How histocally accurate is NHK's Dokuganryu Masamune?

In 1987, NHK produced a TV series about the daimyō Date Masamune called Dokuganryū Masamune, starring Ken Watanabe. My question is simple, is there any historiographical value in the series? How historically accurate it is? Any further notes on the show are very welcome.

Thank you for your time.

1 Answers 2018-07-28

How far did Roman influence extend into the Sahara desert?

Looking at any generic map of the Roman Empire, it seems like for Roman control of North Africa everyone just drew a line mirroring the coastline a few miles inward for the most part. How deep into the Sahara did Roman control go at its peak? Were the tribes of the Sahara outside of Roman reach a constant threat or a friendly neighbour?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

What did medieval medicine get right?

Surely there must have been some treatments, remedies, or surgeries that people in the medieval era got right, so do we have any evidence of things that were effective?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

When the Soviet Union fell, did the former republics argue over who kept the nuclear weapons?

How did Russia end up with all of them? Was there any discussion of the others receiving any?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

The Roman revolution and its roving gangs

When one reads of the Roman revolution, one learns of gangs raised by various political actors (famously Catilina, Clodius, Milo), with some gangs even being used to oppose other gangs.

What I do wonder about is the seeming readiness and ease with which gangs and even armies could be raised. What does this say about the condition of the lower classes from which these gangs were raised (actually, I don't know what the ordo of the typical gang member might be), and what sort of awareness of that condition did the senatorial class posses? And did anyone think to address, rather than exploit this condition?

I would also imagine that there was a client / patron relationship between these gangs and political actor who raised them. What sort of a quid pro quo would have been expected in such a situation?

As a practical matter, what tangible actions were these gangs intended to carry out (excepting the direct opposition of another gang)? Were they merely meant to threaten and intimidate? Harass and sabotage? What tactics did they employ to achieve their goals?

Finally, if it turns out that there are few primary sources which address any of these matters, are there any techniques which can be reasonably applied towards an answer?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

Saturday Showcase | July 28, 2018

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Today:

AskHistorians is filled with questions seeking an answer. Saturday Spotlight is for answers seeking a question! It’s a place to post your original and in-depth investigation of a focused historical topic.

Posts here will be held to the same high standard as regular answers, and should mention sources or recommended reading. If you’d like to share shorter findings or discuss work in progress, Thursday Reading & Research or Friday Free-for-All are great places to do that.

So if you’re tired of waiting for someone to ask about how imperialism led to “Surfin’ Safari;” if you’ve given up hope of getting to share your complete history of the Bichon Frise in art and drama; this is your chance to shine!

2 Answers 2018-07-28

How prevalent was pre-marriage casual sex for Medieval royalties?

And was it all that acceptable (or at least not frowned upon) to begin with?

I swear I’ve tried Googling this for like an hour and haven’t found a remotely relevant answer. Thank you in advance for any answers.

1 Answers 2018-07-28

Where did the idea of the atomic bomb originate?

First post here, and on mobile so I'm sorry if I'm breaking any rules or this has been answered before, if it has been please link it. Thank you :).

So my question is in the title; where did the idea of the atomic bomb originate? For context I'm curious as to what brought upon this concept since to my understanding it was concieved either prior to or early on in WWII, despite there being such little nuclear fission technology and understanding along with little use of a weapon so powerful.

On those lines, how did physicists know/theorize it would work? Especially considering they obviously couldn't test it before the millions of dollars were poured into it.

1 Answers 2018-07-28

About the Holodomor

I am aware that the Holodomor is controversial, but how can we deny that it is a genocide (man-made and planned) when the political opposition in Ukraine (mostly, but also Moldova) was exterminated by stalinists and that the Holodomor is recognized internationally as a genocide (by the EU and the UN) and by historians such as Timothy Snyder? Do you think that there is no political bias involved to make Stalin look less worse than he already is (maybe to avoid false equivalencies with Hitler)?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

Why, even if it was defeated by Italy, Ethiopia/Abyssinia is considered the only african country to "escape" colonization?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

Multiple history teachers have said during classes I was in that England put little effort into the American Revolutionary War effectively letting the colonies win. Is there any truth to that?

Their argument is that England was among, if not THE, the largest military in the world and the American colonies should have stood no chance of a military victory if England had really been trying.

Now, I get that the colonies would probably have lost if the full might of the English army and navy were brought against them, which I’m sure it wasn’t.

1 Answers 2018-07-28

As I understand it Companies & corporations didn't exist during the time of imperial Rome. Does that mean all the ships transporting commodities around the Mediterranean were directly owned by the imperial government?

like suppose I'm the Captain of grain ship & I regularly do the run between Rome and Carthage in the 150s AD, Who do I work for?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

Would an armored car be able to traverse no man's land?

I create plans for weapons, vehicles and tactics from different time periods as a hobby. I recently started thinking about making a WWI breakthrough doctrine, and designing the weapons/vehicles needed for it. I was thinking about having heavier tanks similar to a British Mark IV, supported by lighter vehicles. I was wondering if these lighter vehicles could perhaps be wheeled, with just enough armor to stop rifle fire, and maybe a machine gun in a turret, or if they should be more like the British Whippet or French Renault FT. Thanks in advance!

1 Answers 2018-07-28

How involved was the CIA in the crack epidemic? Is this primarily an urban legend or grounded in truth? Is there any substance to the charge that they deliberately funneled the drug to inner city neighborhoods in the 1980s?

3 Answers 2018-07-28

Why did U-boats not sink escorts in WW2?

A large fleet of U-boats first destroying escorts, and then attacking the convoys with impunity. Why did this not work?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

Hermann Goering quotes

I was watching the film Nuremberg (2000 Film) and the character Hermann Goering said "What was Hiroshima? Was it not your medical experiment? Would Americans have dropped bombs as easily on Germany as it did upon Japan, killing as many civilians as possible? I think not. To an American’s sensibility, a Caucasian child is considerably more human than a Japanese child."

I know this is unlikely to be an actual Goering quote. But perhaps such views were expressed by others at the time? Anybody have any insights into this?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

If Octavian/Augustus was the undisputed ruler of the Roman world following the Battle of Actium, why is his reign as emperor typically dated to four years later in 27 BC?

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1 Answers 2018-07-28

How succesful were the anti-religious policies of the Soviet Union?

I know Lenin was a staunch atheist and the official stance was always anti-religious. Did this result in actual policies? More precisely: did the Russian people (and other citizens of the Soviet Union) actually become less religious as a result?

I think it's safe to say religiosity survived the Soviet Union, since the current Russian president seeks the allegiance of the Russian-Orthodox church, apparently a societal actor worth seeking out. But that probably falls foul of the 20-year rule.

1 Answers 2018-07-28

How would have an impoverished, mentally ill person in 1860s Chicago been handled?

1 Answers 2018-07-28

How did the national opinion on The Prohibition of alcohol change in the years leading up to, during, and after prohibition laws were in effect?

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1 Answers 2018-07-28

Historians of reddit how hard is it to become a historian ?

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2 Answers 2018-07-28

Why would a marriage cancel a government debt in 1830 North Carolina?

Hello! My question was triggered by a genealogy search, but it's really about the culture of North Carolina in 1830.

I learned that my ancestors had 3 children before they were married. I didn't find an actual marriage license or contract. Instead, what I found was a government document where North Carolina agreed to cancel a 500-pound debt my great+ grandfather owed if he married my great+ grandmother.

Here's a copy of the document.

I don't expect anyone to know or research my ancestors. It's pretty clear they weren't legally married, and that mattered to the State, so the State did something to rectify that. My question is, "Why?"

What was going on culturally in 1830 North Carolina that the legal marriage of a couple of nobodies would make it worth the State canceling such a large debt? 500 pounds now is a goodly sum. In 1830, it must have seemed unreachable. That seems an awful lot to cancel for a simple marriage.

Also, why was the amount described in pounds? Google tells me the US adopted the dollar in 1792. And my ancestors were both born in Lincoln Co., North Carolina. That's weird, right?

I know I'm asking for conjecture. I'm not looking for an answer as to why my ancestors were able to make this deal. I just want to understand the culture that could make such an agreement. I hope that's not too broad.

2 Answers 2018-07-28

How did medieval Arabic states and people see themselves or refer to themselves?

Whenever I've researched the history of the Middle East (and Persia and India as well) I've noticed that most states and kingdoms are referred to by the name of the ruling dynasty. So, the Abbasid Caliphate, the Seljuk Sultanate, the Almoravid dynasty, etc. There are some exceptions, but this seems to be a general rule when talking about that region.

I'm curious as to why though, since most "Western" nations are referred to by their geographic location, or primary ethnicity. Is that just how convention dictates Islamic countries are referred to in the west? Or is that how they referred to themselves?

If not, how did Islamic or Arabic states see themselves or refer to themselves? Would a king of Ayyubid Egypt refer to himself as the ruler of Egypt, or of the Ayyubid Dynasty/Kingdom?

When the Abbasids replaced the Umayyads as rulers of the Caliphate, did they see themselves as a new dynasty in control of the same Empire, or as an entirely new state?

How about the people who lived in these places? How did they see themselves? Would a person describe themselves as an Umayyad? If asked by someone from outside, where would someone from the Umayyad Caliphate say they were from?

I guess this is really several questions, but they all tie into how Islamic/Arabic nations and peoples saw themselves. It seems to be different than Western self-designations, but I have no idea if this is how they saw themselves, or if it's a Western imposition.

1 Answers 2018-07-28

Punishment for Nazis who refused to commit war crimes or participate in the Holocaust?

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1 Answers 2018-07-28

What are the historical explanations as to why Stalin trusted Hitler wouldn't attack the Soviet Union despite the mountain of evidence that suggested an invasion?

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1 Answers 2018-07-28

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