The 20th century began on January 1, 1901, and ended on December 31, 2000.
51
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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 ...
34
votes
8answers
3k views
Why didn't Imperial Japan attack the Soviet Union during World War 2?
Japan and the Soviet Union shared a common border in Manchuria and the German invasion of the Soviet Union weakened the Soviets greatly. In view of the advantages to Japan in seeing the Soviet Union ...
30
votes
2answers
1k views
How did Israel win the Six-Day War?
Considering Israel fought several Arab countries, which had troops largely outnumbering the Israeli, how did they manage to win the war decisively, with much fewer casualties than the Arab countries?
...
26
votes
7answers
2k views
Why did Hitler declare war on the USA?
Since there had not been any offensives launched by either side against the other, why declare war just because Japan had attacked the USA?
26
votes
4answers
1k views
Why did Chamberlain act to appease Hitler leading up to the outbreak of World War 2?
There are accounts that British Prime Minister Chamberlain sought to appease Hitler because he just didn't want Britain involved in a war at that time. Others also argue that Chamberlain was naive and ...
25
votes
1answer
723 views
Why does German money from the 1940s not bear Nazi symbols?
I have a 5-mark German banknote (I think from 1941 or 1942), looking exactly like this:
I am curious why the banknote not only does not bear a portrait of Hitler, but doesn't include any German state ...
23
votes
3answers
870 views
Has Britain's 1940 invasion of Iceland been downplayed by historians?
On the face of it Operation Fork (Britain's invasion of Iceland in 1940) wasn't so terribly different from Germany's territorial landgrabs in 1939 and 1940.
Britain and her allies will have ...
20
votes
1answer
443 views
Did the end of the British Raj in India create an economic loss for Britain?
I know the economic downturn of the World War and the victory of the Labour Party played some role in Britain deciding to quit India. Did GB have any serious economic implications because of this? ...
19
votes
4answers
766 views
Why didn't France and UK invade Germany September 3rd 1939?
On September 3rd 1939, when UK and France declared war on Germany, both ordinary Polish people and government officials became enthusiastic. There were spontaneous demonstrations of support for the ...
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 ...
18
votes
2answers
267 views
Why did the USSR give Crimea to Ukraine?
In 1954 Soviets transferred Crimea from Russian Soviet Republic to Ukrainian Soviet Republic.
Why is this strange?
The whole act, at least officially, was meant to be "a gift", a token of ...
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 ...
17
votes
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 ...
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 ...
16
votes
1answer
2k views
Did World War II-era bombs actually whistle?
In WWII-era films and newsreels, aerial bombs are often shown making a whistling sound as they fall; starting high pitched, then decreasing as the bomb approaches the Earth (example here, starting at ...
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 ...
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? ...
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?
15
votes
1answer
163 views
North Korean Famine
I have just read an article (in Russian) about the most recent weird news from N.Korea: women are (again) not allowed to ride bicycles.
After you've finished splitting your sides with laughter, allow ...
15
votes
2answers
86 views
+50
How popular was Mozart in France before WWII and after it?
Another intriguing statement by Robert Paxton:
I was surprised myself to learn that Mozart had been little played in
France before 1940, and that his prominence since 1945 in the French
...
14
votes
6answers
295 views
Japan is known for being isolationist, so what cultivated its history of interventionism in the 20th century?
For much of its history, Japan was a very isolationistic country, and in fact, even in modern Japan, there is still a strong isolationist attitude among the Japanese people in some ways.
During the ...
14
votes
3answers
824 views
What were Hitler's religious beliefs?
Hitler is often cited as an example of an evil atheist (along with Stalin and Mao). But there are several quotes from him that seem to indicate he believed in the Christian God - and even used this to ...
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 ...
14
votes
2answers
470 views
Why didn't Moldova unite with Romania?
Towards the collapse of the USSR, nationalism rose in Moldova. Nationalists proclaimed the linguistic and ethnic identity between Moldovans and Romanians. It seems that they strove toward unification ...
13
votes
3answers
444 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 ...
13
votes
1answer
374 views
How do Friedman and Bernanke's explanations about the causes of the Great Depression compare?
I know that both Friedman and Bernanke wrote papers (or books, in Friedman's case) about the cause of the Great Depression. How do their points of view compare and contrast?
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 ...
13
votes
1answer
170 views
How did people react to Cavendish bananas when they first replaced the Gros Michel strain?
I was reading that the bananas we eat today (Cavendish) weren't particularly popular until the 50s, when the more popular Gros Michel variety was virtually wiped out by a nasty disease. Apparently ...
12
votes
2answers
331 views
Why was the Western Front so static in World War I?
Once the German advance was halted, neither side could seriously advance for two years. This seems like an extraordinarily long time. Why didn't anyone succeed at going around the trenches or striking ...
12
votes
3answers
398 views
Was the Titanic tragedy at least partly avoidable?
Was there any way that Titanic's collision with the iceberg could have been avoided after the iceberg had been spotted? Could the ship have been saved from sinking by the pilot or captain after the ...
12
votes
4answers
190 views
Why were the Prague Spring leaders treated more leniently than Nagy and his colleagues?
Following the Warsaw Pact's 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia the lead Czech reformer Alexander Dubček was dismissed and given a lowly job with the forestry commission.
A decade or so earlier, the ...
12
votes
5answers
936 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 ...
12
votes
1answer
129 views
How did the existence of the Alps impact the development of Switzerland?
Can anyone tell me what was the role of Alps and Alpine region in Swiss development of Switzerland?
12
votes
1answer
104 views
Gazan attitudes to Egyptian rule 1948-1967
Was Egyptian rule viewed favourably by the population? Were there uprisings?
Another related question: were there travel restrictions of some form (i.e. could Gazans travel freely in Egypt)?
UPDT: ...
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 ...
11
votes
7answers
1k views
What was the ratio of German to Soviet losses on eastern front during different stages of the war?
I've read somewhere that the ratio of Soviet to German casualties on the eastern front was 1.4 for the whole war. But what about data for different stages of the war? (this ratio wasn't constant after ...
11
votes
4answers
443 views
Can someone help explain this floor plan of a mid 20th century apartment?
I was watching 12 Angry Men, which was made in 1957; and they show this floor plan of an apartment:
My main question is, what's the opening in the wall between the hallway and the main room? It ...
11
votes
3answers
830 views
What caused the Iranian 1979 revolution to become Islamic?
How did an initially anti-Shah revolution become an Islamic revolution? Was it because of Khomenei's return to Iran such that he seized the Iranian revolution?
11
votes
3answers
404 views
Did anyone warn about the potential for stock market crashes in 1929, and if so why were their warnings ignored?
I can't seem to find information about economists, or others, warning about the overheated stock market of the 1920s in the US that would culminate in the stock market crashing on Black Thursday, ...
11
votes
2answers
215 views
Why were the British so reluctant to allow Jewish migration to Palestine?
Not sure this is the correct forum to ask this, but i'm currently reading 'Exodus' by Leon Uris, and i'm curious as to why the British were so reluctant in letting jewish people in Palestine.
This ...
11
votes
1answer
160 views
What set Checkpoint Charlie apart from the other border checkpoints in Berlin during the Cold War?
How did "Checkpoint Charlie" become known as the border crossing between East and West Berlin? Out of the countless border checkpoints, what set Checkpoint Charlie apart from the rest for defectors?
11
votes
1answer
85 views
In which document was the exact course of the northern part of the German-Polish border decided?
While researching the answer to "How was Germany's border decided?", I didn't manage to find any documents which would precisely describe the borders between Germany and Poland between the points 53° ...
11
votes
2answers
271 views
Why did the USA stay out of the League of Nations?
Woodrow Wilson, who was President of the USA at the time of the League's creation, was the person who pushed for the inclusion of the League in the Treaty of Versailles in the first place. Why is it ...
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 ...
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, ...
11
votes
2answers
103 views
percentage of British and American troops involved in direct combat with enemy in World War II
How large a proportion of British and American troops were involved in direct combat with the enemy in World War II? What was the casualty rate among those men?
10
votes
5answers
493 views
What was Finland's position in World War Two?
What was Finland's position in World War Two? Apparently, they were fighting against the Soviet Union, but not as Nazi Germany's ally. Are there reasons for this, and were they actually on Germany's ...
10
votes
3answers
277 views
Was Antarctica a factor in the Falklands war?
Were Argentina's and the UK's Antarctic territorial claims significant in the Falklands War?
10
votes
5answers
571 views
Were there any war movies made during WW2 that were well regarded by front-line American soldiers?
I've read in a few places that American soldiers during WWII (meaning men who had actually seen combat, not rear echelon troops) preferred light comedy or romance movies to the sanitized propaganda in ...
10
votes
2answers
226 views
Why were there civil wars in Croatia and Bosnia, but not in Slovenia or Macedonia?
It seems that during the breakup of Yugoslavia there were civil wars during speakers of the (then officially) same language - Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks, but not, e.g., between Serbs and Slovenians. ...
