There are many types of Superpowers such as nuclear, or conventional military, or financial/economic. Would not all three factors should be the deciding outcome who qualifies as the top superpower. IMO the USA does. However I'm asking this to settle an argument as one asked me to talk to Historians.
1 Answers 2014-09-17
This was a question posed to me today by one of my history professors. We had been talking about the African Slave Trade scene in the New World (The Americas) in the late 1600's through the 1750's.
What are your thoughts on this subject?
I believe that Racism fueled slavery. From the very beginnings of Europe, people were under strong Feudalism and had to do what they were told, otherwise they were wrong. When explorers from Europe brought slaves to the New World via the Middle Passage, the Europeans treated the slaves with an overruling power... much like how they were treated back in their country. The slaves were being treated by their skin color and not by how they worked. The extreme ways that the slaves were being treated happened due to the (understandable) resistance by the Africans due to the unfairness of the situation. Eventually these extreme ways became the norm, and to keep the slaves in line, harsher tactics had to be implemented.
What are your thoughts?
4 Answers 2014-09-17
I've always been intrigued by the history and culture of the arab world BEFORE it became Islamic; since Islam changed greatly the customs and the history of the region. I have had very little luck in actually finding any resources to study or read regarding pre-islamic arabia as everything I find is about "Muslim history" rather than history prior to the 600s.
Any help please?
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This includes all "2,000 years of continuous civilization". At best, it seems like a technicality to me especially when one considers Tibet and other non-Han regions of China. But how does Chinese media draw this conclusion? And how true is it?
4 Answers 2014-09-17
In Dracula, Van Helsing seems to be able to go from London to Amsterdam, and vice versa, in a day or so. Is this accurate? Would anyone be able to make the trip that quickly, or would a faster voyage be more expensive?
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I'm reading about the Tripoli Wars initiated by Jefferson, who decided that going to war would be cheaper than paying ransom to pirates. Though many prisoners were released for a fee, I've read some were sold in to slavery.
Who were the people being attacked by pirates? Were they European and American primarily? And if they were being sold into slavery, what was their experience like? Does this mean that there were white slaves in Africa?
1 Answers 2014-09-17
Also why the stripes?
1 Answers 2014-09-17
I have been reading the english Wikipedia article on the Iranian revolution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution
As an Iranian, I know that the revolution is still a hotly debated subject by my people today and anecdotes prevail over accuracy when discussing it.
There are some passages that caught my eye in the article:
The Shah's regime became increasingly oppressive, brutal,[35][36] corrupt, and extravagant.[35][37] It also suffered from basic functional failures that brought economic bottlenecks, shortages, and inflation.[38] The Shah was perceived by many as beholden to — if not a puppet of — a non-Muslim Western power (the United States)[39][40] whose culture was affecting that of Iran. At the same time, support for the Shah may have waned among Western politicians and media – especially under the administration of U.S. President Jimmy Carter – as a result of the Shah's support for OPEC petroleum price increases earlier in the decade.[41] When President Carter enacted a human-rights policy which said countries guilty of human-rights violations would be deprived American arms or aid, this helped give some Iranians the courage to post open letters and petitions in the hope that the repression by the government might subside.[42]
Hoping to break Khomeini's contacts with the opposition, the Shah pressured the Iraqi government to expel him from Najaf. Khomeini left Iraq, instead moving to a house bought by Iranian exiles in Neauphle-le-Château, a village near Paris, France. The Shah hoped that Khomeini would be cut off from the mosques of Najaf and be cut off from the protest movement. Instead, the plan backfired badly. With superior French telephone and postal connections (compared to Iraqi ones), his supporters flooded Iran with tapes and recordings of his sermons.[16][91][103]
Worse for the Shah, Khomeini immediately put himself into the spotlight of the Western media, especially in the broadcasts of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).[16][120] Khomeini rapidly became a household name in the west, portraying himself as an "Eastern mystic" who did not seek power, but instead sought to "free" his people from "oppression". The normally critical western media rapidly became a docile tool in Khomeini's hands.[16][91]
In addition, the media coverage eroded the influence of other, more moderate clergy such as Ayatollah Shariatmadari and Ayatollah Taleghani.[94][99][103] The BBC itself later issued a statement admitting to having a "critical" disposition to the Shah, saying that its broadcasts helped to "change the collective perception of the population." [15]
What can the wonderful users of /r/askhistorians contribute to this? In addition, how reliable are the sources of the wikipedia article? Do any of you have any experience reading them?
I dare not read the Persian article on this subject because I highly doubt it will be impartial and accurate.
Thanks for your time.
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I specified the 1980 referendum to not run afoul of the 20 year rule.
2 Answers 2014-09-17
Hello all,
I am developing an essay on the importance, definition, characteristics, and impact of self-image in Renaissance Florence (particularly pre-16th century). However I am more of a medievalist, and as such I am having trouble in finding sources and information on the topic. I particularly wanted to have a segment on the importance of books, literature, and libraries in relation to self-image (anything else that may relate is very welcome).
Is there anyone who can give me a general overview of the importance of self-image in early Renaissance Florence?
Which sources would be good to look at/refer to in order to build up a good bibliography?
Thank you kindly
2 Answers 2014-09-17
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I've been wondering about the history of dating, courtship, and arranged marriages recently. I've heard people discuss these ways of finding a romantic partner as if they developed in sequence over time. I've also heard that we're exiting the time in which dating is the main way people get to know romantic partners. What do historians think about this?
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I always see them in pictures I but can't figure out their purpose. Was it the allies who dropped them there as cover for the troops or did the Nazi's put them there to make it easier to aim their guns?
1 Answers 2014-09-16
I am aware that the east german police continued to use it for some time, but how come it wasn't used much after the war, considering the weapon was very ahead of the time?
1 Answers 2014-09-16
Stumbled across a lost cemetery (according to county records). Can read two of the tombstones and an internet search names the cemetery and that it was lost. A neighbor said his family has owned land around it for years and all he knows is that it was an "old black" cemetery. I took some photos but i don't know much about reddit or photoshop whatever. Is there anyone who has some type of filter or software that they may be able to help me identify them our suggest a subreddit where i can get some assistance?
3 Answers 2014-09-16
