query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
What's so great about vikings? | [
"hi! as /u/Historyguy81 says, \"vikings\" were Norse raiders. But the word \"viking\" is also commonly used to refer to the Norse (aka Northmen) people in general, who lived during the [\"Viking Age\"](_URL_6_) (10th-11th century). If you have 4.5 hours to spare, /u/isndasnu posted links to a really interesting [3... | [
"What do you want to know about them exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
WW2 German Tracer colors | [
"I've seen ammo boxes for tracer ammo in 8mm that indicated yellow, orange, white, and green to red. I haven't been able to dig up any original sources that talk about *why* a given color was used though. Some other armies would use different colors based on ambient lighting conditions, and others to differentiate ... | [
"That is an WW2 era Dutch helmet from the Korps Grenadiers."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is the claim that muslim pirates dramatically increased slave kidnappings and made the mediterranean much less safe than before and thus significantly decreased trade, true? | [
"The other issue with this claim is that Pope Urban II did not mention piracy during his call for the crusade. There are five contemporary accounts of Urban's speech at Clermont. In those five accounts, there are many descriptions of Muslim conquest over Christians and the cruelty and mutilation suffered by the Chr... | [
"Well, an important part of it is that history, and modern understanding of it, tends to be western-centric. For example, almost everyone knows that the US once had slaves, and that they had a civil war related to it. But how many people do you think know about the Barbary States. Could you, without using wikipedi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
National Socialist Propaganda posters. Any online source? | [
"I have this site saved from a Nazi Germany class I took four or five years ago. [Nazi Propaganda](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Advertising, selling info, and premium versions of the free stuff."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Technology:"
} |
Was the existence of a State required before currency could be invented, or did the invention of currency predate the rise if the State? | [
"Do you mean currency as in standardised coins of gold worth its weight, or paper money - ie. you can get gold if you give someone this?"
] | [
"It didn't really, and I'm not sure who is arguing that, but if you clarify your question I would be happy to go into more detail. Property defined as the idea that an individual has an exclusive right to the use and enjoyment, up to and including the destruction of a given item, person or piece of land has been a ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Are the Rebel Alliance terrorists or freedom fighters? | [
"This is up for debate and goes toward methods rather than ideology. the Empire is well known for using oppression of all species (like the oppression of Toprawa) but was the established order. The Rebellion did destroy several major works made by the government (such as the Death Stars) and these did have a terrib... | [
"A terrorist is someone who intentionally does acts of violence in order to instill fear or 'terror' in people to affect change or to carry out an ideology or idea. A rebel is someone who is a part of or builds a group of people trying to overthrow an existing government or president. A separatist is someone who us... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
While reading Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy (Paul Ratchnevsky) I noticed the author making two casual references to Chinese farmers growing, "Maize" in the 13th century. How is that possible? | [
"Your book is [a translation](_URL_0_), yes? To help someone to reference [the German original](_URL_1_), could you provide a chapter/page reference? Just a guess, but \"maize\" makes me wonder if this is a translation error: perhaps a truer translation would have been \"corn\" (UK usage) or \"grain\" (North Americ... | [
"Its likely you are thinking of general mechanization of industry during the Song dynasty in the 900s, likely the rise and fall of water-powered power-looms during this period, which wouldn't be recreated until the late 1700s. Ronald A. Edwards of Tamkang University in Taiwan mentions them in his \"Textiles of the ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Fashion and Chinese history:"
} |
If the Roman Aquaducts had not been sealed with lead, what else that was available could have been used? | [
"The lengths of the aqueducts were not coated with lead. The length of an aqueduct would be nearly entirely stone and concrete. Lead would only really be used in piping, mostly to domestic houses from larger holding tanks in the city proper. The substitute that the Roman's could have used, and did use, are terracot... | [
"Wind patterns, and people throwing out refuge can lead to a gradual increase in ground level. Also, bear in mind that we find buried buildings because there are still there to be found. All the building that didn't get buried eroded away or were torn down by people."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In much pre-Renaissance Christian art it is common to include a halo around the heads of saints or Jesus, usually in gold leaf. These halos are usually decorated with flowers, symbols or writing. What is the purpose/meaning of these decorative motifs? | [
"/r/arthistory may be another great place to find an answer."
] | [
"Medieval European art developed directly from late Byzantine art, which was mostly religious in nature. In early Christian art, the people’s faces were always depicted as being turned attentively to God, the heavens, etc. to illustrate that their attention was on holy things, while their bodies were doing somethin... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
I have some questions about 12th century England, Lancaster County to be more specific. | [
"If your family were landed Gentry in the North in the 12th Century, then your family are likely to be Normans. After the [Harrying of the North](_URL_0_) in 1070, following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, Nobility and landowners of almost all ranks and positions were replaced by William's Norman soldiers. ... | [
"Are you asking about the Empire (16th century to later 20th) or just about the relations of wars and the Empire. I am a bit confused to exactly what you are asking."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do we verify the legitimacy of our history? | [
"We cross-reference texts. Historians take in the writings from all types of people, such that we tend to receive the widest spread of viewpoints possible. From there we look at the facts that the sources agree on and generally accept those with little to no evidence outside of the writings themselves. We then work... | [
"Welcome to the one of the strongest arguments against the prohibition of firearms."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Did Vasco da Gama expect to find an indigenous population of Christians in India? | [
"If I may add to Hoyarugby's comment, it's worth nothing that \"Christians\" was sort of a euphemism for \"good people who gave me a warm welcome\". That is, European travelers believed groups of people who had some sort of religion which reminded them of Christianity and were also pretty nice to travelers must hav... | [
"Who else would we name it after? Vespucci was the first to theorize and demonstrate that Columbus didn't sail to the East Indies (i.e., the eastern reaches of southern Asia), but to an entirely different landmass altogether. He was also one of the first explorers to bring tales of the \"new world\" to Europe throu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What would the ideal height/body size be for a medieval knight in armor be? | [
"Define 'medieval'. You need to give us a more specific time period - armor and combat changed significantly from 700 CE to 1500 CE. Furthermore, bigger was not always better. There is a limit to the amount of weight a horse can carry. A 350 lb man + 100 lbs of armor is going to require a hell of a horse, and large... | [
"Based on the surviving statues; no, humans have been pretty consistent in looks for the past few millennia. However people were a lot shorter then than now. For example, during the Napoleonic era, 5'7\"ish was considered the standard height for a grown man. I'm guessing during the Roman times they were even shorte... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was the demarcation line agreed upon by Japan and Germany, assuming they were both successful in their endeavors during WWII. | [
"I've always heard that there wasn't one *yet*. It would have depended on where the actual fronts were in Asia at the time of negotiations. (As in, if Germany was sitting tight in Moscow, had cleaned up the Middle East and was marching toward Inda, they would have discussed this with Japan. Since it never got that ... | [
"It was hard for them to work together due to the huge geographic distances between them. There were some long range submarine cargo missions, supplying things like rubber and tungsten. And some designs for aircraft ended up in Japan too. When Japan attacked the US, Germany declared war on the US in the hope that J... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about history:"
} |
If I were a Spartan soldier, what would my diet consist of? | [
"The Spartan diet consisted mainly on a meal called \"black soup\". It mainly consisted of pig boiled in its own blood, and the Spartans loved it. There are ancient accounts of people visiting Sparta and trying the soup. The consensus by them seemed to be unanimous, it was discusting."
] | [
"Someone told them what the answer is supposed to be."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Technology:"
} |
This might be silly, but how much truth is there to the Assassins Creed series? | [
"I would not go around quoting facts that you've learned in Assassins Creed, the same way I would not describe Pearl Harbor from the movie. There are some real facts in there, like places, people and events. But there is much, much more creative license taken to fit the story, and even just to make the game more ae... | [
"Reading that literally made me yawn. How is that related to the contagiousness?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How true are the claims that Vikings were big into rape and pillaging? | [
"What have you read that suggests rape was not tolerated? Viking morality is not too different from that of modern outlaw groups, such as Boko Haram. Rape was, like theft, an offense to the victim's family, personified in the honor of the male family head. It was not a crime against what we today would identify as ... | [
"They don't want to be known as the perpetrator of millions of deaths and ethnic cleansing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
If I'm writing about one, specific primary source, do I refer to the source in the present tense or the past? | [
"As Aidinthel says, so long as you're consistent it probably doesn't matter that much. The convention, as I understand it, is that with primary sources, works of literature are always referred to in present tense when being discussed of themselves, while works intending specifically to express facts (e.g newspaper ... | [
"They are used to show that the author is editing the quote to improve clarity. For example, if you're quoting a news article, it might be discussing Roger, but not using his name every line--you know they *meant* Roger, but they just wrote \"he\" in that particular sentence. In order to cite it without confusing a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Was Princess Luna really locked away for taking over Equestria, or is this just Celestia's propaganda fed to us by her Elements? | [
"[](/nerdtavi) I would argue that Princess Luna was never locked away, because Princess Luna as an entity had ceased to exist once Nightmare Moon had taken control. This is proven in the documentary, \"My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic\" Episodes 1 and 2, where instead of Luna returning from banishment it was in ... | [
"Brony here. The whole obsession came from a thread on 4chan. Somebody complained about how \"My Little Pony was ruining television\" or something along those lines. However, people watched the show to see if he was right, and they said it wasn't. They said that the show had \"great animation\", \"good plot lines\"... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Short Answers to Simple Questions | February 06, 2019 | [
"Why did the Japanese during World War II refer to themselves as \"the one hundred million\" when the actual population of Japan was about 70 million? Who first used the 100 million number and in what context?"
] | [
"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 answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why was Diem assassinated? | [
"There are many theories as to who ordered the assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem but the reason why is more explainable: his dictatorship of South Vietnam, persecution of buddhists, and outright corruption did him in. His land reform program put the land in the hands of the privileged and rents skyrocketed. Buddhist o... | [
"Because he became President and his name wasn't George W. Bush."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Do the Pyramids of Giza violate any parts of the modern International Building Code? | [
"Of course. No fire exits. No signage. And those steps are way too big to conform to safety standards. No Wheelchair ramps or any attempt at accessibility for the handicapped into/out of the building. A complete lack of sprinklers. No emergency evacuation plan. The building material is quite fire resistant, which i... | [
"Welcome to the one of the strongest arguments against the prohibition of firearms."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Is a preference or overrepresentation of blondes lingering Nordicism or something more anthropological? | [
"This isn't a historical question. This is cultural anthropology. You'll probably get a certain kind of answers here, but they'll be focused on verifiable historical events, not social conjecture, and may not satisfy. You may want to try /r/AskSocialScience"
] | [
"I think the assumption that it is innate is a cultural idea. So it may seem natural but is culturally trained."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why did Italy receive nothing post-WWI, despite having won? | [
"They **didn't** receive nothing. Italy entered the war, aiming to claim Dalmatia, Tarantino and Trieste. When the war ended, they got Trentino, they got Trieste, they got Zara and some other parts of Dalmatia. Since Dalmatia had joined the state of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, and was largely Croatian in it... | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about history:"
} |
When did the practice of collecting childrens teeth begin in North America? | [
"This is a very old tradition and North America inherited it, with modifications, based on a European prototype. This [this article](_URL_0_) for example. There are also some excellent articles dealing with this topic in Peter Narváez, ed., The Good People: New Fairylore Essays (Lexington: University of Kentucky, 1... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Did the Katanga Infanticide of the 1970s actually happen? | [
"(Anyone else refreshing this page a few times a day to see if there's ever an answer?)"
] | [
"Follow-Up: Do Historians agree that the Chilean economy did badly in the early 1970s?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about economics:"
} |
Would Gilbert and Sullivan's audience have understood the "Major-General's Song"? | [
"The purpose of the song is to show that the singer is erudite, and very well educated. Using terms, some of which would go over the heads of much of the audience is part of the point of the song. However, many of the classical references would be understood by those who'd paid attention during their 'classical ed... | [
"General: Why are you requesting 100,000 pairs of green tights!? Acquisitions Officer: It's for Operation Peter Pan sir, and it's top secret. General: I like the cut of your jib sergeant... Approved!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Who were the Sogdians? Is there a good book that covers them? | [
"These books may be of assistance: The Silk Road: A New History, by Valerie Hansen: _URL_3_ Central Asia in World History (The New Oxford World History), by Peter B. Golden: _URL_0_ Religions of the Silk Road: Overland Trade and Cultural Exchange from Antiquity to the Fifteenth Century, by Richard Foltz: _URL_2_ Ad... | [
"I'll answer the Islamic part of the question and tell you that any simple pictograph would be redundant because the subject matter is *very* complicated, however, Robert Hoyland's book: *Arabia and the Arabs* is the best easily available resource, it contains tables and maps which aim to simplify some information ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
The Soviet Union's relations and its Asian Republics (Then and now) | [
"Was he ethnically Kazak? It looks like there ethnic Kazaks only make up 63% of the country."
] | [
"Happy the war was over, decreasing the risk for direct military action between USA and USSR, especially nuclear. Opening up for thawing of relations between the two. Pride in USSR's role as a communicator and at times unofficial mediator in the drawn out peace process ('63-'73). Some pride in the little nation tha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was Andrew Jackson (the president) a cannibal? | [
"No. It comes from the [Coffin Handbills] (_URL_0_) which was a smear campaign against Jackson during the 1828 elections. He was accused of a lot of things, including cooking Natives and eating them."
] | [
"Well he was certainly a conqueror -no questions there. as for Great Hero? He is usually portrayed as a merciless tyrant."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
From the perspective of the North Koreans, why did they invade the South in the Korean war? | [
"Actually, none of the above! The official North Korean line, both at the time and now, is that North Korea was invaded by South Korean forces (supported both openly and covertly by the American jackals), and that it sought only to defend itself against this naked aggression. In fact, Kim il-Sung's military genius ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
On the show Vikings, many of the cast wear eyeliner. Is this historically accurate or is it done for television purposes. | [
"It's most likely based on Ibrâhîm ibn Ya`qûb al-Tartushis description of Hedeby and its inhabitants: > \" *They have there an artificial eye make-up ; when they wear it their beauty never disappears [or diminishes, depending on translation], but is enhanced in both men and women.*\""
] | [
"The sources on Spartacus aren't very detailed, so the show has to fill in a lot of holes for it to make sense and also for dramatic purposes. But it's not just what happened, a lot of the sets are based on guesswork. We're still not even positive on how Romans wore their togas. It's not really about accuracy, but ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about history:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about history:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about movie accuracy:"
} |
What type of musical instruments would have been popular in the Caliphate of Cordoba circa ~1000AD? | [
"Going by the Great Book of Music of [Al-Farabi](_URL_0_) there would have been oud, psalteries ( somewhat like the present qanun), harps, drums, racks of bells, flutes- and singing, of course. The oud would make a great impression on Europeans, who would adopt it and call it the lute. Guitar is actually an anti-l... | [
"\"ancient times\" is very broad. Are there any specific cultures you're interested in (e.g., Republican Rome, Old Kingdom Egypt, etc.)?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Is it true that Ghengis Kahn's armies would give towns the option of joining him or facing slaughter? | [
"The Mongolian armies (according to Jack Weatherford in Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World) would sometimes do as you suggest, giving towns the option to join his (and other Mongolian) army. One of the most interesting facets of the Mongolian invasions is that they would sometimes pass a city by witho... | [
"Generally because of war. Catholisism spread via the Roman empire, which became the holy Roman empire. It was then spread by the Spanish, Portuguese, British, Dutch and Danish empires. Protestantism spread via the British empire. Same with Sunni, Shia and other Islamic denominations. A random tid bit is that gengi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Suggest a book on period of colonization of North America | [
"I found Bernard Bailyn's The Barbarous Years to be very good. It's a topic that has suffered from heroic myth-making in the past. Bailyn really does make a very good case for the various colonial efforts being far more chaotic, uncertain, badly-conceived, badly-organized. It's a great introduction."
] | [
"A follow-up and related question: how about young people in other parts of the world in this time period? I.e. South Asia, China, West Africa, South America?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
“It (the bible) does not endorse chattel slavery. It describes a system of indentured servitude widely used in ancient cultures, and provides a method of dealing with prisoners of war that avoids execution”. How do you respond to the assertion that chattel slavery didn’t exist in Judea or Rome? | [
"Not to discourage any further answers but these excellent posts do a good job of portraying the grim life of many Roman slaves: [Male with no labor skills and no knowledge of Latin is sold on slave market in Rome 1CE. What is his likely fate?](_URL_1_) by /u/XenophontheAthenian [What was the life of a slave in Anc... | [
"Paul. In the Gospels Jesus is fairly clear that the old law has been abolished (see Mathew 15:11 as the standard proof text for this)- that is that those Old Testament sins are no longer sins. But, the Gospels are not the end of the New Testament. In the Epistles the Bible condemns homosexuality (and other Old Tes... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
If Game of Thrones occurred on Earth, taking into account the weapons, tools, and technology (and ignoring the magic and dragons), what period would it have taken place in? | [
"/u/GeeJo gave a [quite thorough](_URL_0_) response on this a bit back."
] | [
"There is absolutely no way of knowing. The effects of colonialism affected the history of Africa so immensely that it's impossible to say what might or might not have happened had that not come to pass, the best you can get is wild guesswork."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why would anyone want to be in the medieval vanguard? | [
"The van is not an order of battle, it is the first of 3 parts in an advancing military formation (an army on the march) - the advanced guard's job is to seek out the enemy and pin it down for long enough so that the main body can swing in and crush them. A good clear example of this, abeit in the Napoleonic Era, w... | [
"In the real world why would anyone want to be a politician?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
U.S. Civil War books? | [
"Read McPherson's [*Battle Cry of Freedom.*](_URL_0_) It's brilliantly written, engaging, authoritative, and generally accepted as \"the book\" for the Civil War in the minds of most historians. You note you're a Tennessee boy. You may be interested in the older \"New South\" school vis-a-vis the War. Wm Dunning ... | [
"Only if the federal government let it. See: American Civil War"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
[Meta] I walk in a random bookstore's history section as a history enthusiast. Is there an easy way to tell the quality and the level of bias when I pick up a given book? | [
"Thanks for asking a great question! I learned a lot from the responses."
] | [
"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 title about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Was there ever much of a history of Spain trying to annex Portugal? | [
"hi! you may find something of interest in this section of the FAQ [Portugal and Spain on the Iberian peninsula](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
19th-20th century American schools | [
"Perhaps your trouble to find responses comes from the fact that there is no question in the title. From the [subreddit rules](_URL_0_), > Please put your question in the post title"
] | [
"British Empire -- > Post-WW2 / Cold War America -- > British and American pop culture -- > Silicon Valley."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Would ancient rowers (like on triremes) have switched sides to avoid asymmetrical muscular/skeletal development, or would they have "specialized" as port or starboard rowers? | [
"Note that the \"slave galley\" is one of those annoyingly persistent anachronisms that films like Ben Hur foisted upon us. The Romans didn't have those. Navies in the ancient world, including the Roman one, were not rowed by slaves, but by paid free men. It is only in the early-modern period, during the great nava... | [
"One: Your oars would hit everyone else's oars, the oars are quite long, the oars don't collide because they are all moving as one. Two: In terms of Physics the amount of energy expended is the same, but in terms of body mechanics rowers are more able to help move a fraction of the boat more often than the entire b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
[meta] What would mods and users think about adding flair to posts? | [
"This comes up every once in awhile, and we have discussed it a lot among ourselves, but in the end, we just don't believe it would be practical, as there is just so much overlap between potential categories. Any half-way decent division would require dozens of them."
] | [
"I'm not sure what additional benefit we get out of such a signal for the style of the post when we can just read the post."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is it really a myth that most people thought the world was flat in 1492? If so, why? Was the average person capable of easily understanding proofs for something so counterintuitive? | [
"Yes, it's a myth. Here's some info on the origin * [When and why did the myth develop that the purpose of Christopher Columbus' voyage was to prove that the Earth was round?](_URL_0_) featuring /u/Georgy_K_Zhukov"
] | [
"Have you ever actually seen the Earth from that point of view? Evolution deniers are actually denying rock solid evidence observed first hand by scientists. Many people believe the scientists are being dishonest and therefore don't believe the claims, the same can be said with flat Earthers. They have never actual... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why did Hitler need a large quantity of iron ore during World War 2? | [
"Iron is necessary for guns, tanks, planes, trucks, bayonets, bullets, bombs, armor plates, and more. The Allies needed lots of metal reserves too; the U.S. used so much copper (shell casings and bullets) that in 1943, the Treasury issued [steel pennies](_URL_0_) to conserve the supply."
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why did some cultures develop vertical writing and others horizontal? | [
"In case this doesn't get answered here, you might want to try /r/askanthropology."
] | [
"Languages are not equal to writing scripts. A lot of languages in the world were at first only spoken languages but they then came in contact with a civilization in possession of scripts and they learned from them and started writing their languages in the script which they came across. That's why a lot of languag... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How well did indigenous people in the Americas understand the size of their landmasses? | [
"Follow-up: How would they have measured distances? Did they have units of measurement for large distances, like a mile or kilometer?"
] | [
"Which time period? Which region of the Americas? Which culture? In 1491 there were tens of millions of Native Americans spread from the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego and they all had their own views on sex."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Social Sciences:"
} |
Were medieval people aware of cavemen? Have we always known that humans have progressed from a more primative (technological, engineering) state? | [
"The first Neanderthal remains were found in a cave in the Neander valley in the mid 19th century. The identification was controversial. Some claimed the bones were those of a Russian soldier who died in the cave during the Napoleonic wars. Others, that it was an old mentally defective man with arthritis. The \"cav... | [
"Yes, because the dinosaurs didn't all go extinct and here we are. Dinosaur descendants and their eggs are a common food-source all around the world. We call them birds. But in the spirit of what you were asking, no, it's extremely unlikely that humans as we know them would have come about in a world where the mass... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Where dies the "Captain goes down with the ship" thing come from? | [
"This answer will violate subs rules, but my response is based on years of studying naval tactics, battles, etc. A ship captain was in total command of his ship, he was responsible for literally everything, the crew, the ship, the provisions, the training, the sailing, the navigation. Everything. So, if something w... | [
"If I'm not mistaken it's called \"In with the good, out with the bad\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How come countries use different systems of measurement (imperial, metric) for everything but time (as in seconds, minutes, etc)? | [
"I would somewhat dispute the notion that everyone uses the same time. For example, the lunar calendar is significantly different from the Gregorian calendar. Likewise, I would argue that the metric system is almost universal with only a few countries being hold outs. If you're wondering why we use 24 hours in a da... | [
"Too expensive, little or no benefit. The people that benefit from metric (scientists, engineering) already switched over long ago. For everyone else: Does it really matter if the speed limit is in mph or kph? Are you having trouble converting the speed limit to feet per second on a daily basis? No? Then we're fine... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Have the USA and France Ever Been at War? | [
"Not a declared war, but in the very early history of the United States there were substantial tensions between France and the US that resulted in the [Quasi-War](_URL_0_), which mostly played out in encounters between the French Navy and American shipping vessels (and, later, American Navy vessels). The XYZ Affair... | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Who was the military leader who marched his men in a giant circle to make it look like his force was much larger? | [
"General Sir Isaac Brock did it to Fort Detroit in the War of 1812. He had Tecumseh's First Nations forces pass in front of the fort a bunch of times, which caused General Hull to think he faced a massive force of Natives and British, and so he surrendered the fort almost immediately upon receipt of a letter from B... | [
"The thing that made the Mongols fearsome was their mobility. You gather a big army against them, they just ride off and attack somewhere else. But if you needed to protect just one place, like where the wall was currently being built, parking a big army there would do the trick."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about History:"
} |
Did the stereotypical "charging army of infantry" from movies ever happen? | [
"I don't really know to begin but when it comes to infantry charging other infantry using spears; this was done regularly, in disciplined formation. Speaking about the late medieval and early modern era, pike formations of the Swiss, and German Landsknechts, were sufficiently disciplined and well drilled that they ... | [
"Firstly The Patriot IIRC portrays every soldier wearing the exact same uniform, they didn't. Each regiment had a slightly different uniform and regimental banner. Too many American soldiers had a uniform. Most would have turned up to a battle in civilian clothes. They were also far too disciplined compared to the ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
When did humans start selecting mates based on fun and personality traits, rather than which potential partner was the strongest and gave offspring the best chance of survival? | [
"This question is outside recorded history, and probably best addressed to /r/AskAnthropology . But before asking this question I would recommend thinking long and hard about why you believe that 'fun and personality traits' and 'strongest' and 'best chance at survival' can't co-exist with each other. Moreover, why... | [
"Certain traits are an indication of the ability of a potential mate to yield healthy offspring. Good hair, clear skin, wide hips, full breasts, and good teeth indicate that a human female is healthy and a good potential mate which is why they are sexually attractive."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
When can land be considered not stolen if ever? | [
"[In this earlier answer](_URL_0_) I talk in some detail about land rights in Mexico post-conquest and up to the independence period, hopefully this will be helpful. As an addition to your specific question: A more useful way of putting it might be: who had which rights to land, and how were they legitimated? Nativ... | [
"Doing so would strip all the reservations for native peoples of the right to self govern, and it would revert all property within said reservations to the ownership of the Canadian Federal Government. You would be taking the property of everyone who lives on them away from them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How did diplomacy manifest itself in the middle ages? And how did peace negotiations work? | [
"There may not be much material, but there is *English Diplomatic Practice in the Middle Ages* by Pierre Chaplais, which is a very thorough treatment of the topic. Chaplais was very much the expert in this area, editing a collection of diplomatic documents from the 12th and 13th centuries, and so on. There is also ... | [
"Would you be willing no elaborate on what you mean by \"standard European model\"? In the past century or so, there have been quite a few significant changes in how states and governments around the world, organized and equipped themselves for the business of organized violence."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why wasn't china partitioned between the 8 powers after the boxer rebellion ? | [
"Why wasn't China partitioned before anyways? The European took over an entire continent but no China? why?"
] | [
"both the CPC and KMT (communist party and nationalist party) had been at civil war since 1927 _URL_0_ japan started subtly invading china in the early 1930s, though it went full blown by 1937 _URL_1_ basically, CPC and KMT fought together (ish) against the japanese a la guerilla warfare until the japanese surrende... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about history:",
"pos": "Represent the document about history:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Relating to Roman religion, how accurate is the scene in HBO's Rome that involves a bull being sacrificed? | [
"The ritual is called [Taurobolium](_URL_1_) and it wasn't really part of Roman religion. It's mostly associated with Cybele or Kybele (Magna Mater) cult. It originated in Anatolia and came to Rome via Greece. The cult was officialy adopted in Rome at the times of the Second Punic war. By the time of the events in ... | [
"Probably not. A lot of the stuff you hear is exaggerated and conflated. Orgies, contrary to popular belief, were more a religious ceremony than a purely carnal one. Orgies were part of the Cult of Bacchus, known in the Greek pantheon as Dionysius. Their focus was to connect with the god of wine by being carnal rat... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about movie accuracy:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about movie accuracy:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Is the US Constitution generally considered a static, unalterable document or do rulings by the Judicial Branch constantly modernize and change the spirit and meaning of the Constitution? | [
"The Constitution of the United States is considered a living document. This is due to Supreme Court rulings as you have mentioned on top of an ammendment process that albeit slow could theoretically allow the entire constitution to be re written. Also the framers of the Constitution worded the document so that man... | [
"There are two views on Supreme Court law, which are the personal views of the Justices themselves. Think of the two sides as a sliding scale, much like liberal mindset and conservative mindset. Strict Constitutionalist < -------- > Living Document Constitutionalist The Strict Constitutionalist law side believes th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Are there other ways to view American history? | [
"If you're interested in Precolumbian history 1491 is a good start. If you are looking for modern revisionist history you can look to Howard Zinn's work, especially \"A People's History...\" Were you looking at the treatment of any subject in American history in particular?"
] | [
"What if you want a printed version of what was said?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What sort of things could future historians learn from a modern high school yearbook? | [
"Well this is weirdly specific, but I'm actually trying to track down a yearbook to find interior pictures of a theater. This theater used to be top of of the line, but didn't work financially and folded in a few years, was gutted and turned into a distillery. Later on that went out of business to, and now there ar... | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Non history question well sorta. Are there any other subreddits that you can learn more about history or philosophy ...etc that are as well moderated as this one? | [
"/r/badhistory is quite well modded, aside from learning history it has the benefit of understanding what is wrong."
] | [
"Hey r/askhistorians long time lurker here, just want to thank you for all the good reads i had in this sub and ask you if you could help me with a book on Indochina's war of independence. Thanks!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Literature:"
} |
Why is St. George such a prolific figure throughout Europe? | [
"He hit the jackpot of patronages: knighthood, crusading, and general warfare. This means he was A) patron of a group of very influential people, and B) associated with fairly dramatic moments that might make people act a little more pious."
] | [
"Being a king. That applies to most parts of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Are there any good books on the Barbary pirates? | [
"If you are looking for more in\\-depth books, I can't help you there. A good starting book is Donald Chisney's \"The Wars in Barbary\", but its a bit old, so Frank Lambert's The Barbary Wars might be more readily available."
] | [
"Does anyone know of any good texts on Sassanid Persian culture?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Literature:"
} |
What was the "government yard in Trenchtown?" | [
"[Trench Town](_URL_4_) is a neighbourhood in St. Anne Parish, adjoining Western Kingston. In the 1930s and 1940s it grew as a shantytown as migrants from the countryside made their way to the city in search of work and other opportunities. The \"government yard\" was a public housing project, built in the 1950s, w... | [
"They did. I'm paraphrasing, but It said something like: \"Pardon me boys, We did the Chattanooga pew pew\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Current events:"
} |
Why do Australians and New Zealanders refer to the British as Pommies? | [
"I looked this up in the 1959 edition of Brewers (reprinted from 1870) and they state that British pink and white complexions remind one of the pomegranate. This is the only explanation given - no mention of POHM or anything like that."
] | [
"Why do some parts of the world call gasoline petrol?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Did anyone actually claim to have seen Jesus turn water into wine, or walk on water first hand. | [
"You may be interested in some of the past answers in our FAQ sections on [Did Jesus exist?](_URL_1_) and [Is the Bible historical?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Great question, why would Jesus drag a cross up the hill. I was taught, that others were on crosses next to him. I was taught that that is how they killed people at that time. So I imagine wood was scarce at that time and place, wouldn't they reuse the crosses? Surely they knew how to recycle. So what's the deal w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How do I interview my Hiroshima survivor grandmother? | [
"My great grandfather was in World War I and would never talk about it. The family was always afraid to ask him questions. One day when my parents went to visit him toward the end of his life, he suddenly started talking about the war. My dad said he talked for hours and it was totally unprovoked and unexpected. My... | [
"No government entity has tried to silence Benghazi whistleblowers."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Who was the East German ambassador to China in 1959? (Chinese name 汪戴尔) | [
"Paul Wandel, ambassador until 1961, also the first Minister of Education and Youth of the German Democratic Republic. You can actually still get (out of print) his [books translated into Chinese](_URL_0_). Here's the [German Wikipedia page about him](_URL_1_) which even through Google Translate should answer most ... | [
"Each character in Chinese has its own meaning with \"words\" often represented by multiple characters. Ex) Airplane - 飛機 - Fei Ji - Flying Machine. Other words, usually borrowed from other languages, are spelled out phonically as best as possible. Ex) Coffee - 咖啡 - Ka Fei To abbreviate, one can - Keep only charact... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Good Reading Material on the French Wars of Religion? | [
"Robin Brigg's *Early Modern France, 1560-1715* is a classic survey that begins with Catherine de Medici and the Wars of Religion. It is quite scholarly, if that's what you're looking for."
] | [
"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:"
} |
Did the 1972 Summit Series hockey tournament generate much general interest in the United States and Europe? | [
"Probably worth asking /r/hockey. I'd be interested in the answer as well."
] | [
"Soccer did take off in the USA during the Roaring Twenties under the American Soccer League with giant clubs such as the legendary Bethlehem Steel. Then, the Depression happened and soccer leagues began competing with one another. Soccer made a comeback with the NASL during the 70s, but the league grew too large t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How did early films get copied and mass-produced? | [
"While I can't give a good answer, I can say what I would do if I had their technology. I would take an unexposed reel and match it up with the film's reel. Laying the two strips over one another, shine a light through the original and then through the new film. The original film will filter the light that will th... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How did states in China's Warring States period mobilize such large armies? | [
"The numbers are *vastly* overstated. A good rule of thumb is that before Napoleon, any army over 200,000 is logistically impossible, and even 100,000 is extremely difficult, especially if the march is not along an easily navigable river or coastline. The Qin state was very well organized militarily but no better t... | [
"China once it was consolidated into one large country had none of the centuries of intersectional wars that Europe has had since the Roman Empire collapsed. They are a politically stable agricultural powerhouse with few rivals historically. This means less massive upheavals that interrupt their social structure an... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
I am an American grew up with no knowledge of world history beyond 1776. What are some good sources I can use to teach myself about world history? | [
"If you would like to have some fun while learning about technological development, I recommend a series that aired on BBC, and later US PBS called \"Connections\". It was hosted by a very interesting guy by the name of James Burke (no direct relation to myself). The series is very interesting and the names, places... | [
"Britain is famous to Americans because America was founded by former British subjects. American schools tend to only really teach history that is relevant to America, even world history. Our founding fathers based a lot of their principles on Greek and Roman principles, so we learn about ancient Greece and Rome mo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
In 1903, Joseph Chamberlain said "The United States, with all their vast territory, are filling up; and even now we hear of tens of thousands of emigrants leaving the United States in order to take up the fresh and rich lands of our colony in Canada." What is he referring to? | [
"He's likely referring to Americans who emigrated to Canada's western frontier in the early 20th century. - Yes this emigration of US citizens to Canada was real, particularly in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. [About 20% of Canada's immigrants at that time were from the US](_URL_0_). That number is muc... | [
"Keep in mind that for British immigration slowed after independence when we only had 13 states. Although Brits continued to come over to the US after independence, they tended to favour their other colonial possessions after that date, leaving the rest of the continent to be settled by waves of immigrants from oth... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How Did the Soviet Union Determine How to Absorb Certain Countries And Not Others? | [
"A question like this was asked about a year ago and /u/Minardi-Man gave an excellent answer to it. Here is a link to the thread - [_URL_0_](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Ada... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Was transport in early 19th century England limited to horse and cart? How might someone have made a 150 mile trip circa 1830? | [
"I'd have to dig for specific sources and today looks quite busy, so any digging will have to wait quite a while. That said, traveling from Somerset to London in 1830 would be either by road, as you suggest, or by ship. There was a considerable coastal trade; Captain James Cook, for example, spent some of his early... | [
"Mass transportation and communication are relatively new inventions. For most of history, people lived and died without travelling more than 10 miles form their homes. Add in a geographical feature, like a big river or a mountain range, and they might as well be thousands of miles apart."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is it true that near the time of their respective deaths, MLK and Malcolm X were slowly drifting towards each other's ideologies? | [
"After reading Taylor Branch's epic trilogy *The King Era,* I don't recall anything about MLK sympathizing with black separatism or in any way abandoning non-violence. Rather, after the passage of the Civil Rights laws MLK was moving towards a broader agenda, including moving the civil rights fight into the north, ... | [
"Simple. Communism = Evil in the US back in those days (and even today, yay ignorance!). J. Edgar Hoover, the Head of the FBI suspected MLK Jr. of Communist connections. He also thought the entire Civil Rights movement was being orchestrated by MLK Jr. in collusion with his Communist buddies to undermine their poli... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
According to Noam Chomsky, the United States is unique in that it lacks major social-democratic or labor political party. What historical factors are responsible for this phenomenon? | [
"/u/yodatsracist to the rescue! In [this earlier answer, and answer to the first follow-up question](_URL_0_), yodats addresses: (1) What distinguishes a social democratic, liberal, and conservative (economically speaking) society? (2) Why the U.S. is different from Europe, even from the U.K., with our economically... | [
"> How do they differ from regular democracy/socialism? Democracy is a method of electing governments through popular vote. It's a political system. Socialism is a policy of wealth redistribution by taxing the rich and supporting the poor. It's an economic system. Social democracy is a combination of the two, a soc... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Britain's Empire and Decolonization | [
"Even when the Australian colonies formed an independent federation, they still saw themselves as an outpost of the British race, and good British subjects, in Asia. We even enacted an Immigration Restriction Act (also known as the \"White Australia policy\") to ensure that our good British blood would stay pure an... | [
"High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
China, a large country, was attacked and conquered by Japan, a small country: Was China really weak, Japan really strong, or both? | [
"To put it simply, [China wasn't conquered by Japan.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"It was a period of rapid \"westernization\" (and after the stagnation before, most likely an improvement) of Japan. It's significant because it made Japan able to protect itself, which the other Asian country (China) didn't do and subsequently fell into the mess that it was for a good century. It's just the other... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What was the average reign length for Medieval royalty? | [
"I'm not sure that anyone has (I mean, it doesn't really tell you anything interesting about history, as far as I can see), but it wouldn't be particularly difficult. Pick your country (or countries), pick your start and end dates (so are you going to do all the French kings from Clovis, or just from Hugh Capet? En... | [
"The Middle Ages is a pretty huge period that spanned centuries, so you might want to refine your question. The daily life of a monarch in the 8th century was incomparably different from that of a 16th century one."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Why did wallpaper become popular in the US? | [
"Personally I don't think there were a surge in popularity in the 20th century. Wallpaper has been around since the Renaissance as an alternative to tapestry and a good number of homes have them as they are the cheapest way to decorate a house. According to books such as *Inside the Victorian Home: A Portrait of Do... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
During the empire building building era, it seems like the Dutch and Portuguese were off to a fast start but floundered. What kept them from leaving a larger impact like the British and Spanish? | [
"not arguing about the dutch but why do you think the portuguese didn't left an impact comparable to the spanish?"
] | [
"I would say that alliances made it pan-european; the fact that all of these european countries also had empires stretching around the world made it global. Also, there was plenty of actual fighting around the world, especially naval conflicts."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When/why did the Hess Company begin producing toy trucks? How did they become collectibles? | [
"I'm on mobile so I can't link my sources properly, but I will note what they are. Hess began making the toy trucks in 1964, and originally sold them only at their gas stations. The trucks were only released around Christmas to provide a cheap gift opportunity for parents, as the trucks only cost $1.29 and came wi... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What loathed leaders in history were ultimately good for the people living under them? | [
"What do you mean by \"ultimately\" good for the people? Some rulers have been horrible at the time but from their rule began the roots of later prosperity. I'm thinking of Genghis Khan in particular- he butchered millions of people from China to Russia, spreading fear and terror wherever he went. He horribly tortu... | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why did both Sweden and Switzerland recive money from the Marhsall Plan? | [
"I'm not an expert at this but I believe it is true that the Marshall plan was also in place to deter the spread of communism in Europe and also that the money the countries received helped strengthen economic ties with the USA (a reason the USSR opposed/limited it in their sphere), so it makes sense for the USA to... | [
"Follow up, if this warrant a new post please tell me: How did politicians and the general public react when they found out these companies were aiding Nazi forces in WW2?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How was Tycho Brahe's artificial nose held in place? | [
"Tycho Brahe used glue to prevent his artificial nose from falling off, this however wasn't a perfect solution so he always carried some with him which he then reapplied regularly. Source: [Tycho Brahes Historie](_URL_0_) p. 24"
] | [
"The end of the stephoscope captures the sound vibrations and bounces them through the tubes until they reach the other end, which you put to your ears. It's effectively the same as putting your ear on someone's body, but more comfortable for both of you and less intrusive. In fact, that's exactly what doctors used... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
U.S. Opinion on the Napoleonic Wars? | [
"That was a poorly worded question. I mean to ask, what was public opinion of Napoleon himself like?"
] | [
"| 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:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can any of you historians help me identify these coins my grandfather has been keeping for the last 20 years? | [
"Coins are hard to identify from pictures but here's a start (I offer no comment on whether or not these are authentic or reproductions, only which type they are). * Coin 1 - Don't even dare to guess. * Coin 2 - Athenian tetradrachm? AOE is the greek legend for Athens, the reverse is the godess Athena. Appears cas... | [
"Do you have any more info that could be helpful? Where did you find it? Is it a family heirloom, and if so, where-ish do you think your ancestors were 100ish years ago? Anything that could help steer people in the right direction would be great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If weightlifting was a modern construct, how did men get muscular before the 20th century? | [
"Since it looks like this will go unanswered by an actual historian, I'll point out that weightlifting is not a modern invention. The classical Greeks were famous for weight training, and we do have some artifacts from them, but they were dar from the only ones. [This](_URL_0_) is a good (non academic) overview. I... | [
"I might can answer this question but I'm not sure what era you are talking about. Do you mean ancient strong men like Milo of Croton from Greek history? If so it is hard to say because their lives are intermixed with mythology, and that is outside my area of knowledge. If you mean strong men from the Strongman era... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | May 02, 2015 | [
"I'm still plowing through Maiolo's *Cry Havoc*. Economics is a weak area for me, so getting the economic perspective on 1930's rearmament is both valuable and fascinating. I wouldn't call it earth-shattering stuff, but all of it is allowing me to understand more depth on the topic. I'm also typing up my notes from... | [
"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 argument about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Are there active naval mines leftover from the 19th Century through World War II that still pose a threat to international shipping and marine life? | [
"They're not really floating around, but fishermen on the North Sea do catch mines, as well as bombs, in their nets, they also wash ashore occasionally. Why are there bombs in the North Sea? You may ask. Well, bombers were not allowed to land with their payload, so, if they could not find a target, or were forced t... | [
"The continental US has been attacked several times. Look at the War of 1812. There were incursions during the Mexican-American War. Though at sea, German U-boats sank a number of ships off the east coast and some in the Gulf of Mexico during WWII. The Japanese captured a few islands near Alaska during the war, as ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does a monarchy establish it's divine right? | [
"I think that an answer to this question might be more philosophical than what you might be expecting. As far as I am aware, there was not (or, perhaps, depending on the status of the dynasty, is not) a specific process by which a sovereign would establish his connection to God. The doctrine of divine right was mor... | [
"It means a political group formed for the common people, public well-being. In practical terms, it is no different than a state, it just uses a different word on its stationary."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
To what extent would you say mesoamerica was feudalistic in the 14th century? | [
"Can I preempt some of the answers pointing out how feudalism is a flawed concept by asking a question which tackles the same ideas without actually using that word: Was 14th century mesoamerica ruled by local hereditary rulers with some vassal-like relationship to a higher-ranked hereditary ruler? Was there any eq... | [
"Follow up question (please don't delete) how influential were nobility titles on economic upward mobility in the Europe of that same time?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are some countries referred to as "The ______" | [
"Well sometimes it's what the name of the country actually means. Take for example the name \"Ukraine\". The general consensus is that the name derived from the word for \"borderland\". So therefore, when you say \"The Ukraine\", you're actually saying \"The borderland\", which grammatically makes sense. I'm not su... | [
"Also Afghanistan is **not in the Middle East**"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
I have heard some people claim that British Colonialism was less bad to the natives as compared to French, Portuguese or Spanish Colonialism. Is this true? | [
"Can you give a more specific time and place? Colonization of the Americas in the 17th century was very different from, say, colonization of Asia in the 19th century. For example, France's colonization of Canada is generally seen as very light-handed compared to the Spanish in Mexico and they had a good relationshi... | [
"You will probably get a lot of differing answers, but at the end of the day it all depends on how you define \"Empire\" and if you include informal Imperialism in this definition. If you are looking for formal Imperialism, it gets a bit easier: The USA was an Empire after the Spanish-American War of 1898, when it ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How likely is it that a woman would have been able to disguise herself as a man in the British Navy circa 1900? | [
"Contrary to popular belief there were sometimes woman on board ships. Officers and senior enlisted men might occasionally have their wives aboard. their presence is not usually recorded but you can find them by looking at a ship's supply logs and seeing who, if anyone, is collecting double rations."
] | [
"Also, would her military experience be any useful in finding a job? Did women serve in the British military during World War 1 and if so, did they go back into the workforce afterwards?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Can anyone give me advice on reading historiography? | [
"This might not be 100% useful, but... honestly, I don't know many people who enjoy reading those books. It's the sort of thing you have to get through sometimes, I guess. Having said that, Carr was writing in the 1960s and the discipline has come a long way since then. You can find those ideas better synthesized ... | [
"Hey there! Would you be able to provide some examples of the texts your're talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
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