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Also, how would a modern day fencing expert compare to a master swordsman of the past?

I recently found a picture of my great grandfather in a German WWI Uniform. The collar insignia identifies him as a member of the 21st Army Corp's 16th Landsturm Infantry Battalion. (XXI.16 – 7.Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon Saarbrücken) which obviously raises a lot of questions.

Especially with regard to the role of the Landsturm as some sort of reserve when there's also "regular" reserve units and the Landwehr. What is the difference between those 3?

And regarding the Landsturm, how were these battalions attached to the regular standing troops? As part of a regiment/brigade/division?

What where Landsturm soldiers typically used for, considering they're mostly older men? And how where they equipped in comparison to the professional army?

Last but not least what would be the best course of action to find out more about my great grandfathers journey during WWI?

Sorry for all these questions but it seems that I have quite the interesting matter in front of me and I'm just trying to get any information to get me started. So any input is appreciated, thanks in advance!

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Is there historical reasoning behind this? Is this true of most cultures?

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I'm driving through Donner Pass this holiday season and it made me wonder what historians know about the Donner Party. And why was it called The Donner Party? Did they finance or organize it? Was it just one family?

It would seem to me that any competent and pious leader could fulfill the role, and it’s not like Muhammad’s bloodline is divine, right? How did this belief arise, and more generally, what led to the Sunni/Shi’a split aside from politics? I’m asking about the theological history I guess. Thanks!

Alaska was of course a Russian colonial possession until 1867, and Fort Ross in California was controlled by the Russian-American Company throughout much of the first half of the nineteenth century. Some modern maps seem to indicate the entire North American west coast down to Fort Ross was part of Russian America at its greatest extent, but I've never heard of any tangible Russian colonial presence in the vicinity of present-day Washington.

Did the Russian-American Company or other representatives of the Russian Empire ever attempt a settlement or trading post in Washington? Are there any documented Russian expeditions or exploration efforts around the Washington coast or Salish Sea?

If not, was there any Russian presence of note in the broader region that would become the Oregon Country, or was Fort Ross really the lone west coast outlier from their Alaskan settlements?

Thanks!

I've been having a difficult time even getting my feet off the ground. I've been trying to get an Associate's Degree in general History for 4 years! I know the material of my classes inside and out, I just screw up my time management, then panic, and shut down. This semester was mostly "C"s and last semester I had to withdraw from all my classes because I couldn't take it. My GPA is 2.90 out of 4 because of this, and I now I wonder if the ship has sailed to be a historian. 
I love Medieval History and was planning to major in it once I graduate.Then move to Europe doing what I love most, learning. 
I need some professional advice. Do I still have what it takes? What do I need to do to fix this situation if there is a chance? Do colleges care how long it takes to get a Associate's Degree? What about future work places in Europe (inc. British Isles)? On a lighter note, where seems like the best place for a Medievalist to work? Teaching isn't my thing, so I imagined working in a museum or medieval castle.

(Please be as honest but sincere as you can. Thank you.)

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Until the Gregorian calendar there were constant shifts of the calendar in relation to astronomical events. With the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, a shift of many days was introduced, but was this shift enough to correct the shift of the solstice to its original date at the time of Caesar (or before)? I have heard that the solstice was originally at 23 Dec, or even the 25th. Related to this, I have heard that 25 Dec was a festival of Sol Invictus in ancient Rome. Are there sources for this? Was the date the date of the solstice, or was it a few days later, when the days were noticeably lengthening?

Reading John Williams Augustus at the moment, there is a heavy focus on a illness in 23BC.

"All his life he experienced at certain times dangerous fits of sickness, especially after the conquest of Cantabria; when, his liver being injured by a defluxion upon it, he was thrown into such great discomfort that he was obliged to undergo a desperate and doubtful methos of cure: for warm applications having no effect, his physician Antonius Musa, recommended the use of cold." - Suetonius

Are we sure it was his liver? He was sick many times, so perhaps influenza. Did Musa's cold bath treatment honestly work, i understand little about cold shock treatment and I'm not sure if it helps with the flu or liver problems? Thank you

Everyone who mentions Beria seems to tout him as a very effective leader and intelligence director. Indeed, under his leadership the NKVD managed to infiltrate both allied and axis agencies, as well as develop functioning nuclear weapons by 1949, so it seems like whatever they were doing was working... What made Beria so effective? How much of the NKVD’s success was due to him?

For example, before there was a Lebanese state, what did Lebanese people identify as? What about Iraqis, Egyptians, Palestinians, etc? Was identity in the Arab world based on religious affiliation, tribal/clan affiliation, or did there exist various regional identities similar to modern national identities? I’m thinking particularly during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, but any information about the period prior would be fascinating as well.

I have Battle of Little Bighorn in mind specifically but more general answer is welcome as well

I mean pre-Victorian fashion, when ladies' bosoms were often pushed up and partially exposed.

We're talking about middle ages 12.century and He was capable of speaking many languages but how...

As I understand it, the Victorian period in England was a time of significant misogyny and sexism, at least among the middle and upper classes. Women were not considered capable of administering complex businesses, voting, or making many other public contributions. If my understanding is correct, then how were these attitudes reconciled with the fact that a Queen ruled the empire at the time of it's greatest extent and success?

Also, do we know anything of Victoria's own opinions on matters of gender and the proper role of women in society?

So not something like smallpox or rinderpest. This question sparked because I was thinking if we recovered a mummy from Ancient Egyptian times, if it would be possible that it might introduce a new disease.