Are there any historical examples of couples who held positions in different political parties?

Ideally, I would like examples of couples who were open about both the fact that they were in a relationship, and their political differences.

For example, a Democratic Senator married to a Republican Governor.

1 Answers 2014-06-28

How significant was Franz Ferdinand in life? Was he known across America? Across Europe? What did he do, exactly?

3 Answers 2014-06-28

Is facism practical in any sense?

1 Answers 2014-06-28

Any information about german Panzerjagd on bicycles?

I'm reading "The Fall of Berlin 1945" by Antony Beevor, and it mentions the use of bicycles armed with Panzerfausts, a cheap, anti-tank weapon as a sort of crazy, last ditch strategy by the Nazis to fight advancing Soviet tanks. But when I tried to look this up I'm not really getting much information online beyond very little in military history forums. Can anybody offer any more information about this? Thanks!

1 Answers 2014-06-28

What happened to the trench system in WW1 when it hit the Swiss border?

I mean was there a DMZ or something or an mutually accepted line that both sides agreed on did it hit a river or lake or mountain and that was that? I'm assuming the Swiss stationed large numbers of troops there.

2 Answers 2014-06-28

How valuable was oil before the industrial revolution?

Was it a scarce resource? Did it have a lot of use pre-1800s?

2 Answers 2014-06-28

I know this might not be /r/askhistorians material, but what do you know about this wagon?

I inherited a toy wagon when my grandfather passed away:

Wagon

The only thing my grandmother told me about it was that my grandfather had obtained it when he visited the set of Bonanza early on in the series, although I'm not sure how.

All the little pieces are independent of the wagon itself. They're all tied on with a few pieces of metal or string, and, from what I understand (I'm too afraid to actually try it), you can untie each of them and sort of set up camp. Anything anyone knows about it would be very much appreciated. I'd never consider selling it (it's all I have of him), but I'd like to know its origins or the history behind it. Is there such a thing as a toy historian?

2 Answers 2014-06-28

How many times have the Jewish people survived elimination attempt?

throughout the whole known history?

1 Answers 2014-06-28

When did the general population know that boiling water made it safe to drink?

I was discussing with friend that in the middle ages people drank beer as it was safe to drink.

We both agreed on that point, but he claimed that it was because the cost of fuel. Whereas I asserted that it was due to the population not knowing that boiling made water safe to drink.

So was there a period that the general population in Europe drank alcohol instead of water due to it being safer? And was this due to lack of knowledge, cost of fuel or some other reason ?

2 Answers 2014-06-27

Upper Manhattan was relatively undeveloped until the turn of the last century. Why was this and why did it change?

I'm talking about the Upper East/West Sides in particular (as a native of that part of the city). I just came from a thread on /r/nyc documenting the history of New York's public transportation. It featured a photo of 86th Street and Second Avenue without a building to be seen-- there was nothing but a paved street and grass on both sides. I know that until the early 1900s Lower Manhattan was by far the most urbanized part of the island. What are the reasons for Upper Manhattan's rapid development and rise in population density?

1 Answers 2014-06-27

How was it decided that there would be trench warfare used in World War 1? I know a lot about the war, but I'm stumped on how this unanimous decision was made by the fighting parties.

1 Answers 2014-06-27

Did pirates really bury treasure? If not, where did the cliche start?

1 Answers 2014-06-27

Why did the Native Americans not develop writing?

Correct me if I am wrong but the Native Americans stuck with an oral tradition correct? It seems like writing developed everywhere else to what gives?

3 Answers 2014-06-27

What really happened in the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989?

1 Answers 2014-06-27

Why do we call foreign countries by different names than what they call themselves? For example, why do we call Korea "Korea" when they call themselves "Hangook"?

2 Answers 2014-06-27

Say I had a time machine. How far back could one go before running into some deadly disease I don't have immunity to?

The first smallpox vaccine was in 1796, and was eradicated in 1980: if someone born in 1981 magically teleported to 1795, how safe would it be? What sort of timeframe would I be able to visit cities without fear of the plague?


Awful mixed prounouns aside: for those of you visiting this thread from the future, the FAQ has more information about health and disease.

1 Answers 2014-06-27

Why did so many people die of "a broken heart" or get suddenly ill and die after a shock? What was this phenomenon?

1 Answers 2014-06-27

Did soldiers at the front rank of ancient battles have a lower survival rate?

How was it decided who would be at the front as opposed to the back? Would they ever "switch out" with other soldiers in the middle, or would they simply die and be replaced?

I imagine that this would be especially bad in Napoleonic or American Civil War era battles.

How did commanders convince soldiers to stand at the front?

3 Answers 2014-06-27

Have there been examples in history where a police force has been converted to a military force? If so, when and why?

2 Answers 2014-06-27

What if any criticisms there for Chris Bellamy's Absolute War and the German generals' postwar memoirs Fighting in Hell?

Are they a good look into the eastern front or are there major flaws in each?

1 Answers 2014-06-27

Before gunpowder and canons, how did naval battles work?

Were pre-modern ships able to sink each other without the use of gunpowder? If so, how? Any examples from any time period of naval history are welcome, especially if they concern Europe and the Islamic World in the early and high middle ages.

/u/Superplaner claimed that Viking ships were essentially "platforms for infantry combat".

Would premodern naval battles just involve one crew attempting to kill or imprison all of the others, and taking the ship for their own? Would crews split themselves among both ships always, or would they ever just allow a ship to float away, unmanned?

Would ships every fire arrows at each other in hopes of killing the crew? Was sea archery effective? Could arrows cause significant structural damage to a ship? Was there any way to set an enemy ship on fire without the use of Greek sea fire?

1 Answers 2014-06-27

How has history treated identical twins? What kind of explanations have different cultures had throughout the years?

1 Answers 2014-06-27

What's the difference between the Holy Roman Empire, Austria-Hungary, German Empire and Prussia?

I'm sorry if this is a too-dumb question to be asked here (I also asked it on ELI5), but I like history and I still didn't get the difference between them, so it makes me uncomfortable everytime that I'm reading books about the 19th century.

Anyway. I'm always confused about them. In fact what I don't really get is the difference between the Holy Roman Empire and the Austria-Hungary Empire, when the former ended the latter was created? Why? The German Empire and Prussia were the same thing after 1870?

Btw, what are the best books about them? I mean, books for beginners that talk about these empires.

3 Answers 2014-06-27

if you were an English peasant in 1100 (after the Norman conquest) would you life likely be in anyway substantially worse or different than it would have been if lived in the same place 100 years before (before the Norman conquest)?

1 Answers 2014-06-27

Which changed Europe and the World's politics and future history more dramatically, The French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars or the First World War?

1 Answers 2014-06-27

6581 / 7255

Back to start