I've read some about how Spartan training began when future soldiers were seven years old and was extremely tough -- a good number of recruits died before they even saw battle. Are there other examples in history of highly intense military training regiments?

I commonly hear 90 or 95% of the new world population died from infectious disease, but I've recently been studying mathematical models of epidemiology and I find it very implausible that any disease outbreak could kill so many. Mortality from smallpox is usually around 30%. The mortality in the new world (and likely the susceptibility as well) were probably significantly higher, but as an outbreak runs its course the survivors become immune and once a significant portion becomes immune (1-1/R*0) the disease free equilibrium becomes stable Given that R0* for smallpox is roughly 2.5 once around 60% of the (surviving) population is recovered the outbreak will wear itself off, that's not even taking into account the lower density. By the law of mass action when the total population is reduced collisions between infected and susceptible people will decline (thus reducing transmission). Given that the majority of the new world (with the exceptions of the Andes, Central America, and parts of the eastern US) were hunter gatherer societies that were fairly sparsely populated I can't imagine a high enough contact rate (outside of those locations) to spread a disease fast enough for enough people to die before a significant recovered population accumulates.

Where did this 90% or 95% figure come from? Estimates of the precolombian population are all over the map from what I've read (I've heard estimates ranging from a few million to over a hundred million, my guess is around 30 or 40 million or so) so how can historians be so confident that the new world epidemics killed more than 90% of the population?

Namibia gained its independence in 1990, but South Africa was had the apartheid policy until 1994.

How did Namibia (which was South African land until 1990) deal with this after independence? Was racial segregation immediately criminalized, or did apartheid continue in Namibia as well?

pretty sure i find the name scholdra but i need a list of nsdap kreisleiter, someone ?

Did the armies fight against the allies?

Old cities have walls around them to protect them from intruders, but New York City obviously isn't walled off from the rest of the world. Did people slowly just start to feel safer?

Suggested supplies for Oregon Trail: 150 lbs. of flour, 20 lbs. of corn meal, 50 lbs. of bacon, 40 lbs. of sugar, 10 lbs. of coffee, 15 lbs. of dried fruit, 5 lbs. of salt, half a pound of saleratus (baking soda), 2 lbs. of tea, 5 lbs. of rice, and 15 lbs. of beans.

I'm just wondering what they would do with all that flour.. The idea of just mixing flour with water and cooking it over a fire doesn't sound that appetizing to me.

After reading some books by Mikhail Bulgakov, who often describes the struggles of life inside Soviet communal apartments, I got curious as to how one would get sorted out with housing in the Soviet Union. Especially in popular areas in large city's, where demand would be high, I wonder what the process for ordinary citizens was like. Was housing just appointed to you, or could you apply for places that were on the market? Could you inherit a room in a communal apartment? Were you free to swap, rent out or even 'buy' houses?

I fear my questions are a bit all over the place, but the whole idea of communal ownership en housing is intriguing to me. Answering any part of any of the questions I posted above would be greatly appreciated.

What stopped them from taking Spain or Sweden and other neutral European Countries?

Lizzie II is Queen of the UK, Queen of Canada, Queen of Oz, and Queen of NZ. Why would the Commonwealth not be considered a personal union?

Even today Rotterdam, Amsterdam en Antwerp are amongst the biggest ports of Europe. In the 15th century Bruges was a hotspot. In the 16th the port of Antwerp. And in the golden century for the republic it was Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Why was this region so important for trade?

*Maybe I'm overreacting a bit because I come from the region. So what were some other major ports that still play an important role today?

So, yeah, I've myself always though the Macedonians of today aren't related to the ancient ones, them being Hellenes, but not being an expert myself, I decided I needed some more information on the subject, and though this might be the place to get answers.

Sorry if the phrasing might offend some. I am myself not a native speaker of English, and so might phrase myself in a manner slighly offensive without this being the intention.

What was believed to be to the South (past north Africa), North (past Scandinavia), East( past Iran/India and the plains of Russia) and West (past the Atlantic) by Western Europeans before the age of exploration? Is there any myths or stories about the world beyond Europe from the time?

I was reading about the history of Go (from the perspective of innovations and tactics on the board) and found that there were a number of high-profile games played in China in the 50s and 60s. What confuses me is how Go was able to survive the cultural revolution, especially considering how it had been an aristocratic game, as well as one played by the Japanese.

I know it is a distasteful question, but I am curious. Although no breakthrough could justify what the Nazi's did to people, it seems logical that if you have enough doctors researching on humans they will figure out something new.

I'm intrigued as to what the relationship was between the two kings of Sparta throughout history, did they work together or were they in conflict? How did such a system arise and how was it maintained?