Image: https://imgur.com/a/2QWNCfD
My third cousin and I are attempting to identify the soldier in the photo. We assume he is a member of our family, which narrows it down considerably to a list of possible identities, but we want to be sure. We also don't know enough about WWI and its military uniforms & style to really even know where to begin. That said, I have tried to do some basic research based on a few assumptions, and here's what I've come up with:
Because this part of our family is Italian, I assumed that the man in the photograph is Italian, and looked up Italian WWI uniforms to corroborate that assumption. That assumption would appear to be correct. For the sake of certainty, what do you all think? Is the man in the photograph an Italian soldier, or were there other countries whose military outfits looked like that during WWI? If so, what countries?
I assumed that the "74" on his cap refers to his regiment. I researched regiment 74, and came up with the Lombardia Brigade. However, at first glance, this seems wrong, because our family is from a little town in Torino, and Torino doesn't appear to be part of the 74th Regiment's Recruitment District. Furthermore, none of our relatives' names appear on that website. That said, those names all appear to pertain to folks who died in the war, and not all of our relatives who fought in WWI died during WWI. Plus, I think the list could be incomplete. Does the "74" on the man's cap definitively refer to his regiment? Could it be incorrect somehow? Could it be possible for someone from the province of Torino to have ended up in a regiment with no recruitment jurisdiction in Torino, and how? Is there someplace I can find a roster of all Italian WWI soldiers, so that once I confirm his regiment I might possibly confirm his identity?
According to this, depending on the color of the star, a single star rank either pertains to a 2nd Lieutenant, or a Brigadier General. The 2nd Lieutenant star is gold, and the Brigadier General star is silver. I assume that the man depicted was a 2nd Lieutenant at the time the photograph was taken. Considering the ranks' corresponding star colors, the fact that at the time only black and white photography existed, and that his stars appear to be darkened in the photograph by a photo-"editing" technique of the time, I'm basing my assumption of the man's rank off the conclusion that gold stars would probably have been darkened in photography, while silver stars lightened. Is that logic sound, or is there other logic that supports the idea that the man in the photo is a 2nd Lieutenant, and can I therefore consider it beyond a reasonable doubt that the man depicted in the photograph was a 2nd Lieutenant at the time the photograph was taken?
Thank you very much for any and all help you guys can give me! I apologize in advance if these questions don't belong here. If that is the case, please [if possible] direct me to a better subreddit for my research! Thank you!
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Did the Romans create Christianity and/or play any major role in the creation of the religious texts of the new testament? This is not a question concerning the Council of Nicaea and the "cannonizing" of the text, but well before then, what role, if any, did the Roman political elite have in the origins of the new testament?
1 Answers 2018-05-02
Due to countries teaching different curriculum and seeing events very differently is there a chance we are not correct in our historical facts?
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What were the methods of divination? Were there professional diviners, or was it something anyone could do? Were diviners men, women, or both?
I'm interested in the height of the Aztec Empire, from the reigns of Itzcoatl to Moctezuma II (1427-1520).
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For instance if I could go back in time to 1720, would an average American sound indistinguishable from a Brit, barely distinguishable, or very different? Even though I assume it happened gradually, when did the "split" roughly happen?
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Watching a Dogfights(tv show) episode about Old 666's MoH mission and it said Japanese fighters attacked from the front, inverted so that they could dive faster; is this historically accurate or creative license/dramatization?
Clip here: https://youtu.be/4eDPyvyt-MQ?t=23m58s Old 666: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_666
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I’m really interested in this. I’m from the Netherlands and I didn’t have any classes about this. The only thing I know about this is that there were a bunch of people riding around on horses with guns. But what were cowboy’s for example, and why were they there? What kind of civilizations was it and why?
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was it because of the Hejaz railway being destroyed? if you do answer I need a source thank you!!
1 Answers 2018-05-02
The book was Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.
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I would especially like to know if there are primary sources explaining the climate of major southern cities such as Atlanta or New Orleans to Western Europeans prior to their immigrations.
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I recently read that both Edward VII and George V both were tattooed throughout their lives. Being as prestigious as they were, do we have any surviving records of what these tattoos may have looked like/ are there any historical recreations based on primary sources?
1 Answers 2018-05-02
I'm going to move from a European country to the UK to study a History undergrad. I'd say I have an above average insight on history but I still want to start learning more "specifics" (because right now most of my knowledge comes from school history books) before I go there so I can steadily get more and more information to my head. I know it's a broad question but where should I start if I have a good base of knowledge? I'm not even sure what I'm asking so all ideas are welcome!
(Also: if anyone here has studied History in the UK, specifically in Scotland, I'd love to hear more about that.)
Thanks in advance :)
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Was it a major issue for either side? Did it wreak havoc with compasses and radios?
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P. N. Oak published a variety of Hindu Revisionist books starting from 1989, declaring the Taj Mahal, The Kaaba, Westminister Abbey, and the Vatican, among other things, as Hindu monuments converted by others in the world. From my experience in India, a large number of believers of Indic religions believe in his theories, despite their contradiction by nearly every other historian. This is especially true with tour guides I’ve had.
How did P. N. Oak formulate his evidence, and why did that catch on so quickly? Is it being taught in Indian schools as history? Are there any examples of other historians publicizing similar revisionist history and catching on as belief within certain ethnic or religious groups?
Relatedly, was there truth to the claim leveled against Babri Masjid, that there was a Hindu temple also underneath that Mosque?
1 Answers 2018-05-02
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I have seen there were various forms of certain items of armour throughout 15th century and I am curious how did they come about, and in generally how were they different from one another?
For example there were several different types of helmets like sallets, kettle hats, bascinets, capacetes, morions... Did some have advantages or disadvantages against certain weapons or other functional differences, or was the difference only in style? How would a soldier choose which one to use? if he even had a choice that is?
Also I noticed that plate gauntlets were most commonly only "mitten" style gauntlets. When did the normal "finger" style gauntlet develop? How flexible/usable were these plate mitten gauntlets anyway?
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I probably sound stupid but I want why the dark ages are dark ages. Like I know it's because of medieval Europe dropping in medicinal research science etc. But why did they stop researching more after the Greek and Roman Empire died
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Would a roman shield and cuirass have seriously stood up against a hunnic bow?
The relevant excerpt from De Re Militari
The manner of arming the troops comes next under consideration. But the method of the ancients no longer is followed. For though after the example of the Goths, the Alans and the Huns, we have made some improvements in the arms of the cavalry, yet it is plain the infantry are entirely defenseless. From the foundation of the city till the reign of the Emperor Gratian, the foot wore cuirasses and helmets. But negligence and sloth having by degrees introduced a total relaxation of discipline, the soldiers began to think their armor too heavy, as they seldom put it on. They first requested leave from the Emperor to lay aside the cuirass and afterwards the helmet. In consequence of this, our troops in their engagements with the Goths were often overwhelmed with their showers of arrows. Nor was the necessity of obliging the infantry to resume their cuirasses and helmets discovered, notwithstanding such repeated defeats, which brought on the destruction of so many great cities.
Troops, defenseless and exposed to all the weapons of the enemy, are more disposed to fly than fight. What can be expected from a foot-archer without cuirass or helmet, who cannot hold at once his bow and shield; or from the ensigns whose bodies are naked, and who cannot at the same time carry a shield and the colors? The foot soldier finds the weight of a cuirass and even of a helmet intolerable. This is because he is so seldom exercised and rarely puts them on.
edit: The full text for anyone interested
3 Answers 2018-05-02