After WW2, there was the creation of the United Nations and they created a universal document of human rights and what every human has the right of, including things like "right to liberty" and "right to life"

But were there any universal documents of basic human rights before the UN was created before WW2?

Thank you all for your responses!

Today, among us Muslims there are people who often glorify the thirteen centuries rule of "Islamic caliphate". This glorification has resulted in various nationalist discourse in 20th century and is still constructed today. It is commonly agreed that a triumphant past under the banner of "Islamic civilization" existed (and it is a fascinating subject to inquire by itself).

Prior to Muslims' rule in 7th century, however, most of Middle East was Christian. The Christians were under the domain of Roman and Persian, two huge civilization by its own. I know there were people like Cosmas Indicopleustas or Eusebius who see Roman Empire as a civilization so great that it is believed to last until the end of time. It didn't, however - and today this Eastern Mediterranean region has always been identified as a "Muslim region".

So has there ever been a collective/historical memory of pre-Muslim past among the Middle Eastern Christians? Is something like "Nestorian Christians were the precursor of modern science!" or a more confrontational "things were better under the Romans!" ever entered popular discourse?

I'm aware that the monophysites quite welcomed Muslim's conquest in 7th century and there were lots of cooperation between Muslims and Christians in Middle East, especially in Abbasid's rule.

I know that not every viking could afford mail but does that mean most of them fought in their casual clothes or did they at least wear some leather? Were there any mail substitutes for poor people? Also were helmets more common in comparison?

The theory of evolution must have been hard enough to swallow for your average Joe. How long after Darwin publicized his works did it take before Western churches, protestant or catholic, accepted it as truth? Most religious communities accept the theory today, but I can't imagine it happened overnight.

Even though the Catholics and the Orthodox were rivals you would think that the Christian imperial city's lose to an Islamic army would not sit well...

The UK and USA are very close allies despite their history but when you look at the UK's relationship with Ireland it's not so rosey (The Troubles etc)

Why is that the UK and US have become so close, where as the UK is not so close with other countrys it once ruled?

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

Francis was the founder of the Franciscans in the 13th century Clare of the Poor Clares (the female branch of the Franciscans). The two worked closely together and had a sort of spiritual friendship. Now I don't want to make wrong assumptions but they were both human, working closely together. It wouldn't be impossible for the two of them to form something more then a friendship.

I'm specifically interested in the Ais and Jaega, but how much information exists about any of them?

The countries in active combat were

• Kuwait
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Saudi Arabia
• France
• Italy
• Canada
• Egypt
• Syria
• Morocco
• United Arab Emirates
• Oman
• Qatar
• Bangladesh Kuwait
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Saudi Arabia
• France
• Italy
• Canada
• Egypt
• Syria
• Morocco
• United Arab Emirates
• Oman
• Qatar
• Bangladesh

And non-combat support was

•  Afghanistan
  

•  Argentina
  

•  Australia
  

•  Bahrain
  

•  Belgium
  

•  China
  

• Czechoslovakia
  

•  Denmark[2]
  

•  Spain
  

•  Germany
  

•  India
  

•  Pakistan
  

•  Netherlands
  

•  New Zealand
  

•  Niger
  

•  Norway
  

•  Poland
  

•  Portugal
  

•  Greece
  

•  Hungary
  

•  Senegal
  

•  South Korea
  

Was the Iraqi military that big? I know they had a bunch of reserves, but this seems like way too many.

Hi everyone,

this is in a sense a followup question to a badhistory post that criticised the top rated post about japan mainly protecting their territorial interests in china by declaring war on the US in WW2. Most comments and answers focused heavily on the geopolitical interests and a very classical power definition. In my research about state building and economic development I have come across side notes about shintoism and how important it was in pre-1946 Japan, but mostly without any real explanation for those statements. So to my actual questions:

• Was shinto integrated into the japanese patriotism / nationalism, and if so, how?
• Did the religion turn into a political ideology?
• Did shintoism influence the Japanese decision making to participate in WW2?

I've been thinking on it lately, and what I can find clarify all that much. It seems that there is a lot of muddying of waters by Islamic, Judiastic and Christian scholarly groups trying to erase the history to fit their own belief systems.

So what is the story of it? What sort of empire was it? What brought it down? And, of additional interest, where does Islam, Christianity and Judaism come into all of this?

From what I currently understand, it was an empire made of city states, like early Greece. Then the empire fell, and the city states fell to warring factions. The Persians held Baghdad and used the trade routes to secure power within the region, Israel went on a rampage, taking over as much land as possible, and a large group of old city states then formed a nation and scattered the nation of Israel.

How much of this is correct, and how much isn't?

Now, as an Englishman I've always been taught about "Sir Francis Drake", but where I live now in Spain it's always "Pirata Drake". Is this a case of sore losers, or have the Spanish got a point?

It's location seems perfect for a Mediterranean empire. It's close to Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt and the Levant.
Maybe even better situated than Constantinople.
Though in my minor education about the Romans I've never read a lot about it.
Was it used as a military or administrative centre?
If not, why not?