query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Can anyone help with identifying WWI German shell/trench art? | [
"A photo would be very helpful. From what I've gathered MAI 1915 is the manufacturing date (May 1915) and you're correct, Patronenfabrik Karlsruhe is where the shell was manufactured. \"Ke\" with a crown was the quality control mark used by Patronenfabrik Karlsruhe until the end of 1915. After that it switched to ... | [
"This was a fun one to track down. They are referred to as chevrons and denote unit. Helps prevent friendly fire too Sometimed on Isreali Merkava tanks they might be followed or led by a letter denoting rank - battalion leader, etc"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are the greatest coup/overthrows in history? | [
"The Russian Revolution set up what could have been the first communist state ever. as such, it failed, because of reasons stated in this quote: \"“It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.” -David Bri... | [
"Would you mind clarifying the question a little? Are you asking if the American participation in the Vietnam War is responsible for the recession of communism *now*?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Apple just broke the stock market cap record. How big was the East India Company in terms of share price (and total stock) in today's money? | [
"I'm an accountant and this has got me very intrigued. I found what seems to be transcripts from some sort of inquiry regarding various financial figures from the East India Company in the early-mid 1800s: _URL_0_ I couldn't find anything to answer your questions because there are just so many pages but it was very... | [
"Saudi Aramco is not publicly traded. It's true many state-owned companies are bigger than Alphabet, but Alphabet has the largest market capitalization (Quantity of shares multiplied by the price of each share)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:"
} |
Why does Tokyo have such unusual street address designations? | [
"Sometimes it's helpful, in cross-cultural contexts, to turn the question around and think about the assumptions behind it. How did European cities come to name the spaces *in between* the groups of buildings, rather than the blocks themselves? Any large building on a college campus, for instance, will have a dozen... | [
"Well the cities are generally grid based and even some streets have cardinal points in their names."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did Medieval Kings Joust? | [
"France was the birthplace of the joust and the sport became a sort of pastime for the French. French kings did participate in jousts in the Late Middle Ages, though I would not say it was considered common practice. As jousts evolved into a more aristocratic event overflowing with pageantry, kings and nobles would... | [
"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 document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What were the years called/labled before Christ? Were they tracked? | [
"Not to dissuade further discussion, but this section of the wiki: [Calendars & Timekeeping](_URL_1_) may point you in the right direction. Particularly, [Other Dating Systems](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"First, it is BCE for \"Before the Common Era\" and CE for \"Common Era\". Or prior to that it was BC for \"Before Christ\" and AD for \"Anno Domini\" or \"in the year of the Lord\". AC is for air conditioning or alternating current. > but how did they measure the years at the time? It depends on who you were talk... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why didn't we hang Jefferson Davis and the other architects of the confederacy? | [
"Interestingly, this question has come up a lot in recent weeks! I posted a reply not that long ago, here: _URL_0_ Feel free to comment with any follow-ups! TD;LR - Lincoln was clear in the weeks leading up to the end of the war that he didn't want to prosecute the Confederacy or pursue a hard peace."
] | [
"Nothing. Robert E. Lee was a US confederate general, the military leader of the Civil War faction that advocated the continuance of black slavery. The connection between this and the anti-Semitic element of the Nazis it tenuous at best."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is Polynesian visits to the America's plausible? What are some good sources on this? | [
"I guess if I were on Mythbusters, I'd consider this \"Plausible.\" There's really nothing more than circumstantial evidence past Easter Island, though the ocean current could have conceivably carried them to Central or South America from Hawaii or Easter Island, but no one has found any definite archaeological evi... | [
"> based off of the information in the book \"Before European Hegemony,\" What other resources have you consulted? You've run against the main reason it's not a great idea to use only one source when researching a question: you depend *entirely* on what that one author thinks is important about the subject, and how... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What music did people use in weddings before Mendelsson's Wedding March in CDur? | [
"1. *Mendelssohn* 2. Actually, in the U.S. this is more commonly used as a recessional, with Wagner's [Bridal Chorus (AKA Here Comes the Bride)](_URL_2_) being used as a processional, which is hilarious, if you know the plot of the opera that's from, specifically what was going to happen to the bride post-nuptials.... | [
"Simple answer, because it's a catchy tune. But then you said > It's like British graduation ceremonies using Star Spangled Banner. I guess you don't know where the music to the Star Spangled Banner came from."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
AMA: The History of Television News in the United States | [
"> Americans have the television news that they ... probably deserve. Ouch! that sounds like an insult. =-} I'm an older person, and I remember the 60's and 70's as a time when the media used to really tear into investigative news stories. They were like rabid wolves. They reported on things that shocked and alter... | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Education:"
} |
Where would one go to better understand the 7 Years War? | [
"You might look into Fred Anderson's *Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766*. It is also available on Audible."
] | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why can't miracles be proved with historical method? | [
"You need to elaborate the question quite a bit."
] | [
"There isn't one. Why are there so many questions on this site that think 'evolution' is the golden ticket to explain everything?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
When is the last time the Queen's Guard had to use it's military power? | [
"Guards at the royal palaces are made up of soldiers from one of the 6 different guards regiments in the British Army (Grenadier, Coldstream, Welsh, Irish and Scots Guards in the infantry and the Life Guards in the cavalry). These are regular regiments of the British Army and are regularly deployed to combat zones ... | [
"It might not be necessary in certain countries, but with the number of firearms and violence in the U.S., it would be pure anarchy if our police forces did not have firearms. Don't bring a knife to a gun fight."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Have the Queen's guard ever engaged in combat? | [
"Just for the record you mean the UK? If that is the case the various Guards regiments have a long history of active service, various Guards Battalions have serverd since their formations. Being the oldest, the Coldstream Guards and Grenadier Guards have fought in every conflict since the English Civil War. Notably... | [
"They're active duty troops from several elite regiments (and sometimes commonwealth units), and a lot of them have extensive experience in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. They're regular army. So basically they are trained to kill you if necessary, and are damned good at it. Don't test them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
A bit of a long-shot. Does anyone know where I can find European railway timetables for 1939? | [
"The Thomas Cook Continental Timetable, published monthly at this time, would be the most reliable source of information - if you could find a copy. A facsimilie of the August 1939 edition was reprinted in 1987 edited by JH Price and may be in libraries (or you can get a secondhand copy for a reasonable price). It... | [
"Are there any books on Berlin during 1920s?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Literature:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | February 01, 2014 | [
"Does anyone know of a good study on the ethno-religious merchant communities of the Early Modern period from the perspective of New Institutional Economics? I'm thinking of the Baghdad Jews, Isfahan Armenians, Chinese in SE Asia, groups like that. I suppose it doesn't have to be explicitly NIE, so long as it focus... | [
"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 answer about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
I am immortal, born in the stone age. When was civil administration good enough to find out about my immortality? | [
"Sorry, but your submission has been removed because we [don't allow hypothetical questions](_URL_0_). If possible, please feel free to rephrase the question so that it does not call for such speculation, and resubmit Otherwise, this sort of thing is better suited for /r/HistoryWhatIf."
] | [
"I mean maybe they can, you just need 50,000 years of them living with you and your descendants. That way they get fully indoctrinated to trust you."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are some good examples of disputes over minor wording in major treaties? | [
"The Treaty of Waitangi is a good example of translation loopholes which was signed between the indigenous Maori of New Zealand and the British crown. It is considered the founding document of New Zealand although it is thought that the Maori did not have a full understanding of what was meant by sovereignty and th... | [
"I'm new to this, are we allowed to discuss the intent or narrative of the author and the context in which this was written even if it's within the last 20 years?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
Is it actually possible that our calendar could be 300 years ahead? | [
"No, it's not. Here are some old threads on the topic: _URL_0_ _URL_1_"
] | [
"The seasons would slowly shift around. If there wasn't a leap year, today would have been March 2nd - the calendar would be off by one day. In 4 years, the calendar would be off by 2 days. In 120 years the calendar would be off by a whole month - so for example instead of winter being from December to February, it... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was the first "welfare state " ? | [
"Would the corn dole in Rome count? Edit - if Rome didn't provide anything but corn, would this still count as an embryonic welfare state? I've never heard of any Roman provision of health care, education, or care for the elderly? Was there any special provision for veterans of the legions?"
] | [
"What do you mean by the 'earliest breeds'?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Not sure if this is more "Ask Historians" or "Ask Science" but, essentially, how did pre-industrial civilizations move water uphill? | [
"There was the [Archimedes Screw](_URL_0_), which has been around since at least the 3rd Century BCE. Also, you should read the first couple sections on fountains, [here], (_URL_1_) where it explains how Romans used gravity to create pressure down the line. Finally, I know the Mayans created water pressure by chann... | [
"Here's a list I've posted elsewhere: * gunpowder (Chinese alchemists) * tin foil * gold plating * ink, * dyes (Prussian Blue and Scarlet red) * paints, * ceramics (including porcelain in Europe) * cosmetics, * leather tanning * element: antimony, phosphorous, zinc * hydrochloric acid, Mercury oxide, * glass manufa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | December 05, 2015 | [
"So I am pretty deep into the contemporary sources on Nikolaus von Flüe, or \"Bruder Klaus\"--the fifteenth-century hermit who will become the patron saint of Switzerland. Now, \"living saints\" in the Middle Ages who attract a lot of public attention not uncommonly draw criticism as well as admiration and wonder. ... | [
"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 about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Monday Methods: History Pedagogy (The Theory and Practice of Teaching and Learning) | [
"As a current Master's student whose undergraduate experience is still fresh in his mind, I can definitely attest that, at the student-level, there is a perception that the emphasis on \"coverage\" is obsolete in the face of unprecedented access to information on the internet. However, many students have difficulty... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How soon after discovering the New World did European powers realize what they had found? | [
"Lots of people thought Columbus was crazy before he left not because they thought the world was flat, but because they knew it was big, and China and India were very far away. So I would think those people immediately suspected that he had not discovered China or India, but rather some other, nearer land. However,... | [
"Money. English explorers were incentivized to colonize the new world with the promise of land ownership. This, combined with accounts of the vast riches available in the Americas, persuaded a lot of people of means to risk the travel. Of course, they were ill prepared to deal with the hardships of colonization an... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Is it true that there was an unspoken rule amongst WWII pilots that said you shouldn't shoot at soldiers in parachutes while in the air? | [
"It is worth noting that Article 20 of the Hague Rules of Air Warfare (1923) explicitly prohibits the shooting bailing pilots. It was never adopted, but the fact that this was considered a possible explicit \"law of war\" is relevant."
] | [
"> but why are those soldiers being thrown from planes? For mobility. If you need to get troops somewhere RIGHT NOW and you don't have time to send them by sea or land, sending them by air provides another option. Also, maybe you want to attack a location behind enemy lines. One famous example was D-Day, when the A... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Question about these photos of great grandfather during the Russian Civil War | [
"That distinctive wrap-around jacket is the uniform of the Royal Flying Corps.They used to call it the \"maternity jacket\". There seems to be one \"pip\" on each shoulder, so he was a 2nd lieutenant when the pictures were taken. As to where they were taken, I doubt that most are in Archangel (usually written Arkha... | [
"Just a follow-up question to the original question - what about the reverse. What was Napoleon's view of the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about history:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about history:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How to publish an academic article? | [
"I can't give you the best information, but usually this is something your academic adviser would help you with. Can you not solicit their help? They want your name and address because you will be asked to revise elements of the article."
] | [
"What if you want a printed version of what was said?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
The significance of the year 1300 AD | [
"I'm sorry, I'd appreciate it if you could clarify your question: what questions were you asked about 1300? I can't think of any event that took place in the exact turn of the century, are you sure it wasn't a question about the 1300s aka the entire 14th century?"
] | [
"Because the first century was the zeroes (1 AD to 100 AD). Counting up from there, the fourteenth century has to start in 1301 AD for the numbering to make sense."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was there really a blood moon during the fall of Constantinople? | [
"Yes, there was. If you look here at this [calculated eclipse chart](_URL_1_), you'll find that a partial lunar eclipse, [visible from Constantinople](_URL_0_), occurred on May 22, 1453 - only a week before the fall of the city. The maximum of this eclipse would have been at around 8:19 in the evening, which would... | [
"Why were they sealed in the first place?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
I am a Dry representative of Prohibition in 1920, what are my arguments that intoxicating liquors should be illegal? (can't use information past 1920) | [
"If I recall correctly from my American Rhetoric course, people attempted to correlate drinking with high levels of spousal and child abuse. Additionally, there were some economic arguments that when workers blow their whole paycheck at the bar immediately after work (which was apparently common) it was less useful... | [
"Blue laws. The Puritan past. Religious leaders didn't want it sold. We're talking 300 years ago era laws."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the document about History:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Was there a taboo in the USA on depicting certain types of people's faces in cartoons in the 1950s? | [
"Further question, could this extend to other cartoons like Charlie Brown, where adults are never shown, let alone given true lines? Does it have something to do with secondary characters in general?"
] | [
"Cartoons have always been exceptionally weird with respect to the time they came out. Sure bugs bunny seems pretty vanilla now but how weird would a hunter being seduced by a male rabbit wearing a wig seem in the 40s/50s"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In times of war, do the attacking forces generally try to avoid cultural icons like Big Ben or the Cologne Cathedral, or are they treated like every other structure and subject to bombing raids, etc? | [
"I just finished Thomas Madden's book about Venice and he talks a little about this in WW2. Basically there was a concerted effort on the allies part to not bomb Venice at all. They could afford to do this of course because there was very little strategic value in Venice. There was however a single bombing campai... | [
"All parties in WWII engaged in extensive bombing of civilian infrastructure. In a war of that scale it's simply not feasible to try and pick out military targets embedded in cities and towns, it's faster and more effective to simply pummel a city (and anyone in it) into submission."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Theory Thursdays | Edward Gibbon and the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire | [
"There are plenty of 'explanations' for the wide-ranging process we shorthanded as 'fall of Rome', but the trick in reading Gibbon is actually reading him. His work is much more nuanced than it is commonly presented, and relies only on historical texts (including the Augustan History) and not on archaeology, but ov... | [
"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 document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Anti-Drinking Russian Propaganda Posters | [
"Alcoholism was rampant in the working classes of Russia and pretty much every country in the early 20th century - a lot of leftist movements were opposed to alcohol because they thought of it as a tool of the bourgeoisie used to keep workers useless and disorganized. In the US, the International Workers of the Wor... | [
"High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Were there any European attempts to "restart" imperialism? | [
"France has exerted a lot of effort to maintain loose and informal control over its former colonial empire in Africa. If you're looking for formal attempts to regain a colonial empire, the best example might be Spain. After the loss of most of Spain's American colonies, it kept up a series of raids and invasions f... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
[Meta] Introducing AskHistorians Alerts! | [
"Whoa. That is an awesome idea that I will have to get into. I'll do that when I get home."
] | [
"CGP Grey has an excellent video describing exactly this: The Problems with First Past the Post Voting Expl…: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If Eden had been selected as the capital of Australia rather than Canberra, would the city have been likely to see much greater growth than Canberra has? | [
"You'll probably get more of a response in the subreddit /r/HistoricalWhatIf."
] | [
"There could be many reasons this happens * A federation may want an independent capital outside any states (Washington DC) * Two or more cities may be competing for the capital, so a new capital is built as a compromise, Canberra was established roughly halfway between Sydney and Melbourne * The current capital ma... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Are there instances where a long tradition of incest may have inhibited a monarchy? | [
"The Hapsburgs used marriage as a tool to gain a lot of thrones, but after they had much of Europe, under Emperor Charles V, they found themselves marrying within a reduced gene pool, and had a real problem of consanguinity. The same \"Hapsburg lip\" or deformed jutting lower jaw, that made it hard for Charles to e... | [
"Because in theory some of those cultural traditions may have been used or where interwoven with methods to oppress the masses in the old regime. In practice it has more to do with removing threats to your new regime by having your ideology being the only thing left."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about history:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about history:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What was like for the average person in Ancient Egypt? | [
"Not to discourage any further answers but you'll probably enjoy the [FAQ on daily life in ancient Egypt](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What large-scope, laymen-friendly history books ARE accurate? | [
"Make sure to give [our booklist a look](_URL_0_)! There are a few things in there that would probably be of interest."
] | [
"Just curious for everyone's thoughts. What is pop history, how do we differentiate it from academic history, and to what degree is it useful? Added query, what pop history do you find compelling or of exceprional quality?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What happened to the giant golden Nazi eagle Hitler made a speech in front of (picture with link in comments)? | [
"And what was the Nazi budget for producing giant gold eagles? And I'm being serious, because they had a few of them about."
] | [
"Follow-up question: Was it carved into the Wewelsburg floor before the 1930s when the Nazis took up residence there?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What level of upkeep was required for lighthouses in antiquity? | [
"We simply don't know. The nature of classical literature, and arguably even moreso the Medieval period transmission, means that what little survived is confined to a fairly limited set of interests, and unfortunately lighthouse operation was interesting neither to the classical literary set nor to Irish monks. On ... | [
"Follow up question, was life insurance a common policy to have in an American home at this point in time?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Did silent film prints get sent to movie houses with sheet music for the pianist to play? Or did they play whatever they had to hand? | [
"[We just touched on this a week ago.](_URL_0_) If you'd like to do your own research, the term to start with is \"photoplay\", and the rough answer is that they started being included about 1910."
] | [
"The modern restorations include music. At the time there was live music played during the film. There was no audio track to record on."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Animation:"
} |
Too often I hear on the media that before the 20th century there has never been a 7-decade long period of Europe-wide peace. Is this actually true? | [
"At the risk of brushing up against the 20 year rule (though it just barely makes it), I'd strongly challenge the contention that we're in a period of 70 year long Europe-wide peace. The Yugoslav wars of the 1990s were massively violent conflicts, containing such atrocities as the massacre of over 8,000 civilians a... | [
"More instances on what sort of timeline? The world is probably the least violent it has been since the beginning of written history. However, over the last year or so there has been a slight uptick in violent behavior. We're still nowhere near the levels we were at 100 years ago. With regard to ww3. Personally I ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about history:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about history:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Need recommendation on good Russian and/or Polish History books | [
"The biography *Peter The Great: His Life and World* by Robert K. Massie is one of the best biographies I have ever read and reveals the conditions of Russia as it was about to enter the world stage. Also gives a great description of the Great Northern War."
] | [
"Does anyone know of any good texts on Sassanid Persian culture?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
How did Crusaders modify their armor to the different climate and different enemies, if at all? | [
"It is important to remember that the Kingdom of Jerusalem lasted for almost 200 years during which a portion of the waves of Crusaders from Europe stayed behind in the Holy Land with new lands and titles. The knights that stayed lived the rest of their lives there, their children were born there and lived and died... | [
"The arriving missionaries had technology like better masonry, metal and gold working, and some improvements to agriculture. When the missionaries come with significant improvements to your life, why not convert?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How confident are we that the year is actually and exactly 2017? Is it possible that at some point in the last 2000 years there were any significant timekeeping mistakes? | [
"[/u/sunagainstgold](_URL_0_) answered a [very similarly worded question](_URL_1_) that may interest you."
] | [
"We have too many leap years based on exactly how fast Earth goes around the Sun, so we drop something like 3 out of every 100 leap years."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Does the legend that the US army and colonial citizens gave small pox ridden blankets to natives have any basis of truth? | [
"This question has been asked and answered several times before. A few of the previous answers are [here](_URL_2_), [here](_URL_0_), and [here](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"As a follow up I heard it said several times that the Romans would use urine as mouthwash. Is there any truth to that?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
I'm a slave in the south, and want to trek north via the Underground Railroad. How did I learn of the Underground Railroad? How did I participate? | [
"I use this site with my 5th graders. It gives an interesting first person perspective on escaping slavery. _URL_0_ Flight to Freedom (And its a video game so they love it). It might be relevant enough to add some flavor to the excellent comments already posted."
] | [
"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 document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How/Why did the USSR disassemble and take factories in Manchuria after WW2? | [
"Same way factories were removed from Germany after WW1, WW2 and how the Soviets moved factories in 1941 and 42. They would methodically take the factory apart, labeling everything, crate it up, put it on a train, boat or ship. Transport it to the new site, then reassemble it. Apparently, when the Soviets were buil... | [
"1. Most of the reparations for WWI were forgiven after WWII. 2. A lot of money was pumped into Germany after WWII to rebuild it because the US didn't want them to fall to communism. 3. Germany has always been one of the major economies in Europe, so it is really a reversion to the mean. 4. Annexed by 4 nations? It... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about history:"
} |
Why do so many UK businesses have Quaker origins? | [
"The Religious Society of Friends (proper name of the Quakers) pursued a business model centred around their religious principles and conscience before profit: i.e. in plain-speaking, egalitarianism, concern for the planet etc. Actually, they were very ahead of their time. Thus Quaker-owned businesses gained a repu... | [
"Rule number one of business is know which demographic you're targeting. As it happens, a lot of the people who go out and get groceries for their family also masturbate to Fifty Shades of Grey."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was the public reaction when it was made illegal for pedestrians to use the streets in favour of cars? | [
"Do you have a specific place or country in mind?"
] | [
"Because you do not have the right to use public roads, you have the privilege. They cannot prevent you from going somewhere if say you decided to go by dog sled, but they can shut down the public roads and prevent travel on them. Which is what has happened."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Arabic sailor who was captured by Indians? | [
"I have never heard of this story, and there is absolutely no solid evidence for pre-Columbian Arabic trans-Atlantic trade. There wouldn't have been any \"Arabic speaking Indians\" *even if* an Arab sailor was somehow captured by Native Americans."
] | [
"Did sailors generally know the name of the ships they're fighting?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Is there any correlation between sedentism and the emergence of a hierarchy? | [
"A third element must exist - which is concentrated high yield agriculture. Mesolithic Japanese were long settled in small towns, but no heirarchy emerged until rice cultivation was introduced sometime between 300 BCE and 100 CE. I mean thousands of years long."
] | [
"Because humans are the only species with a complex enough social structure to allow for emotions such as embarrassment."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Wikileaks has apparently released 2 million diplomatic records in the "Kissinger Cables". What do we stand to gain (or what have we learned) from these cables? | [
"None (or at least, only a small minority) of the released documents are new, or really news, per se. Most, if not all of them, have been scattered throughout various government archives for years, and are just getting repackaged and released with wild fanfare so that wikileaks can continue to feign relevance."
] | [
"I can't answer your question, but I'd like to add to it: What information did Snowden actually share with the public? Are there any documents he put on the internet listing the NSA's abuses of power? All I can find right now are interviews."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did parents give their kids 'the sex talk' before modern biology gave us the means to explain the details of reproduction? | [
"First off the modern \"Birds and the Bees\" discussion acts like sex is a taboo subject, as does our modern society as a whole. However in places like Ancient Greece we can see that was not so true. In places like America, in places like the US you can't show sex (actual not fade to black) or genitalia without bei... | [
"Humans don't *need* to be taught about sex. In fact, sex education is hardly *at all* about the mechanics of sex. It's about safe sex, and other bodily functions that are peripheral to the actual act. Some of it is stuff that people *would* figure out on their own, but why not take a short cut and learn about it ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How was the wire for chainmail made? | [
"Wire in antiquity was made by hammering or strip twisting. Both involved a thin strip being cut from the edge of a sheet and subsequently formed to a round cross section by labor intensive processes. By the second or third century AD we had developed wire drawing. The thin strip was pulled through a metal drawpla... | [
"The one cord is a bundle of more than one wire."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What were some common Roman curses and insults? | [
"A Roman cursing practice was to inscribe the horrible things they wanted to happen to their enemies on lead tablets. In what was then Aquae Sulis and what is today the English city of Bath, Romans would place these tablets in hot springs. The tablets were called defixiones, and the actual curses could be pretty gr... | [
"Some (mostly 4-letter) swear words are actually old Anglo-Saxon words used to define body parts or bodily functions. At the time, they weren't considered swear words, just a normal part of the language. When outside influences, such as French, entered the language, the elite began using French words instead of Ang... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Linguistics:"
} |
How did people traveling East/West reconcile the natural changes in light before the codification of time zones? | [
"This came up just a couple days ago, [and I answered it here](_URL_0_) -- the short version, because I'm on mobile, is that a ship's day reset at noon."
] | [
"That's a great question! I've no idea, although I can probably throw in one or two considerations. The Titanic sank in 1912, which was before there was really universal acceptance/use of standard time zones. Granted, the US had hosted the International Meridian Conference in 1884 that agreed on Greenwhich time as ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about History:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What is the origin of the Hawaiian shirt? | [
"Floral patterns have been popular in Hawaii for a long time, but modern \"Aloha\" wear mostly stems from products created by Ellery Chun, in the 1930s, who used the fabric remaining from the production of kimonos to create shirts. The shirts caught on very quickly, selling as souvenirs to tourists and later to Am... | [
"Why do some parts of the world call gasoline petrol?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Can a historian please tell me the date when Lincoln said the following quote? | [
"Assuming you do mean \"struggle\" and not \"stubble\" (which is actually pretty funny in itself), a simple google search within quotation marks brings up this: _URL_0_ Illinois House of Representatives, December 20th, 1839. The quotation is in the last paragraph. I don't know how reputable that is, but it gives ... | [
"Maybe you can tell us from where you heard this, and of what period you are talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How accurate was ExtraCredits on the history of the Punic Wars | [
"Generally, I would say that it is accurate. From the limited reading I've had to do on this for classes (readings being focused on Livy and Polybius), I think they do a very good job on giving the history. I love this series for their discussions on gaming theory, and remember that the writer for the series (James... | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How did the Roman Legions view eachother? | [
"As a followup question: during times of Civil War like Caesar's Civil War, did the opposing legions view each other like tragic brother vs brother (ex. USA Civil War) or did they view each other like good vs. evil (ex. Humans vs. Orcs)?"
] | [
"I'd like to hijack this and ask a follow up question: What sort of laws did the Romans have regarding treatment of slaves as opposed to the USA?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Did the ancient Romans have an equivalent term for "dude" "bro" or "man?" | [
"\"Comes\" which translates as companion, or intimate friend. A possible translation might be \"mate\". For example, if emperor Nero were to go out on the town he would go with his Comites. Edit: Plurals."
] | [
"In Britain an old nickname for a penis was \"whistle\". A common phrase was \"how about you blow my whistle\" as asking for a \"blow job\". Over the last two centuries \"Blow job\" stuck around while naming your dick \"whistle\" didn't."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What kind of characters, if any, were the Britons using before the Latin alphabet was introduced? | [
"There were some pre-Roman coins which used the Latin alphabet for names of kings such as Tasciovanus and Cunobelinos, but no native script that I've come across."
] | [
"Not an answer, but a question to add onto this, did the Roman Legion have a series of camp followers? What was life like for these people?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
In Crusader Kings 2, rulers sign a truce after the end of a war, preventing them from fighting each other for a few years. However, if one of the leaders who signed it dies, it is immediatly rendered null and void. Did it work this way in the High Middle Ages? | [
"Follow up question: what would be the typical result of breaking a medieval European truce? Would it be a big deal that would tarnish the country's reputation for years or just sow distrust with the specific country being attacked? For example, Byzantine John Tzimiskes was accused of truce-breaking when he attacke... | [
"\"Conquer\" is a loose word, he subjugated local kings and warlords who governed large territories. So you go attack the king in his capital, you defeat him, and you make him pay tribute to you. That is what conquered means. You don't go through each town and village and fight throughout the entire territory. On... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I, being born in America, know what advertising looks like in a capitalist society but what did advertising look like in the Soviet Union and other Communist countries? | [
"If I may piggy back off this question, I've heard before that the Soviet Union advertised not-existent consumer products, is this true? And if true why?"
] | [
"These terms were coined several decades ago, when the term \"second world\" was used to describe the nations that were under the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union (I think this is the same as the Iron Curtain). While it's no longer relevant today, it can still be used to describe countries between the first ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Advertising in the former Soviet Union:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Advertising in the former Soviet Union:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
This Week's Theme: "Southeast Asia" | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | [
"Check out Robert E. May's *Manifest Destiny's Underworld*."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
This Week's Theme: South Asia | [
"Why is there such a paucity in experts in South Asian History in the subreddit compared to say other regions such as East Asia or the Middle East? A lot of the questions about the region's history remained unanswered and the number of questions seem to be much lesser in comparison."
] | [
"Check out Robert E. May's *Manifest Destiny's Underworld*."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Is there any evidence that the second part of "Mein Kampf" (Zweites Buch) is authentic ? | [
"It think Gerhard Weinberg conclusively demonstrated that it was, in fact, dictated by Hitler to his typist in June and July 1928. It was then kept secret until it was found among German documents retrieved by the United States. I'm not sure why you said the German version of Wikipedia doesn't recognize it as authe... | [
"Unfortunately, there are not a lot of good English-language books on the Blood Purge itself; most accounts tend to be pop history-ish. There is a very good German-language book written by the journalist Heinz Höhne, *Mordsache Röhm: Hitlers Durchbruch zur Alleinherrschaft 1933–1934*. If you dig through some of the... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Were there ever any attempts to raise the USS Arizona after Pearl Harbor? If not, why was the decision made to not raise it? | [
"There were no plans to salvage *Arizona*. The magazine explosion that sank her left the hull too mangled to repair, or for easy raising. It was thought that it would not be cost-effective to raise her, and that it would take too long to repair her. However, parts of her would still be useful to the war effort. Her... | [
"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 document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
were domestic cattle kept by the British in 2100BC? | [
"In 2100 BC the British Isles were in the last stages of their Neolithic era (4000-2000 BC) during which there was an increased sedentarization of the population and an adoption of agricultural practices which included the domestication of animals such as pigs and cattle. This domestication began as early as the la... | [
"A hundred years ago? Do you mean 5,000 years ago?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why didn't lonothorax survive until the Middle Ages? What were their advantages/disadvantages compared to more modern armors (chain armor, plate armor, cuirass, etc.). Is there a chance at all for this ancient amor to compete? | [
"It did, it was just called a [gambeson/jupon/aketon](_URL_0_) depending on the time and place. Both gambesons and linothoraxs were heavily quilted cloth, usually linen, worn as a standalone body defense (there is some debate as to what linothoraxs were made from, either leather or linen). It is believed that the a... | [
"Bronze, brass, and soft iron will all work quite well for cannon barrels as long as they're thick enough and the powder burns relatively slowly. It's the quality of the gunpowder that would make the big difference here; for example the English naval fleets once had a serious problem with cannons exploding because ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
In the times of one bedroom wooden houses in say the Smokey mountains when people had a lot of kids to help work the farms and do chores, what was the sex life like Did they do it in front of the kids in the bedroom? | [
"Not an expert myself, but I remember having seen this question discussed here previously. Here are a couple threads on it with good answers: _URL_1_ _URL_0_"
] | [
"If you've ever owned chickens you know that 1. Every chicken lays an egg pretty much every day 2. If you don't collect the egg the chicken will destroy it one way or another So the first thing you do in the morning is collect the eggs, so it makes you would boil or fry it up as a meal. The vast majority of our tra... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why was Edison referred to as such a bad person? | [
"I'm not a mod or historian, but your question has been asked before. some FAQ links here: [What is the truth between the rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison](_URL_1_) Also a bonus [badhistory] (_URL_0_) thread. If you have a more specific question that's not addressed above, I recommend you rephrase you... | [
"William Jennings Bryan would be a really great character for you to focus on there."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How were Civil Wars financed in your time period? | [
"Getting my bachelor's in history in may, i enjoy the hell out of Russian Revolution, so i shall respond from a standpoint of Russian Civil War. In Soviet Union, \"War Communism\" was implemented, which is an economical and political system. The system incorporated the nationalization of all industry and market. A... | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Books on Northern Barbarian Tribes and Woad | [
"James Fraser's book, [*From Caledonia to Pictland*](_URL_0_) has quite a lot of information on the Roman era Scottish tribes, and though it's quite a broad overview, it's as good a place to start as any. If nothing else, it should give you quite a lot of references on places to start (although as a side note, unle... | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Education:"
} |
Why did so many cultures develop systems of time, distance and other measurements that seem completely illogical? (12 inches to a foot, 60 seconds to a minute etc) | [
"A system based on multiples of twelve allows for many divisions. It's helpful in many contexts. A 60 minute hour can be divided evenly by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60. 144 items in a packing crate (one gross) can be packed 2 by 72, 3 by 48, 4 by 36, 6 by 24, 8 by 18, 9 by 16, or 12 by 12."
] | [
"A minute is 1/60th of a degree. A second is 1/60th of a minute. (In other words, 60 seconds go in 1 minute, and 60 minutes go in 1 degree.) They have nothing to do with time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Mathematics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Mathematics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How important was the outcome of the Battle of Tours (732 AD)? Should it be considered "macrohistorical"? | [
"Christian/Catholic doctrine didn't stifle \"progress\" as a rule, and the Church as an institution was vital in the acquisition, conservation and dissemination of knowledge, even while it was engaged in persecution of heretical ideas. Things are complicated! It's certainly true that the Middle East had a more acad... | [
"Well, a worldwide war requires a certain level of globalization. Still, Winston Churchill argued that the Seven Years' War (1756 - 1763) should be counted as the first world war."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about history:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | January 09, 2016 | [
"I'm going to repost a brief summary of what I posted in the Friday topic because I'm still blown away by what I read. Isabel Kelly wrote a [chapter](_URL_2_) in *The Archaeology of West and Northwestern Mesoamerica* (1985) in which she discusses some gold and silver objects recovered from Colima, Mexico. She disco... | [
"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 about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Could the Sphinx have been Anubis? | [
"I think characterizing Robert Temple as a \"bit of a fringe conspiracy type\" is being overly generous. He's a full-on \"ancient aliens\" conspiracy type, with absolutely no academic standing. My advice is to dismiss pretty much everything that he puts forward as his own original research. As far as the Sphinx/Anu... | [
"IIRC, The Kaaba is a building said to have been built by Abraham and his son to house a rock from Heaven brought to him by an angel."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
From what I understand, it is still very taboo to speak publicly about the Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. Why is this the case? | [
"This isn't a history question - but rather a current affairs question the way it's phrased. Anyway it's not taboo to speak of the cultural revolution in China in most aspects. Xi Jinping has spoken of his time in a cave when his family was purged at a teenager during the Cultural Revolution. Rather it's impolitic ... | [
"My opinion on this is that it is as common nowadays as it was two or three decades ago. But now its more accepted to speak about it. There is no stigma with going to the psychiatrist. Just my opinion."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why many little countries popped during the first years of the Russian Revolution (1917)? And how they were back to the Soviet Union so quickly? | [
"The Russian Empire was comprised of any different national groups, most of whom did not want to be part of the empire. So when the Revolutions occurred several groups took advantage of the chaos (and in some cases aided by the Germans; the Ukrainian states and Belarus being a couple prominent examples) and declare... | [
"United States of Central America, Gran Columbia, The British Empire( for that matter all of the imperial empires after the second world war), the Soviet Union to name a few that immediately come to mind. An argument could be made that the Western Roman Empire never really \"fell\" but experienced a transformation.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was the relationship like between the Spanish and their Tlaxcala alllies? | [
"You may be interested in [my earlier answer on a similar topic](_URL_1_): - [In the second part](_URL_0_) I look at Tlaxcala's \"special status\", so you can also go straight to this - this focuses more on colonial times and Tlaxcala's rewards for siding with the Spanish - [This answer to a follow up](_URL_1_d... | [
"He kind of orchestrated and led the native coalition and Spanish troops that defeated the Aztecs, who were the most powerful state in Mexico at the time. I'm not sure what you are going for here."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How much did the murder of Patrice Lumumba affect the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo? | [
"> Was it inevitable that the DR Congo ended up the way it did because of things like the resource curse, ethnic rivalry, predatory foreign powers and unstable and weak societal structures left by the colonialism? It was not inevitable. We know how Lumumba died and why, and we know what happened after his death. W... | [
"Congo is the name of a river in Africa which runs through both of the countries (DRC and the Republic of the Congo). Upon achieving independence (from Belgium and France), they both choose to name themselves the Republic of the Congo. The one which is now the DRC was renamed to Zaire in the 1970s - it was renamed ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In medieval times people wore fur and used fires to warm up but what did they do when it was too hot? | [
"Could you be more specific about what region you're inquiring about? Most regions were fur clothing were widespread don't really see temperatures hot enough to require more than the removal of said fur clothing to cope but perhaps you had a specific place in mind?"
] | [
"Because they don't spend as much time outdoors. A hat protected you from the sun when it was hot, kept you warm when it was cold, and kept you dry when it was rainy. That far less necessary when you spend most of your time inside in a climate controlled environment."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What happened to Soviet Soldiers who were stationed in satellite countries when the USSR broke up? | [
"In Transnistria and I think Abkhazia as well the remaining Russian garrisons provided arms and in some cases even fought on the side of separatists (against Moldova and Georgia respectively). There is some dispute as to what degree this was the result of local forces taking matters into their own hands or policy f... | [
"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 Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Khrushchev and the USSR in the end of the Cuban missile crisis was contented to let the US appear as the "winners" of the conflict even though there was a mutual backing down. Why? | [
"One has to consider that you are using western sources. In Russia its viewed neutrally. One Russian doc says that the crisis was orchestrated by USSR to get missiles out of Turkey. But almost spiraled out of control."
] | [
"One of the major rifts between western capitalists and Cuba was not about capitalism vs communism directly (Cuba is not actually by definition communist). But more about alliances with the USSR, and the Cuban missile crisis (Cuba Agreeing to accept nuclear ICBM's from Russia to aim at the US). Then Russia struck ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If I wanted to learn about historical military tactics, where would I begin? | [
"This is a huge topic. Despite the old quote that war never changes, warfare changed completely multiple times during our known history. Two standard books (that cover the philosophy part) are Carl von Clausewitz *On war* and Sun Tzu *The Art of war* Both cover general ideas about warfare which remained throughout... | [
"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?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What are some good books or sources on the fall of the Roman Empire from the environmental collapse school of thought? | [
"This theory gets a lot of credance these days. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't recommend very many veritable resources on this theory, because I don't know any. The theory that environmental change was the main culprit involved in the fall of the Roman Empire has gained a lot of support in recent years, but unfo... | [
"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 about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Help me identify this page of a book (?) that my grandfather gave to me a long time ago | [
"It's a page from a [Buddhist sutra] (_URL_0_), hand engraved on palm leaf. I can't quite make out the language - looks [Dai] (_URL_1_)."
] | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If Hilter was never born, would World War II have still happened? | [
"In some form, yes. The extreme reparations taken from Germany after WW1 left the country unstable and the people desperate, something was going to go down. What interests me is that the Socialists and the Communists were at odds with each other, but together would have outnumbered the fledgling Nazis. Had they re... | [
"The eastern former soviet states with NATO would be push overs for Russia they would steam roll them. The hard part would be getting past the Western European allies NATO. They wouldn't make it past Germany, If all the NATO allies came together Russia wouldn't just lose, they would get destroyed. Russia may have t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Is there any historical consensus on what stone henge actually is? | [
"hi OP! here is a previous discussion with lots of great info on the latest theories about Stonehenge: [What is the most accepted explanation for Stonehenge among scholars?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"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 answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Did McCarthyism usher in "Under God" and "In God We Trust"? | [
"IIRC, \"In God We Trust\" has been on coinage and money since the 1850's. The addition of \"Under God\" was done during the early Cold War as a means to draw distinction between us and the \"Godless Commies\". Both are easily searched for. Edit: \"In God We Trust\" on coinage since 1864 and paper money since 1957.... | [
"The judge was referring to Ceremonial Deism, which means that the phrase doesn't have any specific meaning to a particular religion but is instead a more non-denominational reference to a higher power. Through repeated and regular use, it loses any special religious significance. Which means when you buy something... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Monday Meta Mish-Mash | Discussion of what to do with this feature from here on out | [
"I always thought it would be fun to have one of the weekly threads be for sharing articles, books, papers, or primary sources that we have seen over the week. For example, if I read a paper on, say, the adaptation of Greco-Roman iconography on Chinese ceramic, I can post it and maybe a short paragraph in commentar... | [
"This falls rather loosely under \"historiography\" so it's an okay question. You might get a better response if you post it in the Saturday reading thread which is currently stickied to the top of the sub. :)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
AskHistorians Podcast 131 - A Scholar and A Pundit: A discussion of the work of Victor Davis Hanson w/Dr. Roel Konijnendijk | [
"I'm about 30 minutes in, so apologies if you get to this. Obviously Hanson is dated, but are there reasons to still read him? Some possibilities: 1. Did he provide a paradigm shift at all? Even if his work is no longer considered up to date, did he provide a new perspective that tossed out older scholarship? (I do... | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What did happen to Burgundy that it's power stared ti decay after the Hundred Years War? | [
"**[I think this post answers your question](_URL_0_)**, (courtesy of /u/MootMute). Also, I don't think *errāre hūmānum est* means precisely what you think it does. It's the first of a two part phrase from Seneca the Younger, which translates as \"to err is human, but to (hubristically) persist is diabolical\". It... | [
"United States of Central America, Gran Columbia, The British Empire( for that matter all of the imperial empires after the second world war), the Soviet Union to name a few that immediately come to mind. An argument could be made that the Western Roman Empire never really \"fell\" but experienced a transformation.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was porn like in the 1960's? | [
"An interesting read on the subject is the article *An Empire of the Obscene* in journalist Eric Schlosser's 2003 book *Reefer Madness*. It focuses on the career of Reuben Sturman, who was the biggest distributor of pornographic materials from the 60's onwards and a very big figure in the business until 1989 when h... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why does the letter 'X' exist if it often just sounds like a replacement for other letters? What in the history of language deemed this letter necessary? | [
"As far as I know, there are two explanations for X as mystery and solving for X, etc. The first is that Descartes decided it—he used letters from the beginning of the alphabet for known quantities and letters from the end for unknown quantities. The second (which I suppose isn't mutually-exclusive with the first) ... | [
"Zed is older and it is based on the French word for the character which evolved from the Greek character zeta. The origins of zee seem to be a bit foggy, but in a period from the 18th to 19th centuries it seems to have become popular to bring the pronunciation of the character's name in line with other english cha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Did Hitler's Constant Micro Management of WW2 ever have any positive effects? | [
"The 'no retreat' order during the winter of 1941-42 was considered by some of his generals to be crucial in holding together the German forces on the Eastern front, despite causing massive losses to be taken."
] | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
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