Thanks for the info everyone, very helpful with a character I'm writing!

I am working on a thesis on the Habsburg military establishment prior to and during the First World War. By the time of my area of my study, these cavalry unit type names had lost all practical meaning. Cavalry units of Hussars and Dragoons, et al. were armed the same and used the same basic battlefield tactics. But back in the day, what did these terms mean in regards to armament and tactics?

I'm simply wondering what name the ancient Egyptians used for the Mediterranean Sea? How about the Red Sea?

I'm looking specifically for people who would have served under a Major General like Lew Wallace in 1862 (the Siege of Cincinnati).

-Did the above actually happened, or is it just fiction, or it happened but was horribly mangled to what it is now?

• If it did, can anyone tell me exact details about it?

Thanks!

Like today the pound £ has more value then $ dollars and ¥ yen

Was there ever a difference in currency value ever before?

I read a theory that basically said that modern democracy came about because with the introduction of firearms large amounts of unskilled soldiers mattered more than smaller groups of highly trained soldiers. Since the ruling class needed as many soldiers as possible, the cooperation of the lower classes became more important and they had to give more and more concessions. The article didn't present much evidence though, so I wanted your input.

As the titel says. I've tried some light google on it and I can't really get much that isn't in French and I wonder if anyone in here can shed some light on it's work and history?

Thank you :)

I was reading about William Marshal and came accross this interesting quote:

At that time tournaments were dangerous, often deadly, staged battles, not the jousting contests that would come later, and money and valuable prizes could be won by capturing and ransoming opponents, their horses and armour. (Abels, Dr. Richard. Medieval Chivalry, The United States Naval Academy. Accessed 8 February 2012.)

were tournaments really deadly affairs where victors could ransom the losers? How would a tournament like this play out? What were the events?

It seems like, especially in fast growing empires like those of Genghis Khan and Alexander, that the control of the emperor couldn't have extended very far past where his army happened to be, and they couldn't have had much time to build the infrastructure of government in all the places they conquered, and that various areas were constantly in rebellion. How real are the boundaries you see on maps in history books? Would people who lived in all those places have recognized that they lived in those empires? Where there any formal agreements in place recognizing those borders?