Specifically from 1080-1200? I have ancestors who played important roles in this time and I’d like to know what it was like being in combat for them.

To narrow down the time frame, I’ll ask about the Byzantine Senate during both Justin’s and Justinian’s reigns.

Anyway, it’s often said that by the time of the Byzantine Empire/Eastern Roman Empire, the Senate had lost any real political relevance centuries ago. Being a senator still had some prestige, but the senate itself had no true power. I don’t know if that conception is completely accurate, but nevertheless it is how many places describe the Senate during the Byzantine era. Despite its overall irrelevance however, the Senate still met. What I’m curious about is what did the Senator actually do during their meetings. I can’t imagine all them all actually sitting together quietly, but what did the senators talk about together?

Ive only listened to the podcast, I didn't know there was an article. I thought the podcast was very interesting and I've learned more from it than I did in school. Why are people so angry about it? Whats the controversy? What is so inaccurate about it?

I’ve heard that English Knight Armor from this time period was made of “iron and steel”, but does it get any more specific/diverse than that? Were any iron alloys besides steel (like wrought iron, for example) favored when making knight armor? Or did they only use regular iron and steel?

I heard that the First Crusade was a response to Christians being persecuted? Were there systematic persecution towards them or any widespread attacks? Or was the Crusades just to help the Byzantine Emperor but it devolved into something else?

The siege of Magdeburg in the 30 years war killed 25,000 of it’s 30,000 citizens (Atrocities, Matthew White). And left it so devastated that “the city burned for three days”, with “the living drawling from under the dead” and “infants sucking the breasts of their lifeless mothers”. The survivors were mainly women who were kept by the mercenaries who besieged the city. Today Magdeburg has a population of 230,000. Why wasn’t Magdeburg, and many other destroyed cities simply abandoned?

In the late 1700s, China enjoyed a large trade surplus with the west, exporting tea and porcelain, but demanding silver in return as there was little demand for western exports. This led to the Opium Wars, in which the superiority of British weaponry was a decisive factor. Why, prior to the outbreak of hostilities, had China not sought to import western armaments as part of its trade with the west?

I'm a second son in 10th century Scandinavia who wants to join the Varangian Guard to make my fortune. How would I go about doing this? Would I travel to Constantinople and directly ask to join or would I find a recruiter in my homeland?

I'm watching the history of the entire world, i guess by Bill Wurtz (a very academic and reputable source, I know) and I realized that no textbook I've ever encountered has ever talked in depth about European's reaction to the New World, most of them just gave a very meager description. Did they feel like how America felt with the Moon landing, were they in denial/ ignorance about what they just found? Was there indifference, ambivalence or backlash? What about the rest of Europe? I’m so curious to know about the diverse range of opinions on it!

I recently found out that in Vietnam the American “percent that died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II”. Why is this the case?

Please cite sources.

I would love to know more about my native country, and colonization by Britain seems like a good starting point. 1700s to 1800s is what I prefer, but a general book about its entire history is great too. I came here to ask large historians who know which books actually explain it properly rather than be biased.

Obviously, as it is a novel Shaara used a great deal of artistic license. But I still found it interesting that he portrays a disconnect in Lee’s mind between himself and the 4th of July, having him say, “Wouldn’t it be ironic if we should gain our independence from them, on their own Independence Day?” Would Lee, who served in the US Army for 22 years before joining the Confederacy, and whose own wife was the step-great-granddaughter of George Washington, really have felt this way? What was the general Confederate attitude towards Independence Day, given its importance to every state’s independence from Great Britain? Specifically found on page 250 of the 2011 Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Edition.

error in title - should read "What was unique about the 20th century women's suffrage movement that made it successful?"

Hi,

I'm currently reading a book about ancient Rome (Augustus by John Williams) and was struck by the journals of Julia, Octavius' daughter and how it details women's life in the Roman Empire. Women have historically been given less rights than men across different cultures and time periods for a very long time. I was curious - what were the factors that allowed for the eventual progress and success of the women's suffrage movement? Why did it take so many thousands of years?