Sorry if this seems like a controversial topic, but I've seen this discussion show up in a few places and people supporting two different sides of an argument without actually sourcing anything factual.

While reading about the 30 years war and also about Gustavus Adolphus' early wars against the Danes I noticed that a lot of mercenaries seemed to be Scottish. I couldn't find anything else online about why Scottish mercenaries were the most common kind, so I was wondering if anyone could help me find out why.

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I understand some of the benefits of male circumcision have been supported by modern medicine for it is supposed to help keep the male genitals cleaner. What I don't really realize is that now that it can be such a dangerous surgery which requires an enormous amount of precision, how it was first invented in the ancient civilizations. Moreover, I am truly amazed at how it is something that is shared by civilizations around the world. Many ancient civilizations, at different times, saw the practice of male circumcision and even made it mandatory among the people. How did people who lived in different areas in different ancient times collectively invent and insist male circumcision?

Why didn't the UK, France and the US try to secure that oil for themselves like they did with Iran, Iraq and Libya?

If the Japanese had attacked the Soviet Union in the East, then a lot of HIstorians seem to think that the Axis powers would have defeated Stalin, as he wouldn't have been able to move his Siberian Regiments to Moscow.

Why did the Japanese not want to continue their conquest of Asia, and instead go after the US and South East Asia?

I'm confused as to why Europe didn't restore the Holy Roman Empire after the defeat of Napoleon, who had dissolved the Empire originally.

I know about the literacy rates of the era, but I just started to wonder about something : What did people who just wanted to write a small thing, or people who were learning how to write, wrote on? Like, wasn't parchment super expansive? I know wax tablets are a thing but were they back then (And were they affordable?)? Did they write on un-dyed pieces of cloth? Did they write on goddamn bark?

Like, let's say I'm a random low-ranking noble who happens to be somehow literate (Or would I just ask the priest/clerk if he could write something for me?) and I want to write a small message to my beloved little sister (Who also happens to be somehow literate, or have someone at hand who could read the message for her) for her birthday (Going on the principle that I don't want to send the message orally and that she lives far away enough for me to not really want to go give it myself) : What would I write it on?

By the way, did random nobles send out messengers/knights/squires/men-at-arms/random-servant-with-a-horse to send trivial messages like this? Or did they just gave the message to a random merchant passing by in hope that it'd reach its destination?

Readers, contributors, shitposters, lend me your ears! It is my undeniable pleasure to introduce you to 3 new moderators of this fine subreddit. The ranks are being joined by

/u/freedmenspatrol, who is a wonderful contributor in the area of Antebellum US Slavery Politics and will help us keep our freedom from unsubstantiated personal anecdotes

/u/AncientHistory, who knows a lot about indescribable horrors (such as a question hitting the front page), being an expert on H.P Lovecraft and Pulp Studies

/u/kaisermatias, an authority on 20th c. Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Hockey, thus will help us check the rule breakers

Be merry alongisde us in this thread and use the opportunity to get on their good side. I shall go now, the banhammer hungers and beckons me to lift it once again.

I'm led to understand, as I've read, that Calvinists were taught to abhor all forms of pleasure and frivolity—"dancing, songs, drinking, gaming, flirtation, bright clothes, entertaining books, loud language, even vivacious gestures"

I also see that Calvinism appealed the "rising urban bourgeoisie." Who were these people? Whoever it is that propagated it, what was the appeal?

The recent advice of /u/commiespaceinvader inspired me to consider historical perspectives I'd over looked, and I got to wondering how the experience of other persecuted groups under the Third Reich differed from that of the Jews. I know very little about the experience of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany beyond the fact of their persecution, and I'd like to learn more.

With so much silver being transported back to Spain the Treasure Fleet must have been an enticing target to privateers and Spain's European rivals.

Were significant silver shipments from the New World ever intercepted? If so, what were the repercussions for Spain and those who managed to capture the silver? What methods were used to protect the Fleet after those incidents?

Whenever I read historians and archeologists talk about the Etruscans, they always mention how "different" and "unique" their culture was. I know historians believe that the Etruscan language was not Indo-European but other than this were there any aspects of their culture that were very distinct (religion, material culture, politics etc.)? Since the romans and the Etruscans apparently shared a great deal of their culture, how do we know what traits are originally Etruscan?