I hear many people say that it was mainly (some even say only) that they were the SS who were responsible for crimes and genocide during WW2. I know all the sides had some shady sides but they were not comparable then what the Germans and Japanese did. So is the Wehrmacht did contributed to the murders and genocide or they were just common soldiers with theirs sometimes shady side ?

Throughout the period of the Principate the army seems like a pretty good place to be. If you’re a tenant farmer looking for regular meals and regular pay, or you got the wrong girl pregnant, or there was a misunderstanding with a local gang in your local tavern; running away and joining the army seems like the thing to do. If you’re an aristocrat, military service is a prerequisite for any kind of public life.

By the 4th century, military recruitment is almost all through conscription, we have laws promising punishment for those who mutilate themselves to avoid the draft, and the landed elite not only no longer full the officer ranks, but have nothing but contempt for the army.

What happened both materially and socially to make the army an institution that many did not want to belong to?

I’d assume most went towards the Byzantine Empire, but what else?

I have not seen many films that take place before or in the early stages of the colonization of the Mayas. Representing their culture, way of life and traditions on the stunning backdrop of Yucatan. And being a fan of horror and mystical films, I entertained an idea to write a script where the 'monster' is an allegory for the colonization, evangelists or disease that starts killing people off. Was wondering what do you think on the idea? And do you know anything else that could be an interesting allegory or story I can base it on?

Thanks!

I have many Chinese friends, but they all seem to come from the region of Fujian in China. I know they speak a different language from Han Chinese and they seem to understand Singaporean Chinese better than those from Beijing. Can someone give a brief history of migrations of Chinese people to the Philippines since Hispanic times until today? Some Chinese families lived here after the Civil War. My boss personally came here as a refugee from Taiwan.

I became interested after reading this passage about Mondino's female (assistant) anatomist, and wondered how an Italian educated women can get hired for a job in the middle ages.

She became most valuable to Mondino because she would cleanse most skilfully the smallest vein, the arteries, all ramifications of the vessels, without lacerating or dividing them, and to prepare them for demonstration she would fill them with various colored liquids, which, after having been driven into the vessels, would harden without destroying the vessels. Again, she would paint these same vessels to their minute branches so perfectly and color them so naturally that, added to the wonderful explanations and teachings of the master, they brought him great fame and credit. [Cronaca Persicetana]

Curious if anything came over from England. I read that instruments like the Cittern were popular around that time in England and could see it as a good time killer. That said, I could see the puritans frowning on such practices

I understand most of you may have never heard of this theory but Basically here is the claim is that the battle of hasting was mere propaganda used by the Normans in the age as there were no remains or arrow heads in the sight.

Based off my limited exposure to post-Christian Norse works much of their mythology is presented in fairly, for lack of a better word, superficial manner. i.e. the stories are to be taken literally with no significant symbolic reading.

Compare this with Hindu mythology which on a superficial level is equally bizarre but when read in its proper historical/philosophical context is actually deeply symbolic and presenting conscious philosophical and theological positions.

Given the literary sophistication of say the Poetic Edda, and the reasonable level of development of Norse society even prior to Christianisation I’m wondering if I’m simply lacking some cultural context.

I've just watched the great Extra Credits videos on the Incas in YT. I've already watched Netflix Perú - Tesoro Escondido and Magical Andes is next.

I've also purchased two books:

• La Rebelión de Tupac Amaru by Charles Walker; and
• Historia del Tahuantinsuyu by María Rostworoski

Can you recommend me anything else on the Inca civilization, preferably in Portuguese, English or Spanish?

Recommendations on other Andean or Peruvian civilizations are also welcome.

I have been told, in this subreddit even, that the Manchu elites went to lengths to maintain a divide between themselves and the Han majority, and thus preserve their culture and restrict large scale settlement by Chinese in Manchuria until the end of the 19th century. I would assume that would probably help keep their language at least alive but instead it seems to be deader than disco, why is this? Did they just not put much value on the linguistic aspects on Manchu identity? I understand that in China today languages like Mongolian are still pretty widely spoken with their associated ethnic groups, what was the difference between something like that and Manchu?

Wouldn’t a small guillotine be way faster and safer than hacking with saws and no anaesthetic?

I'm particularly interested in the experiences of infantrymen armed with firearms in urban combat from 17th-19th century in Europe preferably, but I'm more than happy to hear tales from all over the world. Did firearms change the way in which urban warfare was conducted? Was there any unique aspects to this type of warfare due to muskets?

What is the physical process one would use to map something like the Italian peninsula, or the Mediterranean, in 100BCE? 200 BCE? 40BC? 200CE? Even early Post-Classical maps? Anything like this would be great.

1. Did it exist?
2. Was it really as large as it appears on some older maps?
3. If so, it was the largest empire to have ever existed, so why is not even mentioned in history books in the west?

I’m interested to know about the types of food and drink served in medieval inns and taverns. My (light) research has centred on Great British inns.

I’ve learned a bit about the meal “pottage”, but I was wondering if more “proper” meals were served (somewhat like modern restaurants). If so, what dishes were commonplace for the lower class?

Additionally, was mead and wine widely available, or were the choices largely limited to drinks like beer and ale in the average tavern?

Finally, how was it served? Were there bars like modern pubs, or was food and drink ordered and served some other way?

My understanding that is due to antiusury laws, the use of “living gages” could be used in which a crusader could give their land to a fellow noble/church in exchange for cash to fund their crusade.

And that the rents of these properties could be collected by the lender and would go toward paying off the lender.

If the crusader were killed on crusade, how would these properties be handled? Since the loan would in time be paid off via rents, would the lender need to grant the land back to family members of the crusader? Was there any concept of next of kin? Or was the property considered permanently transferred?

How did they plan to defeat the Axis powers? Did they have a plan at all?

I’m always fascinated whenever i read about their relationship, but it feels like at some point their relationship must have deteriorated or just lost the intimacy that it once had, because Robert had other affairs and eventually remarried. And he also greatly angered the queen when he accepted the post of governor-general of the united provinces. How close were they by the time of Robert’s death?

Late XIX century America is portrayed as a wild and unlawful land, but post WW1 America is portrayed as a civilised land. How did that transition happen?