1 Answers 2015-04-24
Did Western allied soldiers know much or anything about the fight between the Germans and the Soviets prior to D-Day? Did they learn more after the invasion of Normandy? Did they know anything about Soviet defeats and victories, or arms and equipment?
Did Soviet soldiers know much or anything about the fight between Japan and the U.S.? Were there V-J celebrations in the USSR or did they not really care?
Primarily curious about the perspective from common soldiers or junior officers.
1 Answers 2015-04-24
I have read a ton about the Great Depression's effect on American society, but I am unclear about how the rest of the economically connected world dealt with it.
Any insight is appreciated.
4 Answers 2015-04-24
I was reading the Wiki page on Mandaeism, and it refers to the Mandaeans as being "of pre-Arab origin", but provides no explanation of what is meant by this; I've never encountered the concept of "pre-Arab" peoples before; when I've read about the region, the term Arab always seems to refer to various peoples living in the Arabian peninsula, even as far back as the reign of Cyrus the Great. Can anyone shed any light on what is meant by "pre-Arab" in this context?
1 Answers 2015-04-24
Most times when you talk about imperialism and colonization in Africa, the European empires are in a very bad light. So my question is, is this justified?
Was colonialism bad for Africa and the countries that emerged from it? I mean Ethiopia was colonized for a very short period of time and you can see it's not the shining beacon of light in Africa, while South Africa that was colonized by the British for a very long period of time is definitely not a failure of a country.
1 Answers 2015-04-24
I'm probably wording that badly. What I mean is do schools in Bavaria/Saxony/Westphalia/etc prioritise their history lessons on their own regions, or do they provide more of a national history?
1 Answers 2015-04-24
The constitutions of countries like the U.S.A. or France stipulate that their purpose is to make possible the happiness of their citizens. Apart from theocracies and other dictatorships, has any form of government ever tried to define what would actually be "happiness" or has the term always been left to personal interpretation?
2 Answers 2015-04-24
Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
23 Answers 2015-04-24
1 Answers 2015-04-24
The AskHistorians Podcast is a project that highlights the users and answers that have helped make /r/AskHistorians one of the largest history discussion forum on the internet. You can subscribe to us via iTunes, Stitcher, or RSS, and now on YouTube. If there is another index you'd like the cast listed on, let me know!
This Episode:
/u/elos_ discusses some of the prominent and popular ideas about The Great War, particular in the anglosphere. Covered are the notion of "lions led by donkeys" and the idea of marching lockstep into machine gun fire, as well as the expected time an average soldier would spend in a combat zone. Key, however, is challenging the idea that WWI was a static and senseless conflict, instead of a dynamic engagement whose tactics and strategy were rooted in practical considerations.
If you want more specific recommendations for sources or have any follow-up questions, feel free to ask them here! Also feel free to leave any feedback on the format and so on.
If you like the podcast, please rate and review us on iTunes.
Thanks all!
Coming up next fortnight: /u/elos_ returns for part two, discussing how WW1 evolved following the 1916 Battle of the Somme, and kept changing right up until the armistice.
9 Answers 2015-04-24
1 Answers 2015-04-24
My understanding is that this was a serious preoccupation at the time. But here we are, three decades later, with a larger global population than ever. Were the original predictions based on faulty logic? Did we find new technologies that allowed us to feed more people?
1 Answers 2015-04-24
Essentially, how early in American history were elections won with money? I know that the Pendleton Act that was supposed to end the spoils system had a little to do with it, but beyond that, I don't know much.
2 Answers 2015-04-24
What went different in the history of the U.S and Australia?
2 Answers 2015-04-24
I remember in grade school learning about it but I don't remember learning any possible explanations as to what happened. Did they leave? Or were they killed? Something else maybe?
1 Answers 2015-04-24
Over a musket, I mean. Why were the sergeants issued spontoons?
2 Answers 2015-04-24
2 Answers 2015-04-24
After reading about stirrup controversy, I realized that a lot of sources on the internet, as well as the book I'm reading right now (History of England by G.M. Trevelyan) are possibly not up to date to the latest scientific knowledge, so I decided to ask here to clarify it.
Did the success of Norman conquest depend on using cavalry, as opposed to anglo-saxons of the time, who rode on horses, but fought like infantry? This is what the History of England says, but it seems strange that such important technological advancements (stirrups, saddle, the skill of horseback fighting) would spread on one side of the english channel and be absent on the other, especially given the trade between two regions. What should I read about the topic that is up to date and correct?
1 Answers 2015-04-24
I mean, Hitler knew about the Armenian genocide and even compared the then upcoming genocide to it, shouldn't it be considered just as bad?
2 Answers 2015-04-24
3 Answers 2015-04-24