,\") Attorney Generals aren't involved in non-domestic policy. JFK wanted a confidant, and sort of an errand boy he could trust. \"Kennedy's Wars\" by Lawr... | [
"Not so well. In Robert Caro's last LBJ volume he talks about the relationship in detail. LBJ saw JFK as a lightweight in the Senate. But JFK saw the value in having Johnson on the ticket because oil-rich Texas was a crucial fundraising state for Democrats. Once in the Whitehouse JFK basically ignored Johnson and e... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
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Did the British Navy exact any retaliation on the Island Nation of Tahiti for sheltering the mutineers of the HMS Bounty? | [
"Some quick research makes it look like the Tahitian Kingdom willingly allowed the British to capture and repatriate the mutineers that had originally settled on Tahiti Island itself. Pitcairn Island wasn't rediscovered by the Royal Navy until sometime later by which point friendly relations were established betwee... | [
"The Russian Empire DID spread over the Bering straight. Vitius Bering was the Russian explorer who gave his name to the straight and the shallow sea to the north of the Aleutian islands. However, the Russian colony in Alaska was so remote, it was quicker to sail from St Petersburg, south to Cape Horn, then north t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
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Taking notes on a history book for a non-student | [
"I wrote a thing on [how to read an academic book](_URL_0_) for Monday Methods awhile back. As written, it's perhaps more relevant for people who have to read a whole bunch of books in a short span of time--it's pretty much the standard history grad student method. But if you add \"actually read the book\" as a lat... | [
"reward system wants now reward, not the end of long work reward."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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What is the best book or books of ww2 ships? | [
"I know that this subreddit frowns on the use of websites as sources, but a good starting point for Japanese ships is _URL_0_. Before anyone crawls down my throat, the creators of that site are Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully, the authors of *Shattered Sword* which is probably the best book available on the Bat... | [
"What are some of the primary sources that you have found? This sounds interesting. Would you recommend any books for a fun read?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
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What happened to sailors on expeditions like Columbus' or Cortes' after they got home? | [
"I don't know about Columbus, but with Cortes many of the survivors were given lands in Mexico once the conquest of Mexico was complete. Many went home to Spain. Example - Bernal Díaz del Castillo - a foot soldier in the conquest of Mexico with Cortes. As a reward for his service, Díaz was appointed governor of San... | [
"There were. Syphilis is one of the diseases that was taken to Europe from the Americas. But anything at the same level of deadliness as small pox and the like would have killed the crews of the ships over the months crossing the Atlantic and so would not make it to Europe."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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East India Company / Dutch East India Company, can someone please give me a brief comparison of the two? | [
"(very) Briefly, they were two distinct companies, one (EIC) founded in England in 1600, the other (VOC) in the Netherlands in 1602. There were some attempts at cooperation in the beginning, when both countries were at war with Spain and Portugal but that broke down fairly quickly (greed is a terrible thing). Mostl... | [
"Do you mean within any of the colonies and dependencies, or purely within the home islands? Your answer will grant you very different answers to your question."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
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What were the main arguments American Anti-Federalists made against the first article of the Constitution? | [
"I assume you have looked at the anti-federalist papers?"
] | [
"It was the convention held in the United States which lead to the drafting of the Constitution. Do you have a more specific question?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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Who was the king who burned his boat so that his men couldn't go back unless they won ? | [
"The Castilian conquistador Hernán Cortés? Check out this thread: * [Did Cortes really order his own ships burnt? Did he ever really stand a chance of losing when he made this decision?](_URL_0_) - featuring /u/historianLA, /u/400-Rabbits, and /u/lordnikkon"
] | [
"His escape plan was to keep it going; used everything he could and made people around him involved as much as possible, just to make sure he himself could survive a little bit longer. He was 70 when they finally arrested him"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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Are there any modern historians who have used qualitative measures to identify cycles of change in societies? | [
"Could you clarify? I'm not sure I understand the question. What you're asking seems to be what the vast majority of historians do. Historians, with few exceptions, are interested in tracing change over time through qualitative methodologies. There have been and are some historians who use quantitative methodologie... | [
"Can anyone suggest respected works that deal, on a theoretical level, with the concept of elites? Specifically from the standpoint of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
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What lead to the United States and the UK becoming such strong allies after being at war with each other twice? | [
"hi! you may be interested in this section of the FAQ (link on sidebar): [Anglo-American Relations](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Japan were similarly motivated as the Germans. Their motivations were not as much about race as in Germany but they wanted to reinstate the Japanese empire to its former glory just like the Germans wanted to reinstate the Holy Roman Empire to its former glory. The Germans and Japanese did not have any common goals... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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Are there any good Youtube documentaries on history you could recommend? | [
"**WW1** I'd suggest looking into The Great War channel: _URL_0_ They upload a video every week and discuss what happened 100 years ago, this week. Really well made, I'm really enjoying this series. **WW2** I'd recommend The World at War. _URL_1_ One of the really nice things that this series has that others dont ... | [
"Is it against the rules to ask for book recommendations on this topic? if not I would like to do so."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Can you recommend me any good podcasts or documentaries about history? | [
"I don't generally like Podcasts, but I'd recommend [The AskHistorians Podcast](_URL_0_)!"
] | [
"Just asked this in the other sticky, but maybe this is the better place for it: Does anyone have any good book recommendations about the Nigerian Civil War or about Biafra as a country?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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I'm looking for book recommendations on WW2 | [
"There is a substantial booklist at _URL_0_ - the section on the Eastern Front looks to have a few promising titles."
] | [
"I'd like to flip this and ask a question, can anyone shed some light on wintertime survival in Early Medieval Britain and Ireland?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did medieval warriors ever wear two layers of maille, one on top of the other? | [
"Usamah ibn Munqidh in the 12th century records owning a *kazaghand* that incorporated a long Frankish mail shirt on top of a short one. [Link](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"English longbows had enough drawpower to puncture plate armor. Most combatants did not have armor and chainmail. Those were generally reserved for nobility. Your average men at arms might have some leather padding, which were much easier to penetrate. Just because plate armor can't be pierced, doesn't mean it doe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Can Askhistorians do an episode by episode breakdown of the inaccuracies of Dan Carlins' HCH? | [
"You will get much better answers if you ask specific questions. Unlike Dan Carlin, contributors to AH do not make a living out of their work here (not that I know of). There have been plenty of questions on Dan Carlin and even better, specific claims that he has made. And please don't forget to browse through our ... | [
"Out of curiosity, was this post prompted by the \"Amazing Story\" video on the front page?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If you were a boy and your dad was a Romen general would you be expected to go on campaign with him by the time you were into your teens? | [
"Oddly, this describes the very early life of Caligula. As a toddler, Caligula joined his father while he was campaigning in Germany and would dress in a miniature solider's uniform. So he was called Caligula because of the little boots that he wore (the root word is caliga). He accompanied his father until his fat... | [
"Because you were VERY likely to inherit your profession as well if you were a member of the lower class. If you father was a smith chances are pretty good he would teach you and when he died you would own his smithy and your son will be a smith as well. There wasn't a lot of upward mobility in ancient society."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why was the deputy director of NATO always Italian from 1971-2012? | [
"Hi, I've approved the post, but just a note to you and potential respondents: this subreddit has a 20-year rule against discussing current events, so any answers will have to cut off at 1997. If you're looking for answers that can include 1998-2012, do consider x-posting elsewhere, eg. a foreign affairs sub like /... | [
"According to my edition of \"On Liberty\" it is William Nathaniel Massey. He was MP for Salford and Undersecretary of State for the Home Department. The source for the speech is The Times of 14 November 1857."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Was looking up game guides on Civilization 5, and this introduction paragraph blew my mind. Is surplus food the single most important thing ever for civilizations? Without "surplus" u will never be great? | [
"Yeah it is true. Agriculture allowed for a surplus of food that is unachievable in hunter-gatherer societies. With more food people settled into communities that became cities. Surplus food allowed people to focus their energies into things other than searching for food; that means because people had more time fre... | [
"> How can we use video games as a medium to teach / impart history to the public? The gamification and warping of history in Civilization II, to my 11 year old self, was definitely a catalyst to my interest in further reading regarding all things historical. I was a 5th grader looking up Copernicus and Marco Polo ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What role have animals played in a war other than the transport of goods or people? | [
"hi! there's lots of room for more input; meanwhile, get started on these sections of the FAQ (see link on the sidebar) [Use of Animals in Battle](_URL_0_) [Communications](_URL_1_) - see under *Carrier Pigeons*"
] | [
"This is an enormously difficult question to answer. There are simply too many variables at play to arrive at anything like an absolutely correct answer. Where would you begin calculating? The cost to train and equip the soldiers involved? Their wages from the time of enlistment/conscription through to the end of t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In 1861, some M. G. Dupuis and others possibly offered to volunteer for the Union army. What was the offer specifically, and were there other individuals who wished to leave Europe to join the Union? | [
"> Were there other offers of European volunteers at the start of the war? I can't speak to Dupuis, but for others, [this might be of interest!](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"You are probably on the right path with the secret society idea though the society I suggest wasn't exactly secret. John Lorimar Worden, Thomas Lincoln Casey, and Daniel Webster Flagler The three individuals with forts named after them in the \"triangle of fire\" were all members of the Military Order of the Loyal... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
In WW2 were any personal items carried into battle? | [
"Yes. As a rare book dealer, I met a WWI veteran who carried a 1st edition of TS Eliot poetry *inside his helmet*. he had ripped it in half along the spine to make it fit. And people collect special editions of novels the military printed for soldiers in WWII. Tiny print, half the size of normal paperbacks (same wi... | [
"This is almost guaranteed to be some sort of civilian copy. First, I have never seen a WWII era dog tag that looked like that. Second, there is no reason to have rank on a dog tag. Ranks change, especially during war."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
In Roman times, how long would it take a letter to travel from Rome to London? | [
"27 days under ideal conditions (meaning summer) if you travel from Ostia to Narbo (present day southern France) then follow the mountains west and then again by ship north to Londonium. This is also the cheapest route for a passenger (although for transporting goods the sea route through gibraltar is cheaper). Th... | [
"In Europe, the clergy had their own messenger service. They were actually required to maintain correspondence with Rome, or Canterbury. Most people were illiterate so town criers were also present to read approved prieces of information to the masses. News did travel very slow compared to modern times. I can't fin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Wednesday Week in History | Sept. 25 - Oct. 1 | [
"Just a small note that it's Banned Books Week, which has been [going strong since 1982](_URL_0_). So be sure to read some really hot this history books this week to celebrate intellectual freedom!"
] | [
"The notion was part of the prejudices and fantasies of ancient people. Anybody who even thinks the signs matter should read up on where the ecliptic of the solar system travels these days. This plane of the ecliptic determines where the sun \"resides\". For instance, astrologers will tell you that we are now at th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why was Cabeza de Vaca's name Cabeza de Vaca? | [
"If I remember the story correctly the origin of the name goes back to the *Reconquista* in Spain... In 1212 Martin Alhaja, a shepherd, placed a cow skull at a key access point along a road through Despenaperros Pass. The skull marked where King Alfonso VIII could work his army around the Almohad Caliphate at the ... | [
"I don't know about Columbus, but with Cortes many of the survivors were given lands in Mexico once the conquest of Mexico was complete. Many went home to Spain. Example - Bernal Díaz del Castillo - a foot soldier in the conquest of Mexico with Cortes. As a reward for his service, Díaz was appointed governor of San... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Did anything go wrong on the Apollo 11 mission? If so, how did they deal with it? | [
"In regard to the landing itself, there's two pretty famous errors: Apollo 11 missed its targeted area by between 3-4 miles, and it had more fuel than the instruments indicated. For a good synopsis of these two errors, [check out this transcript of the Apollo 11 radio transmissions](_URL_0_), with some great annota... | [
"We don't have any sort of rocket that can travel to the moon and back. We don't have a vehicle that can detach from that rocket and land on the moon. Takes a LOT of time and money to design and build those. Even 2024 seems way too soon. That's only five years. Plus, all the guys who worked on the Moon missions... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
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