Unanswered Questions
25
votes
0answers
260 views
Were well-connected Germans able to park their sons in Norway during WWII?
Reading Antony Beevor's "The Second World War" he makes the point several times that a peculiar obsession of Hitler's was the defence of Norway and that there were close to half a million German ...
16
votes
0answers
112 views
When did the Romans begin using the sword, as opposed to the axe, for decapitation?
According to this article, the Romans first used the axe for decapitation, and then moved to using the sword later. The article states:
[B]eheading, a mode of executing capital punishment by which ...
15
votes
2answers
225 views
What would a Norseman in the early 11th century have worn as daily clothing?
Most of the Norse clothing we know about seems to come from burials. However, in many cultures, bodies dressed for burial are wearing either "good" clothes, or special clothes for the dead. Is there ...
13
votes
0answers
123 views
Great Wall of China Controversy
Until several years ago the eastern end of the Great Wall of China was considered to end at Shanhaiguan where the wall goes into the sea, but the Chinese have revealed (in 2009) new portions of the ...
13
votes
0answers
172 views
When was the concept of “weekly day off” first introduced in Indian Subcontinent?
Did ancient & medieval indians have a weekly day off? Or was there even a generally recognized day as public holiday?
Or did the concept get introduced with Arabs or Europeans?
12
votes
1answer
268 views
Did the United States have a third atomic bomb to drop on Japan?
On 15 August, six days after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan announced its surrender to the United States, signing the instrument of surrender on 2 September, officially ending the war.
The question ...
11
votes
0answers
75 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?
10
votes
0answers
82 views
Are photos of WWII US Navy damage reports available online?
I have located a PDF of the USS Marblehead's Bomb Damage Report from 4 Feb 1942. The report lists plates of photographs which are not included in the report I have found.
Do copies of this report ...
10
votes
0answers
127 views
Why was Queretaro chosen as a fail-safe capital of Mexico?
According to this article on a person's experience in the country of Mexico, Querétaro was used as a temporary capital city of the Mexican Republic three times. What I am having trouble finding out ...
9
votes
0answers
156 views
Has history mistreated Nero?
Nero is (wrongly) "known" as the Emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned." But he did kill a number of prominent people, including his own mother. He is treated by much of history as a psychopath, and ...
9
votes
0answers
76 views
When did songs extolling leaders of companies go out of fashion?
When recently visiting Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA I came across an exhibit called "Songs of the IBM". It's from 1930s and has a song called "Ever onward" which extols then IBM ...
9
votes
0answers
79 views
Was there any connection between the Ottonians and Benedictines?
The Ottonians and Benedictines were expanding across Europe around the same time. However, other than in Rome they didn't have much overlap. I've heard references in some history and medieval ...
9
votes
1answer
118 views
Completeness of Old Parish Registers in the 1700s
In England, local churches were required to keep registers of all baptisms, marriages and burials. Are there any studies that show how complete these records generally were, in particular in relation ...
8
votes
1answer
136 views
How were small swords worn in the 18th century?
Quick summary:
How was the small sword (or dress sword) fastened to the body?
What are the different ways of wearing it?
Looking at many drawings from this period, a good bunch of them depicts men ...
8
votes
0answers
76 views
What is the source of this quote about Demosthenes by Philip II of Macedon?
I've read that Philip II of Macedon said that if he had listened to Demosthenes, he would have declared war on himself.
Ref. (it's an old book, and in Spanish): Historia de la literatura griega, 2, ...
