Was there any criticism from the allied side regarding how harsh the treaty was?

In 2 weeks, my Dad and I are visiting Normandy and taking a 3-day tour of the Landing beaches and inland sites such as Brecourt. My Grandfather was a Sergeant in the Royal Corps of Signals and took part in the invasion, but we do not know anything about his war other than that. That, and that he once told my Dad he "served alongside Americans", so we do not know for sure what beach he landed on, or if this was in combat or in logistics or a technical capacity. We just want to know what kind of thing he may have been doing as we visit the beaches, and where he may have gone afterwards, as the MoD won't get his records back to us on time. Also... I feel that signalmen are often overlooked in the narrative of warfare, so this may shed some light for others too!

I have a few questions...

1. When did the practice of having household troops begin? And when did the huscarls become the military elite of their society?

2. What would it take to become an Anglo-Saxon huscarl? What background would they need to have, what training did they need to undertake, and did they have to have fighting experience?

3. Can you describe what their armament would look like? What would they carry into battle?

4. How capable were they in battle? Were they truly elite? How well did they fare against Harald Hardrada's vikings and William's knights?

5. How ethnically diverse were the huscarls, were they mostly Anglo-Danes or did you see Saxons, Rus, Svear and Norse serve in their ranks as well?

6. Following 1066, what happened to the huscarls, is it true most left for Byzantium to become part of the varangian guard?

7. Can you recommend me some authoritative books/articles on the Huscarls?

thanks

I've come across several vague and sometimes contradictory texts on the languages that Elizabeth I of England could speak. Some say she was schooled in 6 languages including Spanish and was fluent in all them before puberty. They don't seem reputable sources though.

I know she sent a letter to the king of Morocco in Spanish, offering an alliance. This was because the king spoke the language and there was probably no one in England that knew Arabic or Berber at the time. She might have just have someone translate for her however.

Finally, I've also read that Philip II and Mary Tudor spoke in a mix of French and Latin to each other because neither spoke the other's mother tongue, even after they got married. This makes me even more confused because I'd suppose Mary and Elizabeth's schooling to be similar.

I have been reading Stephen E. Ambrose's book "D-Day", and there is line which states that Hitler was approached by Goering with the Me262 plans in early 1944 (just before D-Day). Hitler demanded these be re-designed as bombers, not fighters, to terrorize London. Goering cursed Hitler, forced production of fighters until Hitler found out, and demanded bomber versions instead. The fighter versions almost destroyed a fighter/bomber group over Germany with no hits on themselves because of the speed. Bomber versions were shot down quickly. Why would he decide against such a brilliant design?

It's often been said that the kings of Persia were "kings of kings". In regard to the monarch's appointed satraps, how similar is this to feudalism in Europe?

Similarly, how were classes typically arranged? Were the lowest slaves or something more similar to serfs?

Did the public think that this marriage was inappropriate or even a bad idea, as it was only 5 years after JFK's assassination?

In 1978 (the time of Mao's death), the GDP per capita would have been most divergent, owing to the divergent paths taken by Japan and China. For Japan there was the Meiji Restoration, and heavy investment by the USA post WW2, while China got a civil war followed by Mao's not so good economic policy.

But I'm wondering if Japan's economy was in better shape even before the Meiji's Restoration?

I was looking at the night sky and wondered how on earth the differences between a distant star and a distant planet could be detected without any equipment?

Obviously the operation never achieved its main intent but were their any positives that came out of it?

so lets say 10,000 men in reasonable conditions no rain/snow, and not to hilly/mountonus far could they travel per day?

What was it's most famous building? What kind of architecture characterised the city?

If you ever ride a horse without stirrups to support you (I have) you will just bounce along the top and if you are a guy its agony for your balls. How did cavalry without stirrups charge at full speed without being totally incapacitated?

I would have understood it if his fight against the Ottomans was fully political, but there seems to have been a significant religious bent or at least symbolism to it. Or am I wrong?

There have been several totalitarian communist regimes throughout history. North Korea is one, and they're still around. Do we know why say Nicolae Ceaușescu didn't manage to stay in power, while Kim Il-Sung and his successors have?

When does it become important enough to appear on maps and get recognized by the state/national government?

What was the process for becoming a town recognized by a government historically?

When was their poetry first published and when did it become so popular as to form the basis for popular opinion on the Great War?

A buddy of mine once told me that many forests in Japan are protected and have flourished as a result of Yakuza ownership. Allegedly the forests were purchased by the Yakuza in order to corner the wood supply and thus the housing industry. A side effect of their ownership was that the forests weren't available for resale and thus development.