When learning about ww2 you barley even have to look or search for information but with ww1 I have dig deep to find information and it is barley taught in schools as well

It seems that many badges look like shields because a shield is symbolic of protection. However, many badges are in the shape of a star with varying numbers of points. So where did the use of a star-shaped badge come from? Is the star symbolic in some way?

We're doing the troubles in Northern Ireland in school at the moment and it mentions areas like 'Free Derry' where the RUC and army wouldn't enter and the IRA controlled them. Was there an increase or decrease in crime and how was the IRA's way of dealing with crime perceived by the people who lived in these areas?

At the library I was reading through Life in a Medieval Castle, by Joseph and Frances Gies and came across a bit about marriage. It stated that among the nobility, there was a decent amount of discretion regarding sexuality of a woman before marriage. The bit I'm really curious about was that they stated among the lower classes, marriage followed pregnancy, vs pregnancy following marriage in the upper classes. The book in question concentrated on English castles and nobility, but did jump around all over Europe from a bit before the Norman conquest to somewhere in the 15th century. I recognize this is a huge timespan, but there's a very human, very relatable element here which piques my interest. Does anybody have any more information regarding marriage trends? I don't really much care for the specific practices so much as the whys and whens among the non nobility.

I've been reading and researching a lot about the My Lai Massacre and came to the question as to whether or not this was an anomaly with how US soldiers treated Vietnamese villagers or if this was merely one of many incidents of brutal violence against the local Vietnamese. I recall that the reactions to Calley were more or less one of rage only to simmer down to sympathy. That being said, was the something like the My Lai Massacre a common occurrence in Vietnam?

Thanks!

I'm currently at university myself, with the Middle Ages as my area of expertise. It seems the emperor in Constantinople was only amenable to the idea when he needed to persuade the Pope to help him. Thus, was there ever a genuine instance where the churches were extremely close to finding common ground, or was it all talk and wishful thinking?

Always been curious how this worked. Say for example a Maori or Pacific Islander was visiting. Would they be expected to be segregated?

In movies and such, Native American tribes are often shown to be much more environmentally friendly and conscious compared to their European counterparts, going so far as to share a "bond" with mother nature. How accurate is this? Did Native Americans really treat all nature with respect, or did their relatively small tribes just simply leave less of an impact?

I have been reading 'Sowing the Dragon's Teeth: Byzantine Warfare in the Tenth Century' by Eric McGeer.

In the discussion around the cataphract he notes that when attacking they used a blunted wedge formation where the first for rows would use maces. After that the people on the outside would use lances. In the core you have guys with arrows and everybody should have a saber like sword as a backup. Is also noted that all the non-archers where using shilds.

So my question is, what kind of mace where they using? What kind of head? Is there a good picture of a original? How long where they?

I know very little about my grandfather. He died when I was about a year old and never really spoke of his time in the Pacific.

My family doesn't speak much of him, either. Based on how my mom describes him, he seemed to show the classic signs of PTSD (I'm a therapist).

I found his obituary in an archive online, which said he was a field medic. His tombstone says "Tec 4 US Army," which I believe indicates technicians with special skills that may or may not be combat related.

I'm hoping to find a way to research his unit or squad, so I could track his whereabouts during the war. I've tried searching his name on WW2 archives to find out which unit he was in and when he served, but could not find him.

Like I said, my mom doesn't talk much about him and he talked even less about his experience. I'd like to learn a bit more to feed my curiosity, but also understand why he struggled the way he did post WW2.

I'm especially interested in books that tell more about the technical side than for example Deborah Cadbury's "Space Race" does (it's more about the people). Finding books from the US point of view isn't that hard, but I would like to see it from the other side (to "balance out the propaganda"). I'm currently reading Red Moon Rising.

Thank you.

After the revolutions, I'm assuming they were pretty content with everything. But did they become disenchanted after the Soviet Union began to lean towards the Axis powers leading up to WWII?