I came across this article recently In which Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou states;
it was important to remember the good things Japan did for the island while also recognizing the negative aspects of their history.
I can't imagine a similar statement being made by a mainland or Korean leader. Was there a significant difference in treatment towards the Taiwanese under Japanese rule compared to Korea or the mainland Chinese?
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I've read that once the German army started fighting a predominantly defensive war, armoured vehicles like the Elefant, Jagdtiger, Tiger B, and even smaller/more commonplace vehicles were very often used in static, camouflaged defensive positions.
Given the constant mechanical failures, the logistical/mechanical/battlefield support required to maintain and protect these tanks, and the huge amount of material/labour required, why build them at all? It seems like AT guns/PaKs would be more useful defensively, cheaper to make, and don't run out of fuel. Was the ability to move the gun at a speed not much faster than running really enough to justify making these things?
Thanks in advance!
1 Answers 2016-04-14
As u/Iphikrates suggested, I've started a thread for the questions. I have a few of my own. Now I understand a lot would be conjecture and interpretation based on our sources, so if I could get a current state of the debate and what's more widely accepted in unclear situations that would be great!
Here are my questions.
What tactics, if any, was actually innovative? I know the often touted deep column was previously used at Nemea (though it was 25 deep instead of 50 at Leuctra). And I just learned today that placing the Theban column to the left instead of the usual right was actually not unusual at all, though in hindsight I should've realized this sooner. That leaves only one more, Epaminondas' decision to attack en echelon to prevent/delay being outflanked until the issue could be decided at the Theban left. Was that an innovation in Greek warfare, or was there prior examples? Were there other innovations?
Before the battle, Epaminondas sent away the non-combatants and soldiers in his army who did not want to fight. According to Xenophon, these men were instead driven back into the Theban army by Spartan cavalry, peltasts, and mercenaries, swelling the Theban force. Pausanias (?) on the other hand did not mention them being driven back to the Theban camp, instead says by having the cowards depart, only the brave are left, increasing the army's quality and winning them the battle. Which account should we trust?
We are only told of the number of hoplites and cavalry (are we even told how many the Thebans had?) Based on estimates of contemporary armies, about how many peltasts and mercenaries would there have been on each side?
According to Xenophon, the Spartans held their own against Epaminondas' massive column until the king and a few of the Spartan senior officers were killed or wounded. How does a twelve deep column hold back one fifty deep. Related, how would a formation as deep as fifty ranks use their numbers? Wouldn't a lot of them be just standing idly behind?
What's the current status of the debate on whether the Sacred Band was used for a flanking attack or whether they were simply the head of the column?
In the aftermath of the battle, Jason lead an army down from Thessaly. But instead of helping his ally assault the Spartan camp, used his army to negotiate and basically forced both sides to end the campaign. What did he want to do?
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And how rich or influential did those people have to be? Do people have sources and anecdotes of different times and places?
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Here's the full quote and the link:
"This revolution appeared to break out spontaneously, without any real leadership or formal planning. Russia had been suffering from a number of economic and social problems, which were compounded by the impact of World War I. Bread rioters and industrial strikers were joined on the streets by disaffected soldiers from the city's garrison. As more and more troops deserted, and with loyal troops away at the Front, the city fell into a state of chaos, leading to the overthrow of the Tsar."
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Hi there, I am a relatively new Redditor and love reading this sub! Thank you, moderators and brilliant minds, for all that you do.
My question: I work in aging/healthcare policy and we often talk about the "graying" of America and looming, mid-century workforce shortages as family size shrinks. I joked with an economist colleague that the solution is that we should all have more babies (yowza!) and in the U.S., better workplace policies for families. He said (1) that countries that are wealthier, such as the Nordic nations, have declining fertility rates and (2) family-friendly workplace policies (paid leave, flex time) haven't worked to foster more babies in those wealthier countries.
Is it true that wealthier countries have historically had lower fertility rates and if so, why? Has a country or society ever successfully created a policy that encouraged more babies?
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When I post a question I always try to phrase it in such a way that there are no assumptions implied about the subject I'm asking about. for instance I'd prefer to ask something like "how did the people of Civilisation A view gender" rather than something like "how misogynist were men from Civilisation A?", the latter implies that the people I'm asking about were definitely patriarchal and definitely oppressive towards women. If I can't source an assumption like that I consider it irresponsible of me to include it as it may be incorrect a thus mislead someone reading the OP. if I do have to provide more information to make the question more clear, I'll try to lead into it with something like "as far as I'm aware", IE "as far as I'm aware Civilization A was a very patriarchal society..." , to try and make it as clear as possible that I’m not trying to make a definitive statement of fact.
is it right that I (or anyone else who posts questions here) feel obliged in this way?
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You often hear of battles where one side has inexperienced or green troops like the D day landings, or involving Eastern front German veterans for example.
In reality did this have much effect on battle outcomes? What actions would experienced soldiers do that green soldiers wouldn't? How much more combat effective were veteran and 'elite' troops?
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Link to photo's and details:
Medieval armour or something else?
As a young boy, I was helping with the restoration of a chapel spire. Whilst clearing up centuries of ‘junk’ I found an interesting piece of leather work, and was so intrigued by it, I was allowed to keep it as a souvenir.
In brief, this piece of leather work is a very thick reinforced dome (approx 4 inches in diameter). It has fastenings protruding from it, one with a buckle, one just a thick leather lace. The upper face of the dome has obvious wear marks, and has clearly been used as a form of protection.
I recently saw a documentary that mentioned that in medieval times, armour was often stored in church spires. This lead me to think that my object may be a piece of under-armour, and from the shape of it, the only place I can think it would fit would be on the shoulder.
I was hoping that you may be able to offer a more knowledgeable opinion, and I note that your article states that no known examples of spaulders survive – if my description raises your interest, I would be glad to send you detailed photographs to help identification.
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I've read The Civilization of the Middle Ages by Norman Cantor and enjoyed it.
Is this a well balanced book?
If not, what is a well regarded book to balance the views and narrative?
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How did the languages in Europe become the languages we have today, which have many similarities? Examples of similarities in european languages would be nice too :)
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What do we know about renowned athletes in the middle ages?
For instance, Lebron James is considered a "freak" athlete because he's 6'8", 260 pounds, and can run faster and jump higher than almost anyone else who steps foot on the court, not even to mention his mental strength.
Are there accounts of similarly gifted athletes in the middle ages, and if so, what sport(s) did they play?
Thanks!
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Was reading about Roman military discipline in regards to homosexuality and sex crimes, with the case of Trebonius given as an example. Trebonius was an attractive low-ranking soldier whose superior kept harassing him and trying to coerce him into sex. He used lethal force to defend himself when the officer tried to rape him, and was subsequently acquitted for killing the man and commended for bravery. Made me curious as to how a much later empire -- the British -- dealt with rape and sexual assault in uniform, given all the jokes about buggery in the navy and the like.
How did the British Empire's military legal system handle cases of coerced sex crimes within the ranks?
Did the British Empire have separate military and civilian courts?
What would the penalties have been for the aggressor? Would the survivor legally have any culpability?
How did penalties differ between enlisted, noble and non-noble officers, etc?
Were their differences in procedure and punishment if the crime were committed in the field versus while garrisoned someplace?
How were the survivors handled? In cases where tribunals were held, would the identity of the survivor be made public?
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