Surely it would have been easier to make vodka?

I remember a while ago watching a movie, I think it was K-19 the Widowmaker, and seeing sailors watching a propaganda movie about Black Americans. I wasn't sure if it was accurate, but it had me thinking in what ways was the US's history of racial problems used a propaganda.

thanks.

edit: I spelled a word wrong.

I'm trying to figure out, by looking at historical precedent, if humanity in the future will ever reach a consensus on what truly happened in the Kennedy assassination.

In contemporary illustrations, the armour is depicted as black or very dark blue.

Is this artistic license? If not, what process was used to produce this colouration?

Hello,

So I am reading this book and the main character mentions Osenberger - a man who started a funeral business and became successful, thus being able to bury a deadman for 5 dollars. Was there a similiar thing in real life at that time? And how was the 'funeral' actually done?

Hello Historians! I am currently reading A Sailor of Austria: In Which, Without Really Intending to, Otto Prohaska Becomes Official War Hero No. 27 of the Habsburg Empire (The Otto Prohaska Novels) (yes that's the title) by John Biggins. It is a historical fiction novel that centers around the memoirs of a submarine captain of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in WW1. Though it is a fiction, I have found that many of the common hardships, daily routines, etc in naval fictions have been fairly accurate (an example being Horatio Hornblower. Though the story itself is fiction, a lot of the descriptions of sea life is spot on and a good source for context).

Anyways, one of the aspects of submarine life that Briggins often refers to in this novel is the effects of petrol fumes on the crew of Prohaska's boat. There are numerous exposure cases he describes, such as crew members having to be strung to masts to "air out." When Prohaska initially takes command, his predecessor had committed suicide because he couldn't take the petrol fumes any more.

Was this a common threat for early submarines? How often were the crews exposed to these elements? From the descriptions in the books, it had a symptom of driving the individual mad, are there any other or more specific symptoms of petro exposure? I imagine the main source of these fumes were from the engine compartments, what specifically was releasing them and how were they eventually fixed?

Probably a really stupid question. Either wiping with our hands or with leaves. Was there a point where we just didn't care?

It is commonly said that Hitler brought about a miraculous recovery in Germany in the 1930s, and improved the country greatly. There have been plenty of threads here in the past quashing that perspective as mostly false, and demonstrating how it was really an unsustainable house of cards.

But what about Mussolini. There is the saying that at least he made the trains run on time, which while intended literally, also applies to the more general improvements he supposedly brought to Italy. So, leading up to Italy's entry into World War II in 1940, just how much of an effect did Il Duce have on the quality of life in Italy? Did things really improve because of him over the previous decade or two? Did the trains really run on time? Or is that just as much a crock of apologist schlock as the false accolades thrown at Hitler?

All I can get from Wikipedia is "during this Aliyah or phase X number of Jews were absorbed" with no real how they were able to do so. Also, apart from some brief info on Kibbutzim and a bunch of Jews moving to what would become Tel Aviv, the information on the actual development of the country itself is rather scant.

These were found in the basement.

Were there special schools for those seeking to enter the civil service? Or was teaching for the exam mostly done by tutors?

EDIT: Also, for how long would people be preparing for the exam? Would they be being readied for it from a young age, or would they initially receive a somewhat more general education and then prepare for the civil service exams once they were older?

From Wikipedia:

There is a lack of evidence for a saviour figure, such as the Mahdi, being part of the teachings of Islam during the life of Muhammad (570-632): neither the Quran nor early Hadith collections make explicit reference to the Mahdi. However, within half a century of Muhammad’s death, the figure of the Mahdi was part of Islamic belief. It may be that the concept of the Mahdi was derived from messianic Judeo-Christian beliefs.[5][6]

How likely is it that the concept of a Mahdi in Islam was derived from messianic Judeo-Christian beliefs?

I've been examining the history of currencies. I think the practice of devaluing the Roman currency was started by Nero, and continued by following emperors. I'm aware that the decline and fall of the Empire is a complicated subject with many explanations, but I'm not familiar with any publications/ historians that focus on the currency as a factor. Thanks!

Were they damaged during the Visigoth invasion and never repaired? Didn't have the resources/organization? Or was it intentionally done?