1
vote
1answer
36 views
What did contemporary countries in Europe call the Ottoman Empire?
In present texts, it is common to call it "the Ottoman Empire", although the name refers to the ruling dynasty rather than the nation, people or the region. This is not the case with other ...
0
votes
0answers
5 views
Why were “holding out” outposts a feature of the European war in 1944-5 but not 1940-1?
Many far flung garrisons and especially islands were still in German hands at the end of the war in May 1945. Parts of Crete, Dunkirk, the Channel Islands, La Rochelle, St Nazaire and several other ...
11
votes
3answers
384 views
Was lighter or darker skin pigment valued higher in ancient Greek civilization?
Did the ancient Greeks higher value lighter skin and hair, as do modern Indians?
4
votes
2answers
121 views
(War Guilt Methodology) Was Germany solely to blame for WWI?
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 ...
3
votes
2answers
232 views
What is the basis of Russian criticism of Antony Beevor's work? [closed]
Some Russian sources make claims to the effect of "Beevor is revisionist and anti-Soviet propagandist".
What is the basis for this criticism?
For the antecedents of the question, see here.
38
votes
8answers
971 views
Why China was able to unify and not Europe
If you look at a map of China through the ages, you will usually find (from about the Han up) a huge mass representing China. On the other hand, you look at a map of Europe, and you'll usually see a ...
-2
votes
2answers
74 views
Did Germany produce plutonium using cyclotrons?
Rainer Karlsch, a German historian, said
"It's clear there was no master plan for developing atom bombs. But it's also clear the Germans were the first to make atomic energy useable, and that at the ...
5
votes
3answers
173 views
What does “Brown-Bread Eater” mean when used as an insult?
The American Pageant (Bailey, Kennedy, Cohen, 2006) on p. 507 remarks:
...regular Republicans denounced Greeley as an atheist, a communist, a free-lover, a vegetarian, a brown-bread eater...
...
18
votes
4answers
2k views
Why did the United Kingdom industrialize first?
What factors made the United Kingdom the first to industrialize? Was it simply the importance and benefit of its position in the global community for trade?
15
votes
1answer
606 views
When was Silver ever more valuable than Gold?
These days we pretty much take it as a given that gold is more valuable than silver. The obvious example is the Olympics and other such competitions that give "gold" medals for first place and ...
2
votes
2answers
115 views
What were the crime rates In the American Old West?
Hollywood filmography presented a violent and morally complex vision of the American West during circa 1850 to 1900, according to which the West was a place where life was insecure and where property ...
3
votes
3answers
212 views
Stalingrad - the German perspective?
I'm quite interested in Stalingrad and have started reading a bit regarding the battle itself and have seen that weather had played quite a significant factor in halting the German advance. (Reading ...
11
votes
2answers
83 views
Medieval Saharan Caravan Navigation
During the medieval times, trade caravans using camels criss crossed the Sahara and Meghreb. For example, salt caravans from the Empire of Mali to the near east.
I've wondered for a long time how ...
11
votes
2answers
115 views
How did the gold of the new world cause the Spanish Empire to collapse?
There are some arguments that Spain over-exploited the precious metal deposits of the new world, leading to wide-scale inflation. This, coupled with their expulsion of Jewish money lenders, caused ...
11
votes
3answers
126 views
French gains after the American Revolutionary War
Did France gain anything significant (territories or other concessions) at the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War? I tried to look up for it, but what I found were very minor (Senegal in ...
7
votes
1answer
60 views
When and why was Seleucia ultimately abandoned?
The ancient Seleucia was founded along the Tigris river around the year 305 BC, and abandoned in 165 AD, due to the river mutating its course (Wikipedia).
However in 780 AD the Catholicos ...
6
votes
2answers
127 views
What right/legitimacy did Normans have to a kingdom in Southern Italy?
In the eleventh century the Northmen conquered England and created a Norman state in Southern Italy.
Why did Normans travel so far afield and what right/legitimacy did they have to a kingdom in ...
3
votes
1answer
41 views
Did the US government officially apologize for Indian Removal Act and Native American Indian genocide?
Have the US government officially apologized for Indian Removal Act and Native American Indian genocide?
If yes, could you provide more information when did it happen and who (which president or ...
6
votes
1answer
86 views
Do photos of Wernher von Braun and Neil Armstrong exist? Have they ever met?
A quick google search for the term "Korolev and Gagarin" reveals many photos of the two together - surprisingly, as Korolev's identity was kept strictly secret up to his death.
When searching for ...
-3
votes
1answer
218 views
What is the historicity of the film “Revolution.com - USA: The Conquest of the East”? [closed]
This is a Russian version of a French film from mid-2000s "Revolution.com"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3QxDgft148
French version: ...
12
votes
5answers
776 views
How did a besieged city/castle defend itself vs. catapulting diseased dead bodies into it?
I was a bit shocked to read that diseased dead bodies/animals where catapulted into besieged castles/towns. Biological warfare in the middle ages. But this "method" of warfare had probably alot ...
11
votes
3answers
236 views
Did Hitler receive any honours outside Germany?
From this article in The Telegraph:
In a move designed to remove an embarrassing link to Germany's past Dulmen town council voted to revoke the honour its predecessor once bestowed upon Hitler.
...
0
votes
0answers
27 views
A memorial Georgia (U.S.) plaque
This memorial plaque lists the numbers of Georgians who served in various wars and details the casualties. What I find odd is that for WWI, Korea, Vietnam, and Gulf round numbers are given for the ...
4
votes
2answers
418 views
Are modern Greeks related to the ancient Greeks?
Greece has been subject to many many invasions since the 7th century and there must have been a serious mixing of peoples. In a similar situation, we do not usually consider the French or the Germans ...
14
votes
4answers
223 views
How did the Roman state verify citizenship?
How were ancient Roman citizens identified, and how did officials make sure that their identity wasn't fake? I.e., did they maintain some kind of citizens registry, or did they have some kind of ...
3
votes
3answers
56 views
Is there a common name for periods between Medieval and 19th century?
Time up to fall of the Roman Empire is called Ancient. The following 1000 years is "Medieval". Since Napoleonic times we can say it is "modern history".
Is there a common name for the time between ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
What do these hallmarks tell me about my fork and spoon set?
I'd like to know what those two hallmarks mean and what they can tell me about the fork and spoon they are on.
Click to enlarge the photos
I see 8 star 4, J something B. What is this something?
...
7
votes
1answer
134 views
Was Horst Tappert a member of the SS?
It was recently reported that German TV actor Horst Tappert (1923 - 2008) had been identified as having been a member of the Waffen SS in World War II. However, it was also reported that a German ...
3
votes
1answer
76 views
What uniform did the Supreme State Arbiter of the USSR wear?
What uniform did the Supreme State Arbiter (главный государственный арбитр) of the USSR wear?
I think I saw it on a site before but I cannot find it now.
-1
votes
0answers
90 views
How reliable were Warsaw Pact members should war break out in the 80's?
Are there any studies by US aligned forces on Warsaw Pact attitudes to a Soviet Union first strike? These studies could come from America's National Security Agency or State Department, the NATO ...
5
votes
3answers
89 views
In the British empire, what was the difference between a Governor General and a Viceroy?
In the many colonies of the British empire, it seems that the rulers of some were known as Governors General and others were officially titled as Viceroys. Was there a practical distinction between ...
3
votes
1answer
119 views
Did Marie Leszczyńska, queen of France, have any lovers?
"Always going to bed, always pregnant, always giving birth" said Marie Leszczyńska, queen of France. Marie was chosen to be wife of Louis XV for two reasons. First of all, she was ready to get ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
+50
What was traded on the Chicago Board of Trade in the mid 1800s?
The Chicago Board of Trade was the world's first futures and options exchange, trading various kinds of commodities (I think mostly agricultural, but I'm not sure). When it first opened in 1848, what ...
3
votes
0answers
75 views
In “The Hills Beyond”, is there a black-invisibilty factor?
In 'The Hills Beyond' T. Wolfe, a native of Asheville, suggest that in many mountain counties of the Appalachia people had not owned slaves and that blacks were unknown before the civil war.
Is the ...
5
votes
1answer
77 views
Why did the Native American city of Cahokia die out?
From AD 600-1400, the Mississippian native Americans had a massive city near the present site of St. Louis, MO. It was one of the world's largest cities at the time, and was the largest pre-Columbian ...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
When did ancient religions start to experience dropping numbers of adherents in Europe?
I am talking about ancient Greek, Roman and Norwegian religions.
When did ancient religions start to lose ground to modern religions such as Catholicism in Europe?
3
votes
1answer
47 views
Pre-1901/1902 US Presidential Protection
I've spent a little while looking around online about the origins of US Presidential protection - while it has become apparent that the US Secret Service became officially responsible for Presidential ...
9
votes
1answer
72 views
Where was the furthest extent of Arabian trade explorations?
Traders from Arabia travelled to and traded with Roman and Asian empires and this Nabataean Sea Merchants article. How far did Arabian traders travel - where was the furthest extent of their ...
3
votes
0answers
32 views
How high was the morale of non-Soviet Warsaw Pact states' armies and governments in the '80s?
Does anyone with any relevant expertise know the general mood of the armies during the time? Is there documentation of any concerns from high ranking Soviet military officers, or of their Warsaw Pact ...
3
votes
3answers
297 views
What made Washington DC “dominate” politics in the USA?
Through history what role did Washington, DC play to become important and influence the US political system, and did it change its influence with time?
5
votes
3answers
151 views
Did people have better nutrition before agriculture?
A lot of proponents of new diets, e.g. Paleo, Primal, Atkins argue that grains have made people unhealthier and life expectancy was much better before the transition to agriculture.
Some research ...
5
votes
0answers
50 views
How true is the statement “Soviet troops got into Berlin riding American trucks, walking in American boots and using American trains”?
In other words, how significant was American lend-lease in helping the Soviet front? Would the Soviets be suffering a lot more had lend-lease not happen, or was it not as significant as people make ...
2
votes
4answers
107 views
Was there a single ancient religion that all others sprang from?
Many religions share same stories, Christianity, Judaism and Islam for example (the ones I know of at least). Some of those stories could even be traced to earlier civilizations in the Middle East ...
2
votes
1answer
84 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 ...
16
votes
7answers
381 views
Did archers synchronize fire? Why?
I noticed that in medieval movies and TV shows, when there is a big battle happening, groups of archers always synchronize their firing. I was wondering if this is something that writes made up and it ...
3
votes
2answers
80 views
What was the role of Nikita Khrushchev during the battle of Stalingrad?
In the movie Enemy at the Gates there is a moment when Nikita Khrushchev comes to take control over the Soviet forces defending Stalingrad, even making previous commander commit suicide (is this ...
3
votes
0answers
44 views
what was the size of surface of a cereal crop needed per man per year during the Dark Ages in western europe?
If I'm a peasant during the dark ages, what surface (in meters (<- I am in advance on my time)) I need to farm to get enough cereal (for bread and brew) ?
how many cereals (in kg (<- again, I'm ...
-2
votes
0answers
81 views
How much time would have been required to launch a nuclear counterstrike?
Source
At 3 in the morning Brzezinski was awakened by a call from his military assistant, Bill Odom, telling him that 220 Soviet missiles had been launched in an attack against the United States. ...
2
votes
0answers
40 views
Where and why were capital letters first used in English headlines?
The words in headlines are capitalized. I'm interested in the history of this.
Where and why were capital letters first used in headlines? Where is this practice of capitalization of words in English ...
-5
votes
0answers
62 views
On the consequences of US citizens' ignorance of their country's history? [closed]
American students are less proficient in their nation’s history than in any other subject, according to results of a nationwide test released on Tuesday, with most fourth graders unable to say why ...
