1
vote
0answers
141 views
Was the Sanhedrin unusually “bloodthirsty” during Jesus Era? [closed]
Note: I found this part of history puzzling and that's why I asked this question.
Background:
Jews hate death penalty.
A Sanhedrin that condemned anyone to die in 75 years is called blood thirsty.
...
1
vote
0answers
54 views
How could ancient people determine the winter solstice was occurring?
How could astronomers in the ancient world determine that the winter solstice was occurring? According to whoever edited the Wikipedia article on the winter solstice, it's too hard for modern ...
-3
votes
0answers
86 views
How did China go from “inventing” to reverse-engineering? [closed]
In the past millenium, China was known for inventions such as paper, block type, gunpowder and others.
Nowadays, we see China is copying everything. Electronic calculators to microprocessors. ...
10
votes
1answer
71 views
Why did Stephen Ambrose believe that the election of Aaron Burr would have led to the end of the USA?
I'm reading Stephen E. Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage", and in pg. 50, he writes:
On December 5, 1800, Lewis was promoted to captain. That month the states selected their delegates to the Electoral ...
6
votes
3answers
132 views
Why the military revolution is a cause of the industrial revolution?
I've heard that the military revolution in Europe helps its to reach the industrial revolution. It's an answer to the question "Why the industrial revolution starts in Europe and not in China", while ...
2
votes
2answers
178 views
Oldest Code of Law? [closed]
King Hammurabi of Babylon was known for his "Code of Laws." Is his the oldest Code of written law that still exists today? If there is an even older code of laws, perhaps one not still in use, who ...
0
votes
2answers
76 views
Was the N.E.P. of Russia successful in terms of economics?
The Soviet's New Economic Plan was indeed a successful plan in establishing a comparatively strong postwar economy for the Soviet Union, but there were many imperfections: food prices fluctuated ...
2
votes
0answers
27 views
Cost of producing posters in world war 1
I know that a lot of posters were printed out during World War 1, but am confused by the cost for the government to produce all these, a google search normally yields some results - but this time it ...
6
votes
1answer
62 views
where can I find digitised versions of Japanese war documents in original Japanese?
I was wondering where can I find digitised versions of Japanese war documents in original Japanese?
I can read Japanese but I cannot seem to find any primary sources that relate to the Japanese army ...
8
votes
0answers
82 views
How did lower classes with aspirations to high social standing greet each other in the Paris of the 1630's?
I am running a game of En Garde over on the RPG Stack Exchange. For purposes of verisimilitude, we're wondering about station-specific greetings in Paris in the 1630's. What would be an appropriate ...
5
votes
2answers
74 views
Where can I find financial data for the first world war? [closed]
I want to analyse the first world war on the financial aspect. Here are some of my questions.
Which countries borrowed money to win the war?
Where were weapons manufactured?
Where can I get ...
0
votes
1answer
78 views
What aspects of Soviet life were not controlled by Stalin?
Stalinism controlled social life through propaganda, political life through the use of political crime and the politicization of life and the workers life, with proletarianism dominating all aspects ...
4
votes
1answer
65 views
How were dogs used in WW1
I know that dogs were used in WW1. I know that they weren’t vital, but didn’t play a reasonable role in helping the soldiers in the trenches. However, there is one thing that confuses me: How were ...
4
votes
1answer
63 views
Why did the Russians lose to the Turks in 1711 after defeating them in 1700 and the Swedes in 1709?
The Russians captured Azov and Taganrog in a war with Turkey that ended in 1700. Then they decimated the Swedish army at Poltava in 1709, thereby crippling their main enemy, and freeing the bulk of ...
3
votes
2answers
93 views
Diminishing powers of the Roman Catholic church in international matters
Before Enlightenment and Renaissance, Church or Pope had some powers which were almost same as what international organization may have.
for example:
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, ...
3
votes
0answers
43 views
Patriotism and how it contributed to the recruitment process in WW1
I know that a lot of people joined the army (and the navy) in World War 1 due to patriotism – the will to fight for your country. This shows that a lot of people, even those who were unemployed or ...
10
votes
2answers
123 views
Could The Soviet Union have continued fighting World War II without Caucasus oil?
In 1942, Germany's Fall Blau was initially aimed at capturing or interdicting shipments of oil from the Caucasus to the rest of the Soviet Union. Even though armies were diverted to Stalingrad and ...
4
votes
2answers
115 views
Battle of Vienna & Morean War : what was Russia's position?
Russia doesn't appear in wikipedia's accounts of the Morean War or of the preceding Battle of Vienna. I find that mildly suprising.
Perhaps the reason is that before Peter Russia was less active with ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
How did it happen that countries and cities got different names in different languages?
I wonder why a single city's (or country's) name is different in various languages. To me, city and country names are somewhat similar to a person's given name, and it doesn't seem right to call ...
3
votes
0answers
61 views
What was done to prevent electoral fraud in Texas following the controversial 1948 election?
In his second attempt at the Senate in 1948, Lyndon Johnson narrowly defeated Coke Stevenson in the Democratic primary when a box with 202 votes, largely in favour of LBJ, was found late in the ...
8
votes
0answers
111 views
What was the situation of homosexuals in the early Soviet Union?
Between 1917 and 1930, homosexuality was decriminalised in the Soviet Union. From the Wikipedia article on LGBT history in Russia:
The Russian Communist Inessa Armand publicly endorsed both ...
11
votes
0answers
74 views
Language of early French (West-Frankish) kings
When did Old French displace Frankish as the language spoken in the West-Frankish court, and who was the first natively "French" king?
11
votes
2answers
264 views
What was the role of the Soviet Navy during WWII?
Most books of WWII speak of the naval battles of allied and axis powers during the war, but none about the Soviet navy. The soviets had an active fleet at the time, why did it not engage the Germans ...
6
votes
4answers
186 views
Why were people from the Asian Steppes able to militarily dominate Europeans on a repeated basis?
From the Huns through the Mongolians, why were nomadic people from the east able to create such havoc in Europe? Was it an endless 'first mover' advantage with horse domestication? Was it a higher ...
4
votes
2answers
73 views
Did the break up of AT & T in 1984 lead to technological innovation?
Are there examples of technologies developed since 1984 that would not have been likely to be developed had the Bell system stayed intact rather than being broken up by the US government?
UPDT: To ...
8
votes
1answer
82 views
Who started/popularized the department store perfume gauntlet?
Anybody with functional olfactory senses who has been to a department store knows that nearly every one places the perfume counter right at the front of the store, where every patron is forced to walk ...
3
votes
1answer
40 views
Who was the noble present at the Tennis Court Oath?
I remember learning that a member of the 2nd Estate was notably present at the Tennis Court Oath (though I realize there might have been more than one).
Does anyone know who that might have been?
...
3
votes
4answers
298 views
Were there reasons for Japan to go to war with US aside from US owning Philippines?
Right after the Spanish-American War in 1898, the US acquired the Philippines from Spain. At that time, local leaders desired Philippines independence. The Philippines-American War was fought around ...
1
vote
2answers
121 views
Have historians envisioned how World II would have developed without Churchill as Prime Minister of Britain?
The question isn't about what would have happened in that event. It is: Have one or more recognized historians delved into this question (of what would have happened if Britain had surrendered to or ...
16
votes
2answers
596 views
What is the history of the popped collar?
A popped collar on a polo has become the symbol of Frat Boys and wannabes everywhere. Especially in the "Jersey Shore" culture. I initially thought maybe it was tied to New England preppy style (the ...
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?
4
votes
2answers
93 views
The practice of translating foreign monarch's or noble's name
In history texts, past foreign monarchs are normally referred to by the English version of their name, e.g. Francis I (not François), Charles V (not Carlos, Karel, or Karl), Phillip II (not Felipe). ...
3
votes
1answer
516 views
When and how did Thailand cease to be Siam and become the modern Thailand?
Looking at the Area 51 commitment page, I realized that some of the questions that were originally suggested there never got asked here, so I thought I'd add some of them. To expand on this question, ...
7
votes
1answer
76 views
Who was Asselin FitzArthur?
I stumbled in wikipedia upon a lovely story about a man called Asselin FitzArthur who stopped the burial proceedings of William the Conqueror in Caen, claiming that the church stood on land that had ...
3
votes
2answers
142 views
Why did Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng receive different punishments for their role in the Xi'an Incident?
Having failed to persuade Chiang Kai-shek to abandon war with the communists and instead unite to fight Japan, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng finally opted for force and captured Chiang in the Xi'An ...
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 ...
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Was it impossible for the Germans to arrange a plane to East Asia for Subhas Bose?
Bose's journey from Germany to Singapore by submarine was a well-remarked incident of World War II history. But what was the need for the Germans or the Italians to use a submarine to transfer a ...
1
vote
0answers
39 views
When and by whom was the Tirupati Tirumala temple in India built?
India's second wealthiest temple, Tirupati Tirumala Venkateswara Temple does not seem to have a clear history about its origin. The Wikipedia entry does not provide proper details on who exactly built ...
10
votes
1answer
177 views
Did the blanket pardon from 'The Three Musketeers' exist in real life?
In his novel The Three Musketeers, Dumas describes Richelieu giving the following paper to Milady de Winter:
C'est par mon ordre et pour le bien de l'Etat que le porteur du
present a fait ce ...
5
votes
1answer
61 views
Was the Byzantine follis larger than the Roman (and why, if yes)?
Today I saw in a museum a row of coins minted by Roman emperors. The last four coins were of the follis kind, belonging to Constantine the Great, Constantius II, Anastasius and Justinian I. .
The ...
3
votes
1answer
63 views
What exactly was the Philby Plan?
From what I gather it was some sort of idea for an amicable settlement between Jews and Arabs in Palestine and somehow involved Ibn Saud. Weizmann and Churchill apparently supported it but Ibn Saud ...
6
votes
1answer
194 views
Did Erwin König Exist?
Erwin König Was a sniper supposedly killed by Vasily Zaytsev in the Battle of Stalingrad. The diary of Vasily Zaytsev mentions killing Erwin Konig, and there is a sniper scope in Russia, but there is ...
9
votes
2answers
399 views
How does the amount of equipment carried by various historical infantries compare?
I've heard many statements amount the weight of supplies and munition carried by soldiers of various historical forces. In particular, I've heard many comments about the amount that the British ...
0
votes
2answers
3k views
Did the fights in the Ip Man movie series actually occur in real life?
In a series of movies called Ip Man 1 and 2, based in WW2, a Wing Chun martial arts master called Ip Man fought with a Japanese general and a western boxer named Twister. Did these events actually ...
4
votes
2answers
180 views
What is the motivation of having heavy infantry to the right and light infantry to the left flank?
In Napoleonic wars era, a line contains mostly regular troops except for two kind of elite units, the heavy one, e.g. grenadiers, they normally are the bravest, strongest troops with the best stamina, ...
4
votes
1answer
83 views
When did Kakinoki Kinsuke used a kite to enter the Nagoya castle
From different online sources I can find that the Japanese thief Kakinoki Kinsuke used a kite to fly over the wall of the Nagoya castle to steal certain golden parts of a statue.
The thing I can not ...
8
votes
2answers
312 views
Did the Olympics make the Star Spangled Banner the US national anthem?
A long, long time ago, I remember watching a TV miniseries about the first Olympics of the modern era in 1896.
One of the amusing substories I remember involved the USA's National Anthem and the ...
6
votes
1answer
167 views
Why was cricket's popularity in USA a casualty of Civil War?
"Cricket was by far the biggest sport [in the USA] in this period," Tim Lockley, an expert in American history at Warwick University, told the Guardian in 1999. "Then the civil war started in 1861, ...
4
votes
2answers
202 views
Did either of the World Wars involve South or Central America?
Were any South or Central American nations besides Brazil involved (not necessarily officially) in either of the World Wars? If any were, I'd appreciate information on their degree of involvement.
