Questions tagged [war]
An armed conflict between state actors, typically for a political or economic aim. Use this tag for specific wars.
460
questions
3
votes
1answer
170 views
How many Scots were present at the Battle of Bauge?
The Battle of Bauge
According to Wikipedia the Battle of Bauge was a decisive battle in liberating France from England during the one hundred years war. Apparently the battle was won by a five ...
-3
votes
1answer
83 views
Which of the Roman wars was the most important and riskiest for Rome? [closed]
The Roman republic and later empire existed for quite some time and there was quite a few wars, but if I where to look up the most important ones, which would they be?
Understood in the way that the ...
0
votes
2answers
164 views
What is the source of this quote about hope and POWs?
I seem to recall someone who was a POW, possibly held by Japanese, saying something like that the people that survived were the ones that gave up hope of getting out and the people that died were the ...
-1
votes
3answers
326 views
How did Nazi Germany justify the attempted invasion of Britain?
Virtually all modern nations offer a justifying reason why they're engaging in any war, if only to convince their own people that they're fighting on the side of right and justice.
What justification ...
1
vote
0answers
75 views
Did any army try speed volley fire by passing pre-loaded muskets to the front line? [duplicate]
Early 16th to 18th century muskets had 2 big disadvantages. Musketeers needed minimum 20-30 seconds to reload them and they were very inaccurate, because projectile (usually small lead ball) was much ...
1
vote
0answers
106 views
Did the Vandal King Genseric obtain the 2nd Temple Menorah from Vatican in the 455 CE sack of Rome?
Regarding Jerusalem’s 2nd Temple Menorah (depicted in the Arch of Titus), The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem published the following article in the summer of 2017:
“The seven-...
0
votes
0answers
95 views
How were warriors wielding axes deployed in combat?
IIRC ancient & medieval soldiers have been wielding axes in battles since Sumerian times.
My question is essentially, how were these warriors deployed in an Army? Most soldiers were in tight ...
1
vote
1answer
270 views
Did anyone use pikes wielded by multiple people?
GURPS is a tabletop roleplaying game, like Dungeons and Dragons. In the Low Tech expansion, pages 9-10, it includes rules for two-man pikes; pikes so long they take two people to use effectively. I ...
-1
votes
2answers
274 views
Why was artillery a more effective infantry support weapon on tanks than machine guns?
In supporting infantry, why are tanks equipped with large guns breach guns which seem more effective than assault vehicles with machine guns? For example, comparing the service of WW2 German Assault ...
1
vote
0answers
193 views
When did the last (formal) declaration of war occur?
Background
I have watched an interview where one participant argued that the world is experiencing less and less war compared to what it used to. To emphasize this idea, he said that declaring war is ...
0
votes
2answers
292 views
Was the danger of radiation in the case of nuclear war overestimated during the cold war?
This article tells about signal "Atom" and its intended effect on Moscow metro:
All trains stop, escalators automatically start move downwards.
After 15 min, all hermetic gates on metro ...
-3
votes
1answer
252 views
Did the Prussian army commit atrocities?
We know the German armed forces, all of it, during WW2 committed atrocities. Same for the German army during WW1. I also found some references the Prussian army committed atrocities during the Franco-...
-4
votes
4answers
337 views
Are rural residents more likely to survive large scale war (> 1 million deaths) than urban residents? (Data based answers only)
On the surface, it seems logical that the probability of survival, during times of war, would be higher in rural areas.
More reliable access to food.
Lower probability of being targeted. (e.g. air ...
8
votes
2answers
865 views
Has a head of state ever actually killed another in battle? [duplicate]
In "historical" or fantasy movies you often see the two enemy leaders fighting directly in the middle of the battle, mainly to allow for dialogue.
I know that leaders have had their enemies ...
0
votes
1answer
253 views
Why didn't the Soviets keep their encircled forces supplied by airlifting supplies? [closed]
I was watching a video on World War 2 and learned that the Nazis kept their encircled troops supplied by air for weeks, till the pocket was liberated.
I also know that earlier in the war, Soviet ...
0
votes
0answers
139 views
Did soldiers ever use wooden pillows to hear attacks?
I remember reading somewhere that since sound travels way faster through the ground as compared to air, soldiers back in the day used wooden pillows that were hard. So if the enemy started marching in ...
-1
votes
1answer
165 views
What wars or other serious crises have been caused by translation?
I'm researching the costs of translation, economic and of other nature.
What large crises, such as the New Zealand Wars (due to the inaccurate translation of the Treaty of Waitangi) have been caused ...
10
votes
2answers
4k views
How true is this observation concerning battle?
I came across a quote:
“One who risks his life in battle has the best chance of saving it; one who flees to save it is most likely to lose it” (Anthologia Lyrica Graeca, ed. E. Diehl2 1936-42.)
The ...
1
vote
3answers
319 views
Are there any tanks with the gun and autoloader outside the main turret?
Basically as title. I've been thinking about this hybrid turret design for quite some time now. Essentially, I had this idea for a potential design for a tank turret that could be accomplished with an ...
6
votes
3answers
334 views
How common was capturing a post-sail warship?
From this answer it appears that capturing an enemy warship in battle, either by boarding, or by shooting at them from bow or stern until they surrender, was relatively common in the age of sail. ...
17
votes
8answers
8k views
Were there often intra-USSR wars? If not, why not?
There's an article listing many post-Soviet conflicts on Wikipedia, which indicates that there have been many wars between regions/countries that were once part of the USSR. The causes of the wars, ...
1
vote
0answers
96 views
Why were Austrian forces ineffective during the war of 1787 against Ottomans?
In the French Wikipedia article about Roger de Damas d'Antigny, it is said that this French officer was not satisfied by Austrian armies in the war against Ottoman empire, so he joined the Russian ...
9
votes
3answers
376 views
Was the Social War the only war fought to integrate into an empire?
The question is based on this line from the book "Cataclysm 90BC" by Matyszak. He says ,
" this book is a study of some very odd events, of nations so
desperate to give up their ...
1
vote
0answers
63 views
What decided the First Sekhukhune War?
I'm trying to find out more about the First Sekhukhune War, and in particular exactly how and why Sekhukhune won. As wars in historical times go, it seems to be very sparsely documented. Here's what I ...
0
votes
1answer
123 views
Map of/Measure of conflicted areas throughout history [closed]
I am looking for a map which would give an indication of how much territorial conflict there was in a given area. One way I imagined one could do it is to look at how territorial states (in the period ...
21
votes
3answers
5k views
Why did it take so long for the Germans to develop the first tank model in World War I?
World War I still featured a lot of trench warfare due do a lack of mobility that placed an advantage upon the defender. When the British managed to invent the first tank, that seemed like an ...
0
votes
1answer
258 views
Did marriage ever end a war?
I'm getting married on Saturday, and I was reflecting on the history of marriage for my speech. In the olden days, marriage was a way to make peace between nations for royals, and to marry into ...
3
votes
4answers
431 views
Has diplomatic immunity ever been ignored in modern times?
I know that after Pearl Harbor the Japanese diplomat Kurusu was interned until an exchange of diplomats could be arranged and then was able to return to Japan. I also recall that in the more distant ...
3
votes
1answer
204 views
Please help me identify the military uniform in picture below
Can anyone identify this military uniform?
-2
votes
1answer
195 views
How much damage was USSR already capable of doing by the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
How much damage was USSR already capable of doing, in the event of a nuclear war, by the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
How many ICBMs and strategic bombers did it have, and what were their ...
2
votes
0answers
319 views
What led to Japan committing war crimes in WWII? [closed]
Japan committed cruel war crimes during World War 2.
According to this article WW2 Japanese war crimes - Japanese Invasion of China 1937-1944 (World war II two -Asian Holocaust)
and this The Asian ...
1
vote
0answers
96 views
How many times has inclement weather foiled attempts to navally invade the UK? [closed]
Inclusive of situations where inclement or unseasonable weather delayed the ability to set sail long enough that British ships/fleets were able to foil the plan by direct actions, how many times has ...
0
votes
0answers
112 views
Why have some Sahrawis become Moroccan citizens while others ended up in refugee camps?
Quoting from this article,
The Sahrawis who did not flee have been given Moroccan citizenship.
Is this all there is to the story? Much of the literature on the Western Sahara conflict overlooks why ...
1
vote
1answer
707 views
Did the 1st Marine Division use the M3 carbine on Okinawa?
I wanted to know if the 1st Marine Division used the M3 infrared sniper carbine on Okinawa during World War II.
5
votes
1answer
327 views
Was the M4 Sherman used frequently in artillery capacity?
I've heard the M4 Sherman had instruments on it that allowed it to act as an artillery piece. Is there any evidence to suggest this was effective?
I've heard that the Sherman had of course, its High ...
2
votes
3answers
322 views
Why was Hesse south of the Main left out of the North German Confederation?
When the North German Confederation was founded after the Austro-Prussian war, it included all German states north of the Main, including the part of Hesse that was north of the Main. However the ...
1
vote
2answers
206 views
Were British officers able to return home after the American Revolution?
Were defeated British officers able to return home after England lost the war or were they taken prisoner? I am writing a novel set in the aftermath of the American Revolution. What happened to the ...
40
votes
3answers
10k views
Why can I visit battlefields, but not battleships?
Why are warships declared as war graves prohibiting divers from even visiting them (let alone entering them or taking artifacts) and yet I as a pedestrian I can freely visit the Somme or any other ...
11
votes
1answer
283 views
How did the Swedish army deal with prisoners of war in the Thirty Years War?
Researching for this answer to another question I found the martial law and "Articulsbrief" (norms for the mercenary soldiers) of Sweden after the reform of the military of King Gustav II ...
-3
votes
1answer
213 views
How hard was it to produce German zeppelin pilots in World War One? [closed]
I would like to know how much time it took to train new zeppelin pilots, the cost to train them, if the airship pilots were normal airplane pilots, and the demand for them.
Any help will be ...
-2
votes
2answers
216 views
Why were/are mines ever considered sensible as a weapon? [closed]
Ever since I was a kid, up until now that I'm middle-aged, I've always wondered why, in wars or otherwise, they bother digging down mines which explode when humans tramp on/near them. This seems like ...
2
votes
0answers
112 views
Is there a historical example of two neutral armies meeting in the field? [closed]
Usually, when two armies of different nations are in close proximity to each other, it is for good reason. For example,
They are at war with each other;
There are tensions between their nations and ...
5
votes
0answers
187 views
How did U-boats enter and exit the submarine pens at Brest?
I was reading about the Brest submarine pen/bunker complex and looking at pictures of it. I was even able to locate a set of blueprints of the base here. But because of the poor quality of the image ...
2
votes
1answer
305 views
How did Japanese small boats win against Mongolian ships?
During the first attempted Mongolian invasion of Japan, fighting mostly occurred on land, just after Mongolian landings. Only local landlords were there to fight, and they did not manage well. In this ...
0
votes
2answers
313 views
Have there been any known cases of governments/military powers PRETENDING to be incompetent, as a sneaky form of security?
This intrigues me, especially after reading a lot about WW2 ciphers and sneaky techniques by the British, etc.
Are there any known/famous cases of governments/military powers consistently and ...
4
votes
5answers
776 views
What military power would ever pre-announce an attack to give the enemy time to work up a defense?
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval
base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, on the morning of ...
9
votes
3answers
4k views
Could besieged medieval cities develop a micro-economy during wars to endure the siege for long time? [closed]
During the medieval age, one of the main reasons that pushed besieged cities to capitulate was the exhaustion of provisions (foods,water,drugs...) that maintain the every-day life of the city ...
29
votes
5answers
9k views
Why did the Allies Invade French North Africa?
Question: Why did the allies invade Vichy French North Africa?
Operation Torch was the name of the Anglo American Invasion of French North Africa. Both of the American most ...
4
votes
1answer
204 views
What was the likely death toll of the Tudor invasion of ireland?
Ben Kiernan uses the Tudor Conquest of Ireland as an example of an early modern genocidal campaign in his book Blood and Soil. While he quotes extensive contemporary description of depopulated ...
-1
votes
3answers
229 views
Has there ever been a war where 2 parties who were at war with each other cooperated on a strike against a third party? [duplicate]
Has there ever been a situation where the following conditions applied:
At the same point in time
A is actively war with B on battlefield 1
other troops of both sides work together* against C on ...
