I recently found out that a distant great+ grandfather in the 1800s was 13 when he had his children with his 33 year old wife. Was this a common occurrence (a under aged male [or female] to have children with an older, adult wife [or husband])? Or even at any point in history?

I started having interest in her through Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 however it was a bit hard doing research on her because many articles mention other historical figures that I don’t know so it is extremely difficult to know what is going on because it feels like I’m watching a show but starting in the middle of a season. Can anyone tell me things she is significant for? And if possible, what are Courts of Love? Was Eleanor famous for them?

Hi there - quick question about Gustavus Adolphus - why was he called the Lion of Midnight in German? A night battle? I am an American living in Mainz, Germany, there is a Gustavsburg part of town named for him. Also, there is a "Mitternacht" street - wondered if there is a connection.

How early were people aware that the weather gets colder the farther north you go? Was there any science (primitive meteorology or forecasting) involved, or was it purely anecdotal information received from people who had come from the north? Did any ancient writers talk about what the weather was like in other places? When someone like Hadrian, for example, went to Britannia, for example, did he know to pack cold-weather clothing? If they didn't pack warm clothes, what did they do when it got colder -- use animal hides? trade with/take them from locals?

Laos and Cambodia are geographically and culturally close to Thailand, and they both experienced communist insurgencies that led to the establishment of socialist regimes (Khmer Rouge and Lao People's Democratic Republic). Given how close they are to Thailand, why wasn't communism similarly embraced in Thailand?

My son just downloaded Assassins Creed Origins, which is set in Rome, and asked me about PTSD in ancient cultures. I assume they did, but either a) not in the sense as we know it now or b) it was not considered that big of a deal/concern.

My answer wasn't good enough lol so I told him I'd ask here.

Thanks

Did the communist world have its own tabletop RPGs?

I don't know whether this should be posted here or somewhere else. If so, where? Kinda new to this thing.

Recently, I purchased book Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler in local bookstore for studying and analysis. What I later found out was that it is written in another language, which while I understand, I would much rather read it in English.

What I would like to find out is which version of the book is best translated, while having least amount of censure. Any review, why it is better than other versions or why should I avoid certain publishers would also help.

Thanks

I've always found this to be a fascinating and bizarre story. Also, if anyone knows of the best historical sources on the campaign and the efforts against it, feel free to post them.

I know that mid-millennium explorers drew maps of wherever they explored, but a lot of those early "new world" maps look very different from maps we use today. For example, I'm aware that some Spanish explorers falsely described California as an island.

I'm curious if satellite images from space in the 1950s/1960s settled any then still-existing debates about earth's geography. Maybe an island wasn't as far away from the coast as previously thought? Maybe a forest wasn't as lush as people said?

African Romance appears to have been a dominant language in coastal North Africa at the start of the 8th century, when Arab Muslims secured their control over the Maghreb. African Romance seems to have survived the Arab conquest of North Africa for a remarkably long time. Some Christian communities reportedly spoke a Latinate language in Tunisia and Algeria until the 14th century.

When Tariq ibn Zayid organized his invasion of Hispania in 711, would he have sourced his troops from these Romanized communities of Algeria and Tunisia? Do we have any evidence of African Romance being spoken in Iberia from the 8th century onward, in the form of inscriptions or textual references?

What types of guns were used in Seymour Expedition during the Boxer Rebellion？

In Chinese sources, mostly anecdotal, in description of warfare in the time of Boxer Rebellion, I found mentioning of a British gun that fired poison gas (in Chinese: 列低炮). Which gun are they referring to and what were its characteristics?

While anti-semitism has had a long history in Europe, Slavophobia and the view that they are subhuman and should be exterminated seemingly came out of nowhere pre WW2. Was there such extreme anti-Slavic racism among the populace before Hitler's time or did he and the Nazis just kind of invented it themselves and everyone just went with it?

I've read Toby Wilkinson's "Rise and fall of Ancient Egypt". He mentions that whenever a pharaoh obtained his power in "shady" way (not inherited), he had to shower priests with gifts to create some theological propaganda that says that the new ruler is indeed a god, not an usurper.

While there are plenty "sacred texts" preserved, the priests had to know that all the religion is just bullshit to control the masses. And they had to learn and study the "craft" of such propaganda.

To be a good propagandist you have to know the psychology, sociology, memes etc.

Are there any texts preserved, that allowed an inexperienced priest to study such topics to become a proficient bullshit peddler?

Did any small pre Swedish Finnish kingdoms or chiefdoms exist? Can't find any info about it on Wikipedia.

I have not definitively been able to determine if there were laws on the books of the US or of England, between years 1600-1800, that restricted "free men" from working in any profession that they were competent for such positions.

Laws restricting who could be an attorney, even if they could pass the Bar exam of the time (which were oral analysis to measure their understanding), are the most sought after, but other professions outside of farming are highly desired as well (Blacksmiths, Bakers, Barbers, Hat makers, shoemakers, etc...).

I clarify "free men" since at the time slaves, women, and when children would be given to a "Master" to learn certain skill sets for a determined number of years, couldn't make their own decision. I'm also not inquiring into positions of governmental officials.

This has always fascinated me, as Spain was an established global empire that had the vast riches of the Aztecs, Mayans and the Inca empires, yet it somehow managed to be incapable of managing its finances to the point of being bankrupt.

Title pretty much, just curious as to the validity to this statement (Also as a side note if anyone has recommendations on places to read about the red army would be much appreciated)

This was just something i had heard recently from a friend reading a book, i forget what it was called but if it does matter i can go find the name, thanks in advance!

I have just been reading ‘The Order of the Day’ by Éric Vuillard, in which he claims that the Austrian press reported 1,700 suicides in the week before the Nazi takeover - and discusses restrictions on reporting suicides in the aftermath. Is this true?

Edit: he goes on to write that gas companies cut off service to Austrian Jews because their consumption was costing companies too much money, he postulates that this is linked to suicides - is there any evidence to support this?

I just read an essay by Ludwig von Mises titled "The historical setting of the Austrian school of economics" which talks about the first generation of Austrian economists Wieser, Bawerk, Menger. The author also mentions a lot Liberalism in Germany and Austria at the time. What are some good resources that talk about the history of liberalism in the German speaking world?

There’s the common story of the heroic commoner being knighted and granted land, but in all my amateur reading of the medieval era, the only example I know of is John de Coupland, and I’m not even certain he was a commoner. While I requested England I’m curious in general.

I am trying to write authentic historical dialogue regarding the Harpe brothers and seeing as they lived from around the 1770s to the 1800s, I would need primary sources from that time period and in the same geographical period, North Carolina. I would also need sources from people in the same socioeconomic class.