How were the Romans able to launch continuous military campaigns without suffering some kind of war fatigue?

How were they able to do that? Many nations could barely survive losing a single, large army without capitulating. How were the Romans, especially during the Republic, able to launch war after war against their neighbors endlessly without war fatigue?

2 Answers 2022-12-28

In what way did the concept of political violence expand in communist theory from Marx to Mao?

I'm reading about the Khmer Rouge and communism in Cambodia. In the Khmer Rouge's ideology, violence isn't just encourage but extreme acts of violence are seen as an essential part of having the proper 'revolutionary consciousness'.

Obviously the Khmer Rouge took those ideas to a extreme. And while their particular style of communism was very much outside of the norm, they were heavily influenced by Stalin and Mao.

What I'm curious about, outside of the Khmer Rouge, is how communist thought on political violence and party-purges evolved from Marx to Mao. In the communist theory of the time, how much was violence essentially encouraged or thought to be inevitable, how was it justified, and how did it evolve?

1 Answers 2022-12-28

Did Romans use a specific title for the governor/mayor of a city?

Proconsuls, Propraetors, and Praetors were governors of provinces, but who governed a city? Would there be significant regional difference in leadership across the empire, like vestiges of leadership composition from conquered peoples lingering after conquest but acting under supreme Roman authority? Would we find a specific type of city mayor in Roman colonia vs those of minority populations? Maybe like a mayor in a Roman/Italian colonia vs a Shophet in say Roman Punic Utica after it’s incorporation into the Roman system?

1 Answers 2022-12-28

Did German troops in WWI carry out attacks after the signing of the capitulation but before it taking effect at 11 o'clock?

I am interested, if there were locally restricted attacks from the German side after the signing of the German capitulation but before it taking effect at 11 o'clock. The question is targeted at troops and officiers who knew from the capitulation and not at those who might attacked because they did not receive informations quick enough. I've watched "Im Westen nichts Neues" and the attack order at the end seemed weird especially considering the overall war fatigue and disillusion of the troops. I couldn't find anything specific so hopefully someone here can answer, thanks in advance.

1 Answers 2022-12-27

I`m a peasant living in the countryside of England in the year 1000 A.D. I just stubbed my toe against the wall. What cuss word do i yell out loud to announce that i`m in pain?

Did words like shit or fuck exist back i that day? If not,what were common cuss words among the serfs?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

what was the most language spoken ?

As i’m learning about english stuart history i noticed that french and english nobles/gentry were very close like Charle 2 and Louis 14 and along with spanish nobles but i was wondering what was the most spoke language in this time period was it english ? like how did they communicate and party together and marry each other ?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

Was there any commemoration for 1000 years death of Jesus by the Catholic Church in medieval europe?

According to many scholars agreed that Jesus died between the year of 33 AD - 36 AD, i have been looking for a source for any commemoration for Jesus's 1000 years death in medieval europe

1 Answers 2022-12-27

Did the countries that experienced Early Trench Warfare help to shape strategies and doctrine for WW1?

This is specifically in reference to the American Civil War, but after a second thought I realized it would be interesting to see if other examples helped shape how countries fought in it.

For specifics, I know that within the American Civil War that trench warfare was used at times and (at least as an American) we see it as a big precursor to the Trench Warfare seen in WW1. I wanted to know if countries that experienced this warfare earlier on had any sort of advantages within the war or battles fought.

Within my thought process I'd think that countries such as the United States would have a bit of an advantage even while joining late war since they'd have at least some basis on what to do (excluding information we'd know about tactics and strategy from allies and reports), but I'd like to know if this thought process is true and more specific information whether I be right or wrong.

2 Answers 2022-12-27

Did the Soviet Union have drones?

Recent news reports from Ukraine make reference to Ukraine's use of "Soviet-era jet drones".

My impression was that unmanned aerial drones were a recent invention, but this seems to imply that they have been used by militaries since at least the 1980s. So, did the Soviet Union have drones, and if they did, were they ahead of the curve in terms of technological advancements in this area?

To clarify re: the 20 year rule, I'm not asking about the use of these drones in the current conflict in Ukraine, although I acknowledge that part of an answer may need to reference the conflict, especially if I've gotten the premise wrong here (i.e., if it turns out these are just retrofitted manned jets being used).

1 Answers 2022-12-27

PBR supposedly won the award for the best beer at the 1893 Chicago World Fair. What was beer like in 1893? Would a PBR from 2022 be recognizable in the late 1800s?

3 Answers 2022-12-27

Historians of Reddit, did army men in the 1500s and earlier have ptsd?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

History of Croatian Kingdom and authenticity of Crown of King Demetrius Zvonimir found in 2015 by Ivan Knežević president of youth HČSP in wall of old town Ozalj Castle? If anyone knows something about both.

1 Answers 2022-12-27

How did texts from the ancient world survive?

I’ve just been listening to a philosophy podcast which mentioned that although Aristotle was a prolific writer, the only material of his that has survived are his lecture notes.

I can understand why texts from the ancient world would get destroyed over time, but how were texts preserved, to the point where we can quote from them today? As a follow up question, when do we go from having zero historical record of our ancestor’s writing, to having patchy records, to having a virtually complete record?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

Why we celebrate new year the 1st of January?

So I have recently read in a Spanish newspaper (a regional one, link below) that this was because the Romans wanted to start a war against Iberians asap due to a city near Zaragoza wanting to expand its wall, so they had to accelerate the political new year.

My question is: Is this correct?

The issue is that while the newspaper is reputable is from Zaragoza and newspapers tend to exaggerate local achievements. But this theory is consistent with a previous answer in this sub.

https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/2015/12/29/por-que-fin-ano-celebra-diciembre-respuesta-esta-aragon-695777-300.html

1 Answers 2022-12-27

Today, Operation Paperclip (hiring Nazi scientists to work for the USA) is well known. Was it known at the time? Was there any opposition, particularly within NASA?

I'm an aerospace engineer, and I've always been interested in the history of my field, far beyond what I need to know to do my job.

Today, I came across this humorous post online imagining Jewish NASA employees running into these Nazi scientists and imagining that the confrontation would be awkward in some way: https://reddit.com/r/shitposting/comments/zw7phl/hello_there/

I'm curious about the reality of this situation. There are a few sub-questions that I think would particularly lead to a fully fleshed-out response to what I'm hoping to learn.

  1. Today, the general public knows this happened. In the 50s and 60s, would the average American be aware that we had hired Nazis rather than punishing them?

(Also, I'm not looking for discussion of the separate question of "Were these Germans actually Nazis and did they believe in Nazi principles, or were they just hired by the Nazis and required to go along with things?". This is a question that I believe has been brought up separately and is out of scope for this discussion. For the sake of this conversation, we'll be assuming that the rocket scientists hired from Nazi Germany were indeed Nazis.)

  1. If the general public was not aware of this happening, were the American rocket scientists aware of it? I imagine they'd have to be - if one day Gottfried shows up and he's speaking with a thick German accent, presumably you'd put two and two together. But do we have any information regarding NASA employees being briefed about the new coworkers they're soon going to have? We're the Nazi engineers sprinkled around NASA wherever their personal expertise would be useful, or were they more in their own little segmented department?

  2. Did NASA have a large population of Jewish American employees? I assume they would, but it would be nice to have some kind of number on this, even if it's an estimate.

  3. Was there any opposition to hiring these Nazi scientists? Just a bit ago, they were the enemy! And now they're building our rockets. Did Operation Paperclip involve any steps with acclimation people, telling them the new hirees were German Non-Nazis? I'm particularly curious if any Jewish employees would have expressed discomfort working with Nazis.

Any information on the contemporary situation surrounding the hiring of these people would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!

1 Answers 2022-12-27

Who maintained states' titles in the Holy Roman Empire?

For example, when it had been vacant for a long time, why was the title of king of Bohemia still in existence in 1618? And why was there no king of Austria, if you could have kings in the HRE? Who kept these rules, or enforced them?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

At what point - if at all - did the Byzantines stop seeing themselves as Roman?

3 Answers 2022-12-27

Who cleaned up the carnage (removing dead, etc.) after a large bloody Napoleonic-era battle i.e. Waterloo, Leipzig, or Borodino?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

When and where did the idea that JFK would have pulled out of Vietnam come from?

I know the idea has been around for decades. I've read repeatedly that it has no truth in it. It's frequently tied to conspiracy theories about his assassination. But when and where did this idea begin?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

Tuesday Trivia: Friends & Friendship! This thread has relaxed standards—we invite everyone to participate!

Welcome to Tuesday Trivia!

If you are:

  • a long-time reader, lurker, or inquirer who has always felt too nervous to contribute an answer
  • new to /r/AskHistorians and getting a feel for the community
  • Looking for feedback on how well you answer
  • polishing up a flair application
  • one of our amazing flairs

this thread is for you ALL!

Come share the cool stuff you love about the past!

We do not allow posts based on personal or relatives' anecdotes. Brief and short answers are allowed but MUST be properly sourced to respectable literature. All other rules also apply—no bigotry, current events, and so forth.

For this round, let’s look at: Friends & Friendship! This week, we're lifting up all things related to friends and friendships! Know something about the history of humans building relationships outsides family structures you want to share? Or want to pass along the history of something related to friendships like friendship bracelets, pen pals, or secret clubhouses? Bring it on!

1 Answers 2022-12-27

Did the Vikings ever raid Germany/ East Francia?

When people talk about Viking raids, it is mostly about Britain, Ireland and the baltic area, although the area of present-day Germany or the Dutch coast would have been very easy to reach, especially for the Norsemen living in Denmark. Are there any records of raids in this area?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

How the English aristocratic families are built from the scratch?

I’m very curious to know how the aristocratic families in Europe where founded. I’m looking for the period when these families Forefathers started from nothing and “ built the aristocracy “ Thanks in advance and cheers!

1 Answers 2022-12-27

How did Arthur Conan Doyle become a judge at the first Bodybuilding contest in 1891?

Eugen Sandow, widely known as the Father of Bodybuilding, staged the first bodybuilding contest in 1891. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous author of the Sherlock Holmes serials/books, was one of the judges.

I find this fascinating – was Doyle an established author by 1891? Why was he considered a suitable judge, being an author? Were Sandow and him friends? Was Doyle interested in bodybuilding, and did he continue to be involved in competitions as a judge? Was the average person surprised he was a judge or was it expected? Was this a marketing ploy to get more people interested? Do we have any records of Doyle’s comments while judging?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

How do the Romans escape certain destruction nearly every time?

When the destruction or fragmentation of Rome appears certain, some extraordinary individual saves it against all odds.

  1. Rome is sacked by the gauls but Marcus Camillus drives them off and saves the day.
  2. Hannibal kills every Roman army he can find and half of Italy defects but Scipio Africanus finally defeats him.
  3. Constant civil war threatens to fracture the republic but Octavian achieves peace.
  4. The Empire fractures but Aurellian reunites it.
  5. The Empire appears certain to lose to the Persians but Heraclius fights and wins the last Persian War.
  6. The Latins sack and occupy Constantinople for 57 years but Alexios Strategopoulos retakes it with only 800 men.

What could last for 100 generations that lets the Romans defy the odds? Or are the Romans just lucky?

2 Answers 2022-12-27

In your area of study, has there been any especially memorable stories of love?

1 Answers 2022-12-27

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