I have two visions in my head: One of lines of soldiers armed with muskets lining up in rows and shooting and each other, and one of soldiers running through no man's land as machine guns mow them down from the enemy trench. What was warfare like in between the these time periods? I still think of line infantry when I think of the Crimean War and the American Civil War. I know that bolt-action rifles were being used by most modern armies towards the end of the 19th century. I guess an easy place to focus on would be the wars of German Unification (if they are even called that). In Prussia's wars during this time would there still be elements of Line Infantry Doctrine? What would the formations look like?

Also, how were maps made/oriented before compasses/lodestones were in widespread use?

I was scanning this subreddit and found this question just curious.How did ancient slavery differ from the atlantic slave trade?

I've heard a whole lot about North Africa before the Roman Empire, and about it being conquered by Rome, and later becoming part of the Islamic world, but there is a pretty big gap there. The Western Roman Empire fell in the 5th century. Islam was founded in the 7th century. What was going on in North Africa during that lengthy interim?

For example, let's say we draw a bunch of dark age french peasants and plop them into an aztec city. Would the aztecs or the Europeans be infected by either ones foreign pathogens?

I'm trying to self-teach myself some World-War 1 history, but the Balkans and the death of the Ottoman Empire always seem to be talked about in a very esoteric fashion.

Any classicists in the house? I need some help regarding the Twelve Tables.

First, I was wondering if anyone knew of any solid secondary literature on the Twelve Tables. I'm looking for a fairly short (preferably a single volume) history of the development of Roman law that features prominently the compilation of the Twelve Tables.

Second, I was wondering if we have complete copies of the Twelves Tables, and if so, what the standard English translation is, assuming there is one.

Mainly, I'm interested in the sections regarding universitates (I hope that's the proper plural) and capital punishment.

Thanks in advance.

So I just watched the TV series Rome and thought to myself, since the Gauls speak the Gaulish language and the Ptolemaic Egyptians speak Egyptian, how would the Romans communicate with them? Interrogate Gauls or negotiating with the Egyptians?

I am asking whether or not the outcome Korean War was actually relevant to the fate of Europe, and if so, how. I am under the impression that European nations, for one, did not share MacArthur's enthusiasm.

It seems to be a common thing in medieval fiction for someone to be paid in silver or gold coins.

I was just watching "A Knight's Tale", and at the beginning they were paid 15 "silver florins". They divide it up three ways and they're all super excited about all the food and things they're planning on buying.

If one of them wanted to go to an inn and purchase a meal, for example, how would they pay? I'm assuming a meal would cost FAR less than a "silver florin". Would they get change? Would they "break' it into smaller units of currency for such small purchases? Did smaller units of currency exist?

Edit: I know that neanderthals and prehumans predated known civilization, but there are texts that account (or seem to) prehistory via writing down oral tradition, etc. This is what I'm looking for here.

Thus far every single search on Google has turned up nothing but NWO, George Carlin, and Masonic Conspiracy websites. If not from Confucius, then where does this phrase come from?

When I say numbers I mean the amount of men, regiments, artillery etc.

As I stated I have a degree in history. I can wax for hours on Canon Law, Hellenism, Carthage, etc. But I know next to nothing about Byzantium/Eastern Roman Empire. I do not even know what to properly name it. So I went to try to find information, sources, books and the like, and I am struggling. I don't know authors to trust, or even really where to begin. So I was hoping to get some recommendations.

If this is not a proper question to ask on this sub-reddit then I beg forgiveness, but I do not know where would be proper. The book list on the sidebar lacked information on this specific era also. Thanks in advance.

My tutor is very good at talking about anything but computing, and today was our voting. It somehow came to Switzerland's National Service vs. America's... gun loving... culture. He sold the idea of National Service very well: everybody owns a gun, but they have had 2 years training with it, respect it, etc. And with neutral countries like Switzerland, a nation-wide-militia sounds like a must have for any country, surely.

Why don't all countries employ National Service (Military or otherwise)? What has history taught us of using this mandatory programme?

Thank you :)

I understand that the Native Americans used Obsidian for weapons and the like. I am just curious if the European cultures did that as well. I know that there was some jewelry worn by the Europeans but I have never heard of weapons.

Today, there are all sorts of different schools, like parochial, public, and military. My question is: were there ever any schools in the Mediterranean focused on training students to be officers/soldiers/generals in armies?

What about military colleges, where children or aristocrats could be enrolled to learn the art of waging war?