I started reading up on the Vietnam War and it is surprisingly interesting! From the collapse of French rule to the assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem. My question is why wasn't the ARVN itself capable of fighting off the NVA/Viet Cong? They certainly had the strength and equipment to do so. Eisenhower and Kennedy believed the South Vietnamese government could handle the war so why were they never able to muster up a proper victory on their own? I'd really love to hear some insight from you guys on this.

From what I've read on Wikipedia, the ARVN was trained for 15 years by US military advisors and given millions in aid and equipment. Was corruption a factor? Was there a cultural barrier between the US advisors and the Vietnamese soldiers?

Bonus question: Why did Nguyen Van Thieu claim he was betrayed by the US?

For instance, I don't think i've ever heard of any bastard civil rights movements.

So what I'm basically asking here is - are mass suicides a relatively new thing in our history? Particularly religious ones here, but outside of that can be relevant too.

At least in my area of expertise I'm not really aware of much in this front in al-Andalus besides the occasional persecuted group who were called martyrs later, but those were executed people, not suicides, and they weren't really mass scale.

So have mass suicides occurred much in history before the past, say, 150 years or so? I'm particularly interested in stuff before the modern era (in the historical sense) but if you have anything from say the 18th century that could be interesting too.

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Sorry if this is against the mod rules. Trying to find a book that would make a good gift for a college grad who's done research in Latin American history (specifically around the Chilean coup) and has a side interest in Texas history. Any suggestions? Sorry if this is against the mod rules

I've researched minimally years ago and had an interesting discussion recently that's left me wondering. I've seen some documentaries but so far the only answers I've gotten were that they're are none, conclusively at least. Any information and even minute details about anyone from that time period and the history of it all is welcome!

I am not sure if I am great at research for my history class but I absolutely love history. I decided to major in history because in my heart that I always loved research more about whatever I was obsessed on. This semester is my first and my teacher was being little ass on us about papers that he haven't explain well on what academic journal should be look like.

For my research paper (which is final paper) that I am require to provide description on each source that supports my thesis.

So all 4 sources are Monographs, Journal article (academic journal), websites, and primary sources. I've covered on Monographs and primary sources, I am jiffy on websites but I am not sure where to look for academic. my thesis was not ready but I know what to look for my paper about that people doesn't know much detail about Trail of the tears. For example, I found one from Primary Source about Jackass's speech that contain the description that he look at Native American as savage. That wasn't really in the history book at all. I wanted to reveal the reality about trail of tears on both sides. Another example from website/also monograph because both regarding the writers from Cherokee Phoenix that they literally fought for their human rights and against State of Georgia & won legally but ignored by President Jackass.

So please help this homie out for academic journals source! That's only things I need. If you guys know one of a good website.. that would be great but the real problem is need finding at least two academic journals.

Thank you guys so much!

ps

por favor don't criticize my grammar. I personally got attacked by several redditors in another account for not speaking English well so por favor don't. I will understand you 100% perfectly but just sometimes my grammar might be spoken in ASL-written. So I try my best to make my English the clear as possible. Gracias!

Hi /r/AskHistorians,

I'm interested in some book recommendations about the history of salafism and Wahhabism. Al-Wahhab, Qutb, the theological and ideological aspect, etc etc.

Another book type I am looking for is a philosophical/theological/ideological history of Islam. The Sunni-Shia split, the various schools of jurisprudence within each, development and evolution through the ages, etc.

Absolutely anything would be of help! Thanks!

Both the emirs of the monarchies of the Gulf (Like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar) and the Sultans of Malaysia shared many similarities.

Both were small kingdoms under absolute monarchy rule with economies centered around maritime trading.

As someone from Southeast Asia whom studied local history there, it became clear to me that Malaya was a full-fledged colony; the British stationed entire battalions there, each Sultan has a personal British "Resident Advisor" posted to him (but in effect the actual ruler.

The local police, administration and such were all actively administered by the British.

The British even controlled immigration policy, resulting in a thriving and sucessful Chinese and Indian diaspora.

Everytime I visit Malaysia, I am reminded of the effects of British colonialism: in the cuisine, architecture, in the laws.

Only Thailand among all the kingdoms of South-East Asia resisted colonialism and that was by embarking on aggressive modernization.

Upon independence, only the Sultan of Brunei resisted joining the Malaysian union, whereas the Sultans of Peninsular Malaysia had little choice.

I have never been to the Gulf states, but everything that I have read and researched indicated that the British exercised merely military power in the Gulf but not actual administration.

Why were the Gulf states able to maintain their independence and autonomy as much as possible?

What did Hinduism offer than Islam didn't? Why did they go to Islam in the first place? How did they convert?

Melee combat must have been extremely intense psychologically and a very personal way of killing the enemy. Are there recorded instances of post-traumatic stress disorders from such eras?

I can't find a link to the specific ad but my source is the Jan 1982 issue of Nation Geographic.

If they did, which one was it, and why?

If not, why did no language gain this status?

For those who don't know, a Lingua Franca is a language where you can reliably get around speaking that language. Kind of like English is in Europe today.

To be clear (so that this is not removed for being a "popular" question about the Trojan War) I am asking specifically about the legend of the Trojan horse. While I am sure you are all already familiar with it, the story goes that the Greeks constructed a gigantic wooden horse and hid soldiers inside of it. The Greeks then left the horse by the gates of Troy and pretended to sail away. The Trojans took the horse inside their gates, assuming it to be a gift. The Greek soldiers inside the horse snuck out at some point in the night and opened the gate for the rest of the Greek army to invade Troy. While I realize the primary source for the legend is the Aeneid of Virgil, an epic poem, perhaps there are other sources which unveil more information that I am not aware of.

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He claimed Hitler switching from strategic targets to hitting civilian targets steeled their resolve and pushed them to continue the war.