As the topic of the causes of the Japanese surrender has been covered in the past, this question is more about why in particular Operation downfall was considered a likely outcome given the inability for the Japanese nation to meaningfully wage war by 1945. Was the Naval blockade and the resource shortages considered insufficient to invoking Unconditional surrender that a costly land invasion must be pursued against a protracted Naval blockade against a nation that no longer had the power to contest the seas at all?

Historically speaking the Middle East was a rival to European powers, colonizing and occupying parts of Europe. Today however the Middle East is not that close to as developed as Europe. What the heck happened to Europeans greatest rival?

So I was studying about Aktion T4 which was a campaign of mass murder by involuntary euthanasia in Nazi Germany. It targets people with disabilities, mentally and physically. Though I wonder, what happened to the soldiers who were wounded and disabled in combat? Does the same policy apply to them or were they given a pension? DoeI euthanasia depend on the severity of the conditions, like say a soldier who lost both legs but could use both hands or a soldier not who couldn’t move at all? And what about blind people? If they can’t see but still function in some way, we’re they euthanized?

Sure, we’ve all seen the pyramid and the breadmakers tomb that Mary Beard loves to go on about, and sure, we all know about the ransacking of the imperial mausoleums, but where is everyone else?? 1200 years of prominence and thats all thats been preserved? Were Romans so despised that subsequent civilizations desecrated every Roman grave they came across? Did other Romans vandalize or destroy these graves? Where is Cicero? Cato? Brutus or Cassius? Marius…Sulla…the Grachii…so many huge and influential personalities and yet so few surviving monuments. One would expect a great majority to not survive but its rather astonishing just how few actually remain

I'm not a historian, so the way I am framing these questions is probably not the best. Also, this question is based-off my knowledge of how it has been in Canada, though I know it is similar in the US. Basically, when Europeans arrived in what is now known as the Americas, they thought it was India, so they called them Indians. But surely, after some years, at max a decade, they figured out it was not India. It hard for me to believe they didn't. And *yet*, for centuries, the people on these lands were called "Indians" and referred to as "Indians". In Canada, we had (and still have in place) the Indian Act in 1876. The department Indian Affairs (that then became Indian Affairs and Northern Development) only changed to "Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada" in 2011. (Now there are two departments, both using the word Indigenous.) So, all that to say, why? Were the colonizers and settlers too lazy or didn't care to use a different name, so they stuck to something inaccurate?

Hi, I'm writing a book and need any history books that have at least a semi-detailed explanation of the history of Italian Banking systems from the 11th - 15th century.

Thanks!

Hi all,

First time World History I teacher here (I'm usually teaching Western II) and am really researching the Assyrians in depth for the first time.

What I've been able to glean is that the Assyrians experience some kind of religious conflict in the 1300s BCE, and that afterwards they begin to worship Ashur, who also begins to morph into a god of conquest? I'm unclear on this.

In essence, how did the Assyrians go from following standard Mesopotamian theology to being the biggest bag of d**ks the world had seen until that point, all while yelling "all glory to Ashur" as they pillaged their way across the Fertile Crescent?

Do we have any archeological or source evidence about this change in their society? Any educated guesses from people far smarter than me?

I know large numbers of Jews served in all of these armies, but how much prestige and authority could they earn? What was the furthest that Jews could advance in them?

I'm reading through Rasmus B. Anderson's America Not Discovered by Columbus, and there are clearly some things here which are outdated in their understanding, but some things which still seem to hold true. Somewhere near the middle Anderson suggests that the body of The Skeleton in Armor was actually that of Thorvald, and that where he had died was in that place in Massachusetts, and that chemical analysis found the armor to be reminiscent of that used by the Vikings. Having googled this I'm coming up short on contemporary analyses of the Skeleton or of Thorvald's place of death---is Anderson's take a possibility? I know Vinland generally centered around Newfoundland but did the Vikings get as far as New England?

I can’t find any numbers online I’m curious how big it was compared to Alaska among other things and the reasons for the size and shape changing was it the state departments choosing? Was it sold off to the US before annexation? Was it something else? What modern day cities would texas have if it was the original size and shape?

Also, what were his plans for Malaysia? And how did he see his political ideology situated within the Malaysian political system?

I know of masses being celebrated in 'discovered lands' but I imagine there were dozens of ships in the Atlantic at any given time, with many Sundays passing. Were sailors 'blessed' before going on a trip or maybe they would just not care?

(this question is a repost, I hope that's ok)

Ok, so, hear me out

I know why the allies didn't declare war on the Soviet Union and I know Russia didn't lose any war for them to return eastern Poland, however, why isn't there even a claim by the modern polish republic or a polish separatist movement in Russia? Is there?

It seems like we all agree it was a violation of Polish sovereignty, however, nothing was ever done to reverse it, or so I think. My only bet is that those regions were sparsely populated or there was a huge concentration of russians just like there were of germans in the west.

Hello!

I teach Global History to High Schoolers and during our World Religions unit we group the three Abrahamic Religions together so that students can see the progression of the original ideas through three different religions.

However, for some reason this year I randomly had this thought that I can't find a clear answer on. In Judaism, it is against traditional law to eat Pork, and the same is true in Islam. Why then did Christians skip this part of the tradition? And how did it come back during the founding of Islam?

Where can I find an overview of the French Revolution (contextualization, main events, significance) that's not oversimplified or overly eurocentric (I can't even with narratives that just go Enlightenment -> French Revolution -> Modern/better governments for all) and that's well grounded in disciplinary views and refers to academic sources? It can be a lecture, a podcast, an article, book chapter, a post here on r/AskHistorians... Something with one to a few hours worth if content.

TIA!!!!

Edit - grammar

Edit 2 - Can be in English, French, or Spanish

like the greeks accepted gays so when the homophobia started?

I have a lot of family in New Hampshire, and travel to Vermont a couple times a year as well. It seems like there's a bit of a rivalry between the two states. The culture of each is pretty different in a lot of ways, and their politics are vastly different, at least for New England politics. How did this come to be? Their demographics are similar, the state sizes are similar, they're both low population density and have similar geography. At what point did these two states diverge so much?

Thank you.

There are innumerable texts that cover life in the Royal Navy during the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon, but I have seen very little about the navy after the wars. I imagine it disbanded many crews and took quite a few ships off of active duty. What was the Royal Navy's core role from 1816 onward?

I ask this because although we have never seen another ethnic cleansing to match after the massacre in Rwanda, there have been some relevant attacks on ethical groups, even a big one happening right now in China.

Has the UN managed to prevent any ethnic (or something like that) extermination?

Wow, I thought this one would have been under "frequently asked questions" but I checked and didn't see it. If I'm mistaken, let me know.

Also, I'm sure I could google this and get 100 flowery storybook answers... but what did he actually say to Attila, if he said anything at all?

thanks in advance.