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What weapons and armour would a knight from the mid 13th century have access to in western Europe? Was there much variation in style between, say, Scotland and Germany, or Denmark and France? Links to sources with pictures would be fantastic. This is for a picture I'm planning on drawing BTW, so any tips you've got on drawing high medieval armour would be brilliant. Also, what would a horse be equipped with (ie blinders, a coat, armour etc)? Thanks in advance!

There were many Republics in the Soviet Union, not just Russia. Was there a political reason?

As per title, question is about German civilians rather than German soldiers.

I know that a round earth was a generally accepted belief around the time of Columbus (contrary to a common misconception). Are there globes that were made sans America? Or was that later invention?

Would also be interested to know about other countries, such as the UK, Europe (not a country, I know, but you know what I mean), Japan, etc.

I was shocked to learn that Rome didn't really have walls around this time (besides the ancient walls that the city had grown past). When a triumph was celebrated the Roman general had to wait outside Rome until his army was dismissed. So what was considered "Rome" and what wasn't if they didn't have walls? Did they wait in the suburbs? Did they have to wait far outside the city? Or did they simply wait outside the old walls?

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It seems like lots of Anglo-Saxon kings ended their reigns by abdicating and retiring to Rome. What would the life of a former Anglo-Saxon king be like in Rome?

For the those who went into monasteries, would the ones who joined out of piety be treated differently from the ones who were forcibly tonsured? How about the ones who didn't go into a monastery?

Just curious if North Carolina is special. I am already familiar with the stated support for slavery from the other states (and Alexander Stephens' "Cornerstone Speech"); I just haven't found it for NC yet.

I recently saw Richard Wagner's Siegfried and was surprised to discover that it is approximately a million hours long with four hundred intermissions. Also, it was in German. Eye-strain set in on hour two hundred thousand, so the plot is kind of fuzzy. I think it was the opera version of either Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. Maybe a fan-fiction mashup of both? There was an evil hobbit. I'm pretty sure about that.

Point being, I didn't enjoy Siegfried very much.

Sitting there in agony, I wondered why Wagner ever thought a run time of a million hours was acceptable. To that end, could someone break down the expectations of a theater-going person in the nineteenth century?

Specifically, did they....

1. Actually pay attention? I'm remembering scenes from the Count of Monte Christo where people canoodle, plot, wander around and do everything but watch whatever is happening onstage. They also arrive late and leave early. How did that compare to the behavior of actual patrons?

2. I've heard that intermissions used to be much longer; people would eat a multi-course meal in stages between acts, making the opera a full-day experience. Is that true?

3. Were the expectations different between classes? Did a rich man with a box do business at the opera, Monte Christo style, whereas people in the floor seats would see it as a "special night out" and pay strict attention, the way modern audiences (myself excluded) seem to?

4. Unrelated bonus question: did Alexandre Dumas include the opera because it was a familiar setting for his (theoretically) wealthy audience, or because it would have been an exotic backdrop for his (theoretical) middle class audience?

Thanks!

Pretty clear question. I know that they sought out Jews in all the countries they occupied, I was wondering if they sought to determine if POWs were Jewish and then send them to be exterminated.

I've read everything that his death was caused by fevers such as Typhoid or Malaria, but also the theories that he was poisoned. I would just like to get some clarification if possible since I know it's still somewhat of a mystery.

I am working on a bachelor degree in history and have been looking for things to do with it. I live in a small town in Arkansas and don't really want to move to a large city. Am I better off trying to get a job as a history teacher at the local high school?

My understanding of fascism is very crude. From what I understand, all fascist movements are defined by the enforcement of hierarchy, the valorization of violence, the destruction of democratic governance, and a strong focus on the strength of the nation. However, the fascism present in Mussolini's Italy and, briefly, Dollfus' Italy was apparently quite different.

Racism is apparently not inherent to fascism. I believe that Mussolini rejected Nazi racialism, at least before Italy and Germany became allies. Before this alliance, Italy and Austria seemed to fear or disprove of Nazi fascism. Why was this?

Some right-wingers today will praise Mussolini but claim to loathe Hitler. Were their thoughts and actions really so different?

Much like in today's militaries, unit designations are long and storied, often going back centuries, the Roman's organized their Legions in much the same way, maintaining their designations and lineages over time.

One particular Legion, the 9th Legion or 'Spanish Legion', seems to simply vanish from history. It existed as early as 90 B.C., being recorded as taking part in the Social War. However, after 120 A.D., after having extensive recordings of it's movements and battles, it just....disappears from history.

While there are various claims of it's eventual fate, what are the most likely?

I'm currently reading Sword and the Shield by KGB Major Vasili Mitrokhin and Christopher Andrew, but the book itself is pretty heavy. I'm going on vacation soon and don't want to bring that with. Does anyone know of any good KGB history books under about 400 pages? I'm starting to get more into foreign intelligence history and looking to expand my understanding of Russia. Thanks!