Was there any war in the medieval times where the weapons were smeared with things known to cause infections? Where and when did it happen and what was the outcome?

Why isn’t the Spanish Flu not taught in American curriculum?

With Coronavirus and everyone referencing the Spanish Flu of 1918 as a reminder of the the how the world responds to pandemic situations, how does a global epidemic like the Spanish Flu not talked about often in schools when it killed around 100 Million people worldwide (more than WW2, WW1, Vietnam, Iraq, and the American Civil War combined) with large cultural,political, and generational implications?

It’s been a while since I’ve been out of high school, but remembering back at my high school history classes, the Spanish Flu seems to be looked over unless something has changed since I graduated in 2013.

Here's some back story: My great great grandfather served in both world wars on the European front. That's all we ever found out from him. I've been trying to solve this mystery (purely out of curiosity). Where can I find information such as his rank, branch, etc?

Do I just walk around singing about ribbons frayed and torn until they find me? Do I stroll into the Sinn Fein office? How will my family and friends treat me when I do this? Is there any sort of procedure or ritual for joining the IRA? How do other IRA members know I'm in it? How do I prove I'm trustworthy? How much do I have to hide being an IRA member in general?

(To be clear this post is referring to the Provos and not the old IRA. I am also curious about what it was like to be in the PIRA in the RoI so if that's what you know that's fine too.)

In my limited knowledge it seemed 3rd rate ships or better were awesomely powerful. At least 74 guns with many of those being BIG boys, thick armor, speed, and a full attachment of Marines. Were there any tactics that could be employed by the smaller ships in numbers to successfully overcome such an adversary?

The voyage that took the Portuguese explorer across the Indian Ocean was a turning point in European history as well the History of colonialism. In this context

1. Did the design of the ship contribute in the Mariner's ability to traverse the waters around africa?
2. What were the living quarters like on the ship and how many members of the crew did it house. How were supplies stored and used on the ship?
3. What were the means of sanitation and what kind of toilets did the ship have?
4. What were the weapons on board?

I’ve done some surface reading on the General Alexander Suvorov’s campaigns through the Alps which sounded like something out of every general’s wet dream. Not to mention he also led a string of stunning victories against the Ottomans earlier, and that some of other Russia’s finest generals (Kutuzov, Bagration, etc) were his pupils-all of which sounded very fascinating. However, his most important accomplishments were, apparently, the reforms that he helped instituted into the organization and training of the Imperial Russian army. What were exactly these reforms and what profound changes did it make?

I don't think communism and democracy necessarily go against each-other ideologically. Like the idea of equalizing everyone through the government could also include everyone having a vote. The revolution most likely couldn't be done through peaceful means (either the vote never passes or once it passes those negatively effected revolt), but afterwards couldn't the authoritarian revolutionist government establish a democracy? Or is communism always doomed to devolve into a dictatorship from the revolutionist government leaders wanting to maintain power? Are there any historical examples of Democratic Communism?

If you discuss the American Civil War long enough, you’ll eventually run into the phrase “Lost Cause Revisionism” or “The Lost Cause”. It seems to be largely associated with neo-confederates and racism, but I have yet to find a strict definition of the term. While I’m obviously an amateur, it seems that the Confederacy could be called a “lost cause” from a military point of view, especially given the proto-total war that the American Civil War became. However, it seems that Lost Cause Revisionism is more about justifying secession than appraising the Southern military position. What exactly is “Lost Cause Revisionism”?

I was reading about a WW2 naval battle in which a British ship lost its bridge to a German salvo. The piece mentioned that most of the officers were killed immediately, but that the ship was able to continue fighting until it was finally sunk later on. How does a ship continue to fight if its officers and command structure are crippled?

Who or what were the “whites” and the “grays” of the OSS in the pacific theatre during WW2? Listening to History Writer Chris O’Donnell in an interview on “the team house” podcast, where he was asked exactly that, and he declined to answer. Would love to find out more.

We know that the Byzantines weren’t called the Byzantines, they called themselves Romans but for how long were there people that saw themselves as Romans?

My grandfather is being referenced here (he passed when I was only 8 years old). I’m just curious about how American politics and American culture at the time affected him. I heard stories of his own encounters with antisemitism, but I’m not aware of the General history of antisemitism in the American south during the 1940s. Any info would be nice!

Appearing in songs such as Solidarity Forever and Blood on the Risers, this tune is recognized by everyone. But where does it come from? What song was the first to use this famous melody?

The Fuero de Jaca (Charter of Jaca, 1076 AD) has as its 24th clause:

And if any man seize as pledge the Saracen man or woman of his neighbour, let him put him in my palace; and the lord of the male and female Saracen shall give him bread and water, because he is a human being and should not starve like a beast.

What is meant by 'seize as pledge'? Does it mean the taking of hostages? As in, if a deal is made between a noble of Aragon and a Taifa that requires that the Taifa provide hostages, the hostages in question are to be kept in the palace of the King of Aragon and food is to be provided for the hostages by the Taifa in question?

Thank you.

I'm watching "For a Few Dollars More," and Lee Van Cleef steps into the saloon, and darned if it isn't the same setup as every saloon in every Western T.V. show and movie:

• Bar on the right (or sometimes to the back)

• Upright piano on the left

• Staircase on the left of the back wall, leading up to a second floor with either inn rooms or a brothel.

Is this a faithful recreation of an old West watering hole? Or just Hollywood reusing its sets?

Even the recent "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" uses the same layout for its Western scenes -- though I think this is intentional -- an homage to old Western sets.