Basically I would like to know if when used in large battlefield formations was the halberd used like a spear, or did they hack with the blade? If the latter how did the troops avoid getting caught in each others weapons?

I have heard Israel, I have heard China, what do we actually know?

Many of the reasons cited for why the South seceded ultimately end in a "rights" argument of some form. Did Southerners really not believe African Americans deserved any rights? Or is this more of a "we have convinced ourselves they don't because the alternative is too horrible for us."

I've just finished Ward-Perkins' The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization and was fascinated by his outline of the relatively immediate and catastrophic decay in Britain following the Roman collapse and invasions of the Germanic tribes.

I'd love to read more on the broad history of what was happening in Britain around this time, both in terms of political events and "on the ground" life, so to speak. Do any of y'all have a recommendation for such a history of early Anglo-Saxon Britain?

I remember hearing the line, "You better stay in school so you don't end up working there," from parents and is often used on television or movies. Where did this come from? Is this a recent viewpoint in American history? Why has it been embraced by American culture?

Hey it's me again with another tank question!

Is this true?

Marco Polo was Italian; so was Rustichello da Pisa, the person who took the dictation from Marco Polo and published the book of the stories. So why was it published in French? If not Italian, I would have thought Latin would make more sense.

I am a beginner and non-historian. I want to get a sense of world history. I was originally going to begin with Will Durant's "The Story of Civilization," but dropped it after learning that the series is considered more entertainment than scholarship.

My goal is to get a general sense of history and to draw sociological implications from it for the present day. What are some books/series/authors you recommend for this task?

I am hoping to get an array of specialists from every era (e.g. one historian of Ancient mesopotamia, one historian of Rome, etc.) each recommend no more than 2 books which they feel are comprehensive, and to have a list of under 50 books by which I might gain a solid background in world history.

That or if someone thinks there is a series already extant that would provide me with the foundation I desire, I'm open to that too.

Thank you for your contributions.

I've been trying to learn about Historical events recently, but almost every document/article is heavily biased toward one of the sides. How can I find raw information or pure facts?

Thank you in advance!

Follow up questions: •If so, what was Suleiman's response? •Was there ever an attempt to forge a Safavid-Ottoman alliance or where they always bitter rivals because they followed different sects of Islam?

Various sources tell me that the codebreakers at Bletchley were experts on a wildly different set of topics. For example, The Code Book by Simon Singh says (I quote)

Winston Churchill was fully aware of the importance of the Bletchley decipherments, and on September 6, 1941, he visited the codebreakers. On meeting some of the cryptanalysts, he was surprised by the bizarre mixture of people who were providing him with such valuable information; in addition to the mathematicians and linguists, there was an authority on porcelain [ emphasis mine - OP ], a curator from the Prague Museum, the British chess champion and numerous bridge experts.

Why such a ‘motley crew’*? What did the bridge experts, chess champions, and other people with similar skills contribute?

(*Simon Singh’s epithet, not mine)

I have been reading The Count of Monte Cristo which was written in the early 19th century. The characters use this to tell their age. I was just curious where this comes from and why no one talks like that anymore.

During the first Punic War several of Rome's fleets were smashed and sunk by storms. Is it possible to find these wrecks? Have we done so and if yes what has been found?

Ok so, I recently gained interest into the soviet biological and chemical weapons program(s) due to a game I'm developing (more a fun hobby than anything else). However while looking for possible settings for my game I came across Aralsk-7 on Vozrozhdeniya Island in the Aral Sea. I don't know why but I became fascinated by the place and, in conjunction, the program itself.

Aralsk-7, for those of you who don't know, was a (now abandoned) biological weapons test site used by the soviet union. Basically I'm looking for interesting information on the soviet union, specifically about their biological and chemical weapons programs and more specifically, the site itself.

(I'm new to /r/AskHistorians and first time poster here, so my apologies if I miss some common etiquette here.)

Did it have any particular meaning, and to follow up, how were the patronymics for other Tsarinas not of Russian descent chosen?

Hi guys) This questionts made me crazy) But really...how?)) how ancient people cut their hair? Please help me)

Hi all, I am writing an essay about the development of an afterlife throughout history, mainly focused in the European area. It seems silly to write "The depiction of an afterlife has grown and developed throughout history in Europe", when I'll be discussing both the classical world, Judaea, and modern Europe/modern Western world. Basically I'm focussing on European religion. I also don't want to leave it off because then it will seem like I intend to discuss development of the afterlife in the entire world. Is there a word that describes this region that transcends political/temporal boundaries? (Like North America or Africa)

Hello historians! I am writing an essay on the development of hell throughout history. The main scope of my essay will cover Western hell (so Greek, Roman, early Christian, modern Christian). I am looking for information on the development of the idea of hell, from early pagan descriptions of a unified, negative afterlife of all, to the bifurcation of Christian afterlife, to the introduction of purgatory. I would also like to know what cultural ideas/specific people caused these changes in doctrine. Many thanks to all who can help!

Edit: I hope this doesn't violate the homework rule. I am not looking for someone to write an essay for me, I am just struggling to find solid information and I would appreciate some help and some sources if possible! Perhaps it would be better if I asked a couple more specific questions, so I will.

-The Bible is vague about hell. The Jews had a similar view to the Greeks (a vaguely negative afterlife everyone goes to, regardless of morality.) Where did this idea of heaven/hell come from? Does it have anything to do with Elysium in Roman religion? -What cultural ideas influenced the addition of purgatory? I know it was introduced by Augustine of Hippo but I'm curious about how the social climate of the time affected this. I understand it has something to do with protestantism? Is there any connection to Zoroastrianism and the waiting period? -Were there any changes in Greek Hades/Roman Dis throughout the time of those religions? Is the similarity of their afterlives an Indo-European trait? -Is there a cultural reason that Western religions developed a physical afterlife while most Eastern religions didn't?

Basically, I know most of the changes that happened throughout history, I am looking mostly for the cultural reasons why they happened. I am also looking for the cultural differences that caused the differences between cultures' afterlives. I have not formed a complete thesis yet as it will hinge on these reasons (once I figure them out). Again, any help or sources you can offer are very welcome.

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