Today almost all people see North Korea as an isolated country ruled by terrible people who are starving their citizens. Was there ever a country in the past that was regarded n a similar way to how people view North Korea now?
2 Answers 2014-08-16
I generally love old things, especially old institutions (long as I'm not living through them I guess) and the HRE has always been a favorite. It always amazed me that the Holy Roman Empire existed at the same time as the United States.
So I'm curious, did the two ever interact? Did the emperor recognize the states or try and help either side in the revolution? (I know mercenaries from Germany aided on both sides.)
2 Answers 2014-08-16
What was the approximate win:loss ratio of the Aztecs in the Flower Wars?
How were the Flower Wars viewed by their rival nations/city states?
What was the difference between Eagle Warriors, Jaguar Warriors and Coyote Warriors?
Were there any other [animal?] Warrior groups?
How were the Aztecs able to capture so many enemy warriors? (Assuming that capturing an opponent is much more difficult than killing one.)
Why was the macuahuitl (obsidian sword) so popular with Aztec warriors? Presumably capturing an opponent would be easier with blunt weapons.
Would rival armies try to capture Aztec warriors, or would they be more likely to simply try and kill them?
Would Aztec warriors perform first aid on wounded opponents so that they might survive to be sacrificed?
Would an Aztec warrior that had captured an opponent that died before he could be sacrificed still receive the social benefits of having captured a warrior, or does it "not count" if the captured warrior wasn't sacrificed?
I understand that in gladitorial sacrifice a captured warrior would face increasingly difficult odds, assuming that he survived each "round". If he survived facing four warriors at the same time (presumably killing them), he would then have to face a lefthanded warrior. Why was a lefthanded opponent considered a greater challenge than four righthanded opponents attacking simultaneously?
How were lefthanded warriors viewed in Aztec society?
1 Answers 2014-08-16
6 Answers 2014-08-15
For example, this fellow here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rabe#Postwar
Mentions of de-nazification processes, but no real detail. Would this be similar to what is done to North Korean defectors, where they are isolated and re-educated, effectively re-propaganda-ed?
1 Answers 2014-08-15
Sorry for the poorly worded title, English is my first language so I've no excuse really.
I'm looking to find out about life in countries who were involved in WWII but not so completely as USA, UK etc. South Africa and Brazil both joined on the Allies side but were quite geographically removed from the main fronts (as far as I'm aware). Plus they didn't get quite as involved like the US.
How many men enlisted? What sort of assistance did they provide? Was there rationing? Public opinion on the war? Stuff like that.
No reason for wanting to know other than it sounds interesting so I hope you braining folks can help.
Cheers.
1 Answers 2014-08-15
Who would be there? Would they be speaking to a congregation? Was there interaction from people other than the clergy? How long would it last and how often was it? Etc.
2 Answers 2014-08-15
When were propellers intoduced on steam boats? Was there much early accepance or were paddles looked at as the preferred technology?
1 Answers 2014-08-15
And are there any go-to, accessible texts that you can point me to?
1 Answers 2014-08-15
I'm not sure if that already been answers (I did read through a few of the daily life in universities questions). So I apologize if that already been answered
I was curious about the age of entry of enlightenment period education (1600-1799), specifically university. And the General mental/intelligence intros.
There has been several arguments in the office about whether or not Thomas Jefferson, Euler, and many other figures were of exceptional intellect, or if they were simply wealthy enough to afford the schooling they needed at a young age.
I am more then aware many of the men we would find were very intelligent in relation to the average folk at the time, but I am curious if the age they joined really meant they were exceptional from childhood.
Summery of questions:
Thanks to all the people who answer, I love reading through the Frequent and Popular questions during my breaks.
EDIT
Changed the question to focus on Enlightenment philosophers rather than Renaissance. As per u/Enrico_Dandolo
1 Answers 2014-08-15
In my high school history class we debated whether or not to drop nukes on the Japanese if we had the option presented to us and we did a similar thing in sophomore English when we read the book Hiroshima. Often times in the debate, people presented the "fact" that factions within the government were moving towards a peace agreement with the US/Allies. But nothing ever went into specific actions or people, just a vague statement of like that. Is there any proof or evidence of this?
1 Answers 2014-08-15
(PS I won't object if you recommend something by some other author.)
1 Answers 2014-08-15
What are the credible histories from that period? Who are a couple modern historians that address this time?
Thank you
2 Answers 2014-08-15
Not historians, so please excuse any woeful ignorance on our part. Like, I assume, many of the questions asked in this subreddit, we are several pints into a geopolitical discussion on NATO and suddenly realized that we know very little about the Vikings. Typical.
Basically, the discussion comes down to whether or not the Medieval Warm Period caused the Viking expansion or whether a change in culture was the major catalyst.
Some argue that milder winters means more agriculture and less loss of livestock---->which means cheaper calories, a population boom, and bigger communities---->meaning excess resources---->which means the creation of wealth---->wealth and increased population lead to the consolidation of power and resources---->more resources means a greater need for guards/soldiers---->more guards/soldiers means a greater demand for new resources---->therefore, a need for expansion.
Others said, raids were a normal part of Viking culture due to limited resources---->raids create contact with other cultures---->contact with other cultures leads to the introduction of new ideas---->one big idea floated was the introduction of Christianity from raids on the Franks---->new ideas lead to cultural divisions---->cultural divisions lead to consolidation of power and the increased need for legitimacy---->increased need for legitimacy leads to a greater need for expansion. While some in this camp though that weather may have played a part in the development of colonies in places like Iceland, Greenland, and Canada, they kind of poo-pooed its impact on the bulk of the Viking expansion.
Forgetting the deeply sociological slant of both our arguments, we were wondering if there was a general consensus among historians about what caused the Viking expansion. And if there isn't, are there major schools of thought, arguments, or particular historians that people could check out on their own that cover the Viking expansion? Cheers!
3 Answers 2014-08-15
2 Answers 2014-08-15
I recall learning in my US History class that the French treated Native Americans a lot better than English settlers, mostly because they wanted trading posts and weren't looking to colonize the area. What did the two parties think of the other and did they treat each other ethically? When and why did the French withdraw from the area?
1 Answers 2014-08-15
1 Answers 2014-08-15
Can I have some recommendation on books about Japanese history? I'd like for it to be in depth going back to furthest reaches and all the way to modern times, multiples books if necessary to span the whole history. I'd also prefer not to be beyond my scope of understanding being as I'm not Japanese, in other words I don't want to read some assuming I have a solid understanding of Japanese history and customs.
3 Answers 2014-08-15
in this thread, /u/alonreddit explains an anecdote about his/her grandma being educated in the 50s, explaining that men did worse at math than women, and gives two explanations to what happened, (albeit with no sources to experts able to back up his opinion) His conclusions appear sound, but with out proper evidence, no one can take what he said with out major skepticism.
Here is the comment:
Well, hello, here's a thread I can contribute to.
My grandmother was a structural engineer, educated in the former Soviet bloc in the 50s. My mother is a civil engineer, educated in the former Soviet bloc at the start of the 80s. Both have had amazing careers and reached high in their profession: my grandmother leading the technical section in a government department and my mother now leading a large team of building services engineers in a western country. When my mother entered university, there was a policy of positive discrimination in favour of men to ensure they had 50% enrolment in engineering - men could be admitted with lower math scores, as they were getting their asses handed to them.
Obviously fewer women choose engineering in the West and fewer go on to specialised masters and doctoral degrees - but that's an observation and not an explanation. I think you're absolutely right that the profession itself is not overtly hostile to women. Or, at least, it is not hostile to a degree that would deter a woman committed to it - my mother being demonstration of that, though she's had tough times with having to demonstrate double the competence in order to be taken as seriously as any man (read some of ridiculous mocking comments about women and math below for a good demonstration of that phenomenon!)
So why do women make those choices? Let me throw out 2 explanations:
First, communist ideology was a strong driving force. A paradoxical effect of all the workers being equal, and the motherland needing the labour of all, was that women were genuinely considered to have identical (intellectual, technical) capacities as men. By stark contrast, consider that women in the West are socialised to be nurturing, pretty, in need of protection - and that is reflected in them taking on nurturing roles, e.g. 76% of public school teachers in the US are women! (http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=28) Of course they are: imagine them, with flowing skirts and surrounded by so many children in need of nurturing. Nurturing, nurturing everywhere!!! Nurses are another great example. According to this US Bureau of Stats report, some 9% of nurses in the US are male (http://www.census.gov/people/io/files/Men_in_Nursing_Occupations.pdf). Consider that alongside all the super sexy nurses being rammed on youporn, and you might be starting to see a pattern.
Second, the former Soviet bloc also had the policy in place to ensure that women could commit to masters degrees and doctoral degrees. AND have children. My mother had a paid year off halfway through her masters to have me. And after that? Free childcare, then kindergarden, etc. She went back to finish her masters, and get another, and have a fulfilling career. She didn't have to choose a profession with the expectation that she would be screwed if she ever decided to have a child. This is not to say that "communism was awesome". Obviously it was not. But US-style extremist individualism isn't really working either - and losing out on a huge portion of engineering talent is only one side-effect.
2 Answers 2014-08-15
I checked Encyclopedia Britannia 1911 and it doesn't list it.
2 Answers 2014-08-15
Geoffery Plantangent's descendants (Henry II - Richard II) kept the name Plantaganet even though they were from Anjou (IIRC). Why is Henry IV named for the land he was legally tied to and not his surname? Is there any pattern to this in medieval England? Other places in Europe?
1 Answers 2014-08-15
1 Answers 2014-08-15