I understand that a large number of important, and very old, buildings were demolished during the wars, but I have also read that both sides (during both conflicts) generally did not target historic landmarks. Is this true, and if so, how/why were such efforts taken during a period of total war?

I've heard some sources say that the SS was one of the most diverse war forces in history and that soldiers came from over 20 different countries to fight (maybe because they had to?). I've also heard stuff like how black soldiers weren't segregated into their own units like in the american army. How true are these statements and are there any resources on the subject?

EDIT: I received some good info, but I was looking for some more numbers that I could understand. I suppose quantifying diversity is a difficult thing to do, so maybe we should try comparing the diversity to something like the current american army, which I would say is pretty diverse. Is it possible to rank the diversity compared to other fighting forces in history?

For the uninitiated: "Operation Ranch Hand" was a military program during the Vietnam War aimed at destroying the forests and crop fields of Vietnam to cripple the country and discourage the guerrilla warfare that was kicking the US Army's ass. There were six defoliants used as a part of the program: Agents Pink, White, Blue, Purple, Green, and the infamous Orange. Most people have heard of Agent Orange, but not the others. I'd like to know why that is. Was Agent Orange particularly destructive? The most widely used? Or is it just random chance that Agent Orange is the posterboy for deforestation during the Vietnam War?

We just refer to music made before the 20th century as 'classical', but did they also have their own genres? Do you think some of our music could be 'classical' in another 200 years?

Also some not so sought after professions would be interesting too.

I know in Ancient Egypt that Scribes were seen as elite and skilled but I would like to know some other jobs that would have been up there in the food chain.

By similar, I mean groups or regiments of foreigners ( non Eastern European ) sent to fight under Soviet command such as British, American, Canadiens or Chinese,...Etc

The Normandie-Niemen squadron was and remains a symbol of cooperation between Western powers and the Soviets, with its pilots and mechanics 's image turned into heroes and rewarded by France and the Soviets.

Thank you.

I am just curious as to what are the oldest authoritative versions of the Old and New Testaments (together or separately)?

I've been bed-bound with the 'flu for about 5 days now, and as my ability to string words together returned, I got to wondering what it was about the flu that killed people?

I'm about 95% sure I'll be firing on all cylinders by the start of next week with not much more than some painkillers, bed rest and lots of fluids and soup, though with what is admittedly an unhealthy drop in bodyweight.

Why did people die of influenza so much in the past?

Can anyone recommend a comprehensive and accurate book on the Ancient Egyptian religion? Is it possible to read any translations? [even online]

The sport didn't really gain international recognition until the mid-20th century, and since cultural exchange between North America and the Eastern Bloc was very limited during the Cold War, I don't see how it could have gained a foothold in the Soviet Union.

Depictions of women in the nag hammadi texts seem to be relatively positive: divine wisdom is female, eve frees humanity from the garden rather than ruining everything, norea outsmarts noah, and Mary Magdalene gets a lot of attention. Were there non-christian roots of these attitudes? Were they accepted by non-gnostics? If so, when did this rhetoric leave mainstream christianity?

I tried Wikipedia and it just says that Hermes is "purported" to be the author Hermetic Corpus.

Did this mysterious figure actually exist and he/she start/founded Hermeticism?

I'm wondering why Marcus Porcius Cato (the Elder, who lived from 234 to 149 B.C.) was such a fierce opponent of Greek culture and ideas. He urged the suppression of the Bacchanalian mysteries, he wanted to send away Greek ambassadors, and he seems to have thought Greeks were degenerate and cowardly. Do we know why he did all this?

And did Cato's anti-Greek campaign fail? Over a century later, the poet Horace wrote that "Conquered Greece took captive her savage conqueror and brought her arts into rustic Latium." That would imply that Cato had little impact in the long run. Is that conclusion accurate?