Recently I've been looking at some of Portugal less known battles and they won many battles against the odds. I know some numbers might be exaggerated. Most battles sieges, Portugal being the defender, but even so how could 1.200 Portuguese soldiers fend off 150.000 Ottomans at the Siege of Chaul. Is it because of a superior edge in weaponry or pure military mastermind ?

Looking for history of witch trials in general, in which I would hypothetically be able to convince those in the trial to give my innocence, through accounts of those who were able to do so. such trials elsewhere in the world where witch trials were present is also welcome.

I understand that the allies found that denazification of great importance, at least directly following the war, but did Italy undergo any such process to try and eradicate pro-fascist sentiment and ideas? I understand that the conditions were different, but it seems that it would still be undesirable to have any existing fascist leaders and sentiment in positions of influence.

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I took a DNA test and it says I am par Steppe Turkic as was Genghis Khan, does thin mean I may be his descendants, as he had 16 Million?

Looking up some information on this subject, but I feel like all the research points to Iraq and their extreme interrogation tactics against Kuwait and some U.S troops as well. Did the U.S. use any interrogation methods of torture during the first Gulf War?

One part of history that always confused me is how it took science a long time to get people to believe in microbes and how actual infections worked, yet small pox blankets were famously used against natives.

I know the miasma theory was still common up until the early 1900s. Was the blanket thing related to that a little, the "bad air" of a sick person coughing on it? Basically how aware were they of what they were doing? Did they think using the blankets would make them sick in general or they knew it would spread a specific illness?

It's commonly asserted that he suffered from incontrollable rage and pathological cruelty, but he seems to me to have been... well, a harsh tsar, but not deranges. The episode with him accidentally beating his son to death doesn't strike me as indicative of anything but the fact that getting into fistcuffs with your dad was a terrible idea, especially if your dad happened to be the king.

Reading material is appreciated too!

I kinda murdered that title, but hopefully it makes sense.

Im writing a paper on connections to classical mythology in Harry Potter and it occurred to me that while there are a ton of recognizable figures in Greek Mythology (Zeus, Athena, Helen of Troy, Chiron, Hades, Gaea, Hercules, ect) there are very few big names in English Folklore (King Arthur, Merlin, I cant think of any others right now) Most of the stories if they are about people are just un-named folk referenced to usually just by their connection to one another (3 brothers, the witches, a beggar, ect)

Is there any study's as to how or why this change happened?

For example, America from Texas westward from about 1830 to 1900.

I'm wondering because I'm looking for alternatives to tampons. Also wondering why they are so taboo (though I assume its got something to do with christianity).

But given its role in health and fertility, was it ever celebrated?

I'm assuming it must have some exceptional value for Tito to separate from the Soviet Union over it.

Thank you for your insights.

asking for a friend.

I've been looking at some primary texts referring to Joan of Arc, and she would often be quoted as "going to France" as though she wasn't there already. But my understanding is that she lived in Bar, which was part of France itself. So what did she actually mean by that?

I’d imagine it wouldn’t be Roman, because of the whole Punic stuff. Was it Greek?