This is something that has confused me because I can't find really good reliable sources in my research(which isn't a lot) of this subject.

I know that the Allies achieved quite a few success in terms of deceiving the Axis forces opposite them at Normandy, mainly convincing them the main attack would come at Calais with a completely fictious field Army under Patton. But I am sure not all the deceptions were equally successful, and one I am particular curious about is Paradummies? I don't have a lot of background on them, for example how long they made noise for, how many were dropped, or how effective they were in delaying the Germans. Were there accounts of German squads exchanging fire, or giving up their positions, or regrouping and closing in on these dummies? Or was the deception effective in other ways?

If it was a large amount if prisoners of war (for example) I’m also interested in the logistics of how this was done. All I really know is from Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto. Were the prisoners kept in cages awaiting sacrifice? Was its purpose to be a public spectacle like the Roman arenas? Was cannibalism of the victims really a significant source of food as I’ve sometimes heard?

A secondary question which can be ignored if people don't feel like answering; Trotsky was the co-leader of the Russian Revolution, so his historical analysis of it is undoubtedly biased (to his credit he acknowledges this in the first pages of the book) - but when I read it I found that he leaned on a wide variety of primary and secondary sources both supportive and opposed to the revolution, and refrained from writing anecdotally based on his own personal perspective. Does this book hold up, historiographically?

Hey r/askhistorians

Other than some of the more famous subjects--Dungeons and Dragons, heavy metal, He-man and the Masters of the Universe, et cetera--what were some of the lesser known subjects that drew fire during the satanic moral panic that was prominent during the '80s and early '90s (and beyond, I suppose)?

From swords as grave goods to knives used in medieval crimes to laser scalpels, tell us what kinds of sharp objects people in your area used, and a story about how they used them!

I'm Interested in learning about historically significant figures throughout any time period in history, any recommendations? I am hoping for something in the 300-400 page range, or less.

I recently read and really enjoyed Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator by Oleg Khlevniuk.

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To be clear: I do not consider people of color to be less intelligent.

A new acquaintance threw this out during a political conversation. When I pressed him on proof, he would only respond with “just saying.” I had never heard this before and have been trying to research but I’m not finding anything about it online.

To a point, I can see a combination of poorly funded, segregated schools as well as the psychological and social pressures of segregation leading to lower academic achievement that isn’t immediately “fixed” by desegregation. That’s only my layman’s take on it, though. I would love to hear an expert’s opinion and check out some vetted sources.

“Managing the entire UN emergency response to the staggering influx into India of some 10 million Bengalis. Pakistan had forced them out of their homes in the Eastern part of the country which would soon become Bangladesh.” This is an excerpt of “Chasing the Flame; Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World” By Samantha Powers. It is discussing the refugee crisis in India in 1971. Did this crisis lead to the creation of Bangladesh? Why were some Bengalis in Eastern Pakistan and some in Eastern India? Were the people in Eastern Pakistan ethnically Bengali and were they forced hundreds of miles into what is now Bangladesh which then became it’s own country? How did Pakistani forces force the Bengalis over 2000 miles away? What were the repercussions? Did the Bengalis from the different region have a similar culture/language/society? Is this a part of Bangladesh’s problems today?

Hello I was recently reading a book about the history of the Arabian peninsula, and it said that they had first discovered oil in the arabian peninsula in 1938. But during world war 2, no countries were desperate to get the oil fields, so they obviously didn't know about how much oil was in the Arabian peninsula. Can someone please tell me when the oil industry in Arabia became leading in the world's oil supply and the process in which it happened? Thanks, Andy.

I'm interested in learning more about religious beliefs during the Roman republic/early empire period, when the Romans officially worshipped the Pagan Gods. Are there any sources to show atheism amongst the population or nobility? Were atheists outcasts in society?

I find the regimes/movements of 20th century South America very interesting but also difficult to truly grasp. And Peronism has to be one of the slipperiest ideologies/movements of all! Some insight would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Is there an written sources or archeological evidence on how Roman slaves were treated

"I never heard the words 'atomic bomb,' " he tells Radio Diaries. "We were only told what we needed to know, and keep your mouth shut."

The last surviving crew member told NPR this. What did they need to know to execute the mission? What would have be different from a regular mission?

Were they tipped off at being hand selected the night before? I read one of the crew members was told it would end or shorten the war.

Based on my limited and amateur knowledge of the subject, many people believe Richard III murdered the Princes in the Tower. I'm curious as to why the debate over the innocence of Richard III seems to have attracted so much interest, especially in non-academic circles (even before the rediscovery of his remains in 2012). Why does the Richard III society exist? Why do so many portrayals of him in popular culture (such as the Phillipa Gregory "Cousin's War" novels and associated TV shows or the historical novel The Sunne in Splendour) exonerate him or portray him in a positive light? Or, in other words, what is it about Richard III that makes people so willing to defend him 500 years later?

I'm just curious. I was on facebook and I found an image saying that it was over 100,000 (please note I'm looking at civilians alone.) and I was wondering what the actual number is.

Also how many civilians died in Pearl Harbor? I saw on the internet it said 68, is that accurate?