The 20th century began on January 1, 1901, and ended on December 31, 2000.
17
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6answers
1k views
Why wasn't the Republic of Ireland invaded (by either side) in WW2?
Ireland was neutral in WW2, however it was never invaded (by either side). How come? Why wasn't Ireland invaded by the UK to prevent the Germans invading? Why didn't germany invade ireland? It would ...
5
votes
3answers
181 views
From whom did Gandhi learn his protest technique of non-violence?
I know that Gandhi was involved in the civil rights movement in South Africa during he beginning of the 20th century, but was there a specific person, or group, that he learned how to protest through ...
2
votes
0answers
144 views
Was the Bosnian Crisis the trigger to WWI and not the assassination?
I've read that Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908, much to the dismay of the Serbs. Russia backed this action and was promised to have access to the Straits but were later denied. The ...
11
votes
2answers
263 views
What were the operating principles of Japan's MITI during the 1950s and 60s?
Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) guided Japan's economy through two decades of unprecedented economic growth. MITI was the primary instrument of Japan's industrial policy, ...
3
votes
2answers
136 views
Which technologies/commodities were available during the 30s on USA?
This is for a RPG story, so I don't need too much accuracy, but the common stuff would be very useful :)
I've already found this site: http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/ but would like more ...
1
vote
0answers
55 views
Looking for a book about Haile Selassie's rise to power [closed]
Is there a good English-language book about Haile Selassie's rise to power? I'm particularly interested in the strife he had with the various other nobles.
1
vote
1answer
60 views
What are the contributions of Professor Hans List?
Considering his academic titles, what are the contribution of the automotive engineer, Professor Dr Dr h.c.mult. Hans List? What did he invent? I could not find anything except a brief obituary.
5
votes
1answer
69 views
Has a country gone to war to seek payment of a debt since 1900?
Has a country gone to war to seek payment of a debt since 1900? Expansionist policies don't count although use of debt as a justification would be interesting.
6
votes
1answer
123 views
What aternative locations were considered for the United Nations?
When reading up on the United Nations on wikipedia, I noticed that Navy Island near Niagara falls was being considered at the time of the groups creation for it's location. I'm wondering what ...
2
votes
0answers
54 views
(War Guilt Methodology) Who is to blame for WWI? [closed]
Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles places the blame of the war solely on Germany and her allies. This is the quote:
The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the ...
13
votes
3answers
322 views
In what ways did the rise of a true middle class in Europe during the late 19th century become apparent?
The late 19th and early 20th centuries were very transformative for Europe with the rise of a real middle class. Typically before this the middle class was more of a bourgeoisie and not the middle ...
4
votes
1answer
112 views
Is there any evidence of Edward VIII trying to influence the UK Government?
Edward VIII was King of the UK, however he abdicated because he wanted to marry a divorced woman.
Someone told me that the "real reason" was that he was trying to influence the UK government and/or ...
18
votes
1answer
153 views
What courses would have been required to get a B.A. in America in the 1930s?
I know in the early 20th century the liberal arts curriculum was focused much more on the classics, but am interested in knowing specifically what courses were required to graduate during the Great ...
4
votes
2answers
163 views
How many people were affected by the Golodomor [Famine-Genocide in Ukraine]
How many people were affected during the famine? Are there any sources for Soviet records on the Golodomor?
51
votes
15answers
4k views
Why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union when he was still busy fighting the United Kingdom?
This has always bothered me. Everyone knows that having to fight on two opposite fronts at once is bad... and it's also a well known fact that every European country which tried to invade Russia has ...
11
votes
1answer
179 views
Did President Kennedy really cut 100,000 government jobs during his presidency?
In Michel Crozier's book, La crise de l'intelligence, he states that during John F. Kennedy's presidency about 100,000 government jobs were terminated.
Is this figure accurate?
Where can I find any ...
4
votes
3answers
570 views
Evolution of United States' world role? [closed]
This is a pretty big and general question, but I'm interested to hear some opinions from fellow StackExchangians:
Over the 20th century, how did the United States evolve into being a world ...
7
votes
1answer
235 views
Why did JFK give approval for the CIA to encourage Diem's deposal
In 1963, weeks before his own assassination, President Kennedy gave approval for the CIA to encourage a group of South Vietnamese generals to depose President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam. The ...
15
votes
3answers
242 views
What were the reasons for making Prohibition a constitutional amendment?
What were the reasons that the Prohibition in the United States was passed as a constitutional amendment, rather than a normal federal law, or a set of state laws?
3
votes
1answer
159 views
Is there a written history on the Sonderkommando Elbe?
I was watching a program called Dogfights where they were talking about the Sonderkommando Elbe and their tactic of ramming Messerschmitt Bf 109's into American bombers is a sort of suicide attack. ...
7
votes
1answer
175 views
How did diplomats of the Axis powers travel and communicate among themselves in World War II
In World War II, Japan and the European Axis powers had to communicate over strategy and other things. Also, their diplomats must have had to go to their own countries sometimes. After the USSR ...
1
vote
1answer
80 views
Is the killing between communists and Muslims in Indonesia during 1965 mutual?
During 1965, there was an anti-communist purge in Indonesia following the 30 September failed coup.
There are claims that the killing is mutual. There are claims that it's one sided.
Which one is ...
10
votes
1answer
979 views
Why did anti-Chinese riots occur during the Indonesian Reformation of 1998?
The protests and events in Indonesia in May 1998 led to the fall of the dictator Suharto, the reform of Indonesian government and political system, and a more liberal and democratic era.
During the ...
2
votes
2answers
207 views
Was “Blitzkrieg” at least partly intended for trapping the Jews?
I encountered a point of view that the German tactic of "Blitzkrieg", besides purely military purpose to achieve victory as quick as possible, was in fact designed to trap the Jews so that they could ...
6
votes
1answer
209 views
Why did Operation Market Garden go ahead when the allies knew German armor was in the area?
Montgomery's ill-fated operation to capture the Rhine crossing at Arnhem was ingenious but fatally flawed. Evidence suggests that the Allies knew there were German armoured units in the town a few ...
8
votes
3answers
308 views
When did aircraft carriers eclipse battleships as the “King of the seas”?
During the 19th century and into the early 20th century, battleships were the Kings of the Sea, and every naval power of note had at least one. When did they lose this title to the aircraft carrier, ...
14
votes
1answer
511 views
What is this military patch with the silhouette of a pegasus on it?
I found this patch among my grandfather's things. I know it's a military patch of some sort because it was with his war memorabilia. He served in the European theater during WWII, if that helps at ...
12
votes
5answers
941 views
Why did Britain and France not declare war against the Soviet Union when it invaded Poland in WW2?
At the beginning of WW2, although they were slow in actually attacking Germany, Britain and France did declare war against it after Germany invaded Poland. The reason for this was the treaty where ...
7
votes
1answer
152 views
1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic - Experience
From the spring of 1918 to the early months of 1919, the Spanish flu
pandemic ravaged the world, killing an estimated 50 million to 100
million people. It came in three waves, with the last ...
5
votes
2answers
635 views
How did Egypt become a protectorate of the British empire?
How did Egypt become a protectorate of the British empire in 1914?
(Feel free to add more content to this question)
16
votes
1answer
218 views
Who, if any, in JFK's inner circle argued against the plans for the Bay of Pigs invasion?
Political discussions leading up to the Bay of Pigs invasion are a notorious example of 'groupthink' and the failure of a committee in coming to a well-informed decision. Accounts of the ...
3
votes
2answers
153 views
What were the causes of the “Dardenelles” fiasco in World War I
During World War II, the Allies sent supplies to the Soviet Union via Murmansk/Archangelsk in the north, via Persia and the Caspian Sea in the south, and via the Tran-Siberian railroad.
Why didn't ...
6
votes
2answers
266 views
Did Japan ever pay Russia a reasonable amount of war reparation after WW2? Why or why not?
Russia had the largest number of casualties during WW2, and Russia had taken many Japanese prisoners. So, why didn't Russia receive a reparation from Japan to help boost Russia's economy after the ...
7
votes
1answer
191 views
How much oil was spilled by the naval combatants during WW2?
The war at sea took a huge toll during WW2. Has there been an official estimate of how much oil was spilled into the oceans during the world wide conflict?
15
votes
2answers
3k views
Why did Italy abandon its alliance with Germany in WW1 and join the Allied side?
Before WW1 Italy was part of an alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, yet it didn't join them when the war started and it even joined the Allied side later during the war. Why did Italy do this? ...
3
votes
2answers
64 views
Was Brown v Board of Education the only major decision that changed educational choice in America?
Brown v Board of Education was the landmark Supreme Court case in America that was supposed to allow more educational choice for all Americans, basically stopping segregational policies and on a legal ...
3
votes
1answer
79 views
When and why China started to make a difference in the superpower arena?
China is starting to be more and more remarked on the superpowers' podium, but this surely didn't happened overnight, so what would be that decade that was very auspicious for China, and why?
3
votes
1answer
78 views
The original Lord Haw Haw's life in exile (Ireland)
I am writing a bio-graphy about my great uncle "Capt Tom Smith" who fought in WW1,WW2 and the Spanish Civil War
During recent interviews the name Norman Baillie Stewart (wiki link) keeps cropping up ...
6
votes
3answers
205 views
Chronology of Political Party Alignment with “Left” and “Right”
I once heard it said that U.S. political parties (Republicans and Democrats) have both spent the last century becoming increasingly liberal, such that 21st century Republicans now hold the same ...
19
votes
4answers
493 views
When did the practice of formally “declaring war” cease and why?
Here's a detailed description of ambassador Neville Henderson being received by the foreign ministry in Berlin in 1939. Perhaps the most famous example.
He came in looking very serious, shook ...
7
votes
2answers
352 views
Why was the US so against Japanese aggression in China but did nothing about Germany in Europe?
The US was very vocal against Japanese aggression in China in the 1930's and early 1940's but said nothing against German aggression in Europe. The US finally placed an embargo on sending oil and ...
8
votes
4answers
354 views
Why was the Irish War of Independence in 1918 successful when other revolts failed?
In a nutshell, what events, occurrences, or mishaps took place that allowed the Irish to win the war of Independence over what could arguably be the most powerful nation of the time, when they were ...
2
votes
1answer
46 views
What factors enabled the New York Journal to survive the yellow journalism wars?
The height of yellow journalism was a battle waged between the Joseph Pulitzer owned New York World, and the William Hearst owned New York Journal. However, even though these two papers boasted large ...
13
votes
3answers
446 views
What do I need to know about Syria's history to understand the 2011-2012 uprising?
Syria is in the news a lot lately due to the current uprising, but it's not a country that many people know much about. It can trace its history back to the origins of civilization, and as a result ...
4
votes
1answer
187 views
Why the USSR insisted on ban of the 1943 German film Munchhausen in Nuremberg?
After the war, many German films were shown in the USSR, popularly known as "trophy films", this included the 1944 "The Woman of My Dreams" which was shown until mid-1950s.
At the same time the ...
17
votes
3answers
362 views
How was the modern geographic boundary between Europe and Asia decided?
Wikipedia puts the boundary as:
The modern definition of Europe delimits it from Asia at the Aegean Sea, the Dardanelles-Sea of Marmora-Bosporus, the Black Sea, along the watershed of the Greater ...
5
votes
1answer
101 views
When was the last time period where one could travel by steam powered locomotive across the United States today?
I'm not sure that it is possible to travel the United States from coast to coast by one single steam powered train today, or that there are enough connected routes that a steam locomotive could run ...
8
votes
1answer
338 views
In WW2, which midget submarine program was the most successful?
In WW2, which midget submarine program was the most successful? I know at least Great Britain and Japan had midget submarines and used them during the course of the conflict. Which WW2 combatant had ...
11
votes
5answers
1k views
How did the US/South Vietnam lose the Vietnam war?
South Vietnam was helped by US. Even when the US was gone, they had a 1 million army.
So why did they lose?
Even without US support, South Vietnam had about the same manpower, higher technology, and ...
4
votes
1answer
89 views
Nationalisation during wartime in the West: With or without compensation?
I was just reading about the forerunner to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraftworks, who designed and manufactured the legendary ME/BF-109 fighter).
Apparently the owner, Herr Otto, was ...
