To clarify, I mean to inquire whether any of the many proscriptions and declarations made within the bible are the first known derivation within the historical record. I mean only moral statements not historical events or other such.

From reading both primary sources and modern historical analyses, I've heard a lot of conflicting information regarding the so-called "Kingdom of Soissons", but I'd really like some clarification. There are a few primary sources that mention that Soissons was a stranded Roman province commanded by a certain governor named Aegedius, who ruled in the name of Rome for two decades after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. However, many modern scholars argue that this state did not exist as described, and that much of the information about it was made up. But the issue for me is that I have not really seen a concrete argument for -why- Soissons didn't exist, just a bunch of ramblings about how the primary sources are unreliable.

Might anyone who specializes in the area of sub-Roman Gaul/Merovingians expand upon the reasons supporting the existence (or non-existence) of this rather obscure political entity?

*Representative

I'm reading the novel "Under a Cruel Star" by Heda Margolius Kovaly and I'm struck by the rapid shift from fascist oppression to communist rule that took place in 1940's Czechoslovakia. Before that, in the interwar period, you had the steady breakdown of parliamentary governments across Europe: 1922-23 Italy; 1923-36 Spain; 1926 Portugal; 1926 Poland; 1926-36 Greece; 1926 Lithuania; 1929 Yugolavia; 1933 Germany; 1933 Austria; and so on, all of which flirted with or fully immersed themselves into totalitarianism.

So I ask, why were totalitarian regimes so appealing/successful after World War I and leading into the Cold War? I'm willing to read through both poster opinions and scholarly sources; the more info the better. Any and all discourse appreciated.

Almost everyone who speaks english as their first language learned it from the same ancestry line right? Why did so many different ways to say the same word come about?

Been reading about this on wikipedia and it says this:

The continued success of the Airlift humiliated the Soviets, and the "Easter Parade" of 1949 was the last straw. On 15 April 1949 the Russian news agency TASS reported a willingness by the Soviets to lift the blockade. The next day the US State Department stated the "way appears clear" for the blockade to end. Soon afterwards, the four powers began serious negotiations, and a settlement was reached, on Western terms. On 4 May 1949 the Allies announced an agreement to end the blockade in eight days' time.

I understand that the Soviets failed to enforce the blockade, but why would they agree to lift it on Western terms? As I understand it, Stalin was a pretty hard man and even though the West could indefinitely supply West Berlin using aircraft, they were incurring a substantial expense in doing so.

What was the cost to the soviets to maintain the blockade that they felt compelled to lift it?

At the end of Arrian's account of Alexanders life he makes an "apology" of sorts regarding Alexanders mistakes.

He says "And yet of all Kings in the past Alexander is the only one to my knowledge who had the nobility to feel remorse for his mistakes."

Yet, the only instance where I see this is the remorse he feels after murdering Cleitus.

Are there other instances where he shows remorse for his actions?

Just as the title says, Ive reading and watching a lot of documentaries lately about dinosaurs and as a student of history I was curious as to how early civilizations began to describe evil or various gods, etc as associated to have tails or horns. What is the possibility that dinosaur fossils are the cause of this?

I greatly look forward to your answers and I hope I posted this in the correct place. Thank you!

Was Kennedy's decision to send a man to the moon a good one? How was technology expanded through the whole process and how would it have continued to expand had the race not ended?

Looking for a good intro to the conflict, preferably with maps of battles, etc.

First of all, is there any truth to this claim? Second, what made him so good?

For an assignment where I write as an abolitionist newspaper editor.

I've read quite a bit about the Space Race, but it is never clearly mentioned why the Soviet Union managed to fail in their attempt to land on the moon first, despite beating the US in every other race (first satellite, first man in space, first spacewalk, etc.). Was it a downfall on their part? Or did the US really just step it up?

Reposted because the first attempt removed for being too broad.

I've been listening to Dan Carlin's: Hardcore History podcast recently and he really likes to talk about the human experiences that are often buried behind the numbers and facts when talking about history. There's a lot of atrocities and war crimes involved in the topics he chose, specifically involving the torture and rape of civilians.

His series: Ghosts of the Ostfront about the WWII Eastern Front was a particularly visceral and disturbing listen for me considering how recent the conflict was. He talked about things like how German soldiers would destroy Soviet villages and do shit like murder and torture the civilians, or how when the Soviets invaded Berlin, German women were raped and crucified on doors. All of his sources however, seem to come from people who witnessed the events or observed the aftermath, not people who were actually commiting the acts.

I was just wondering if there's anything floating around from the people who actually directly did these things. Did some soldier from the WWII eastern front write in his journal about how he felt after hanging a kid or raping a civilian? I think it would be particularly interested in hearing from someone who was complacent in the whole ordeal, as opposed to being opposed but feeling like they had to follow orders.

Just to add, if anyone has anything similar but not from the WWII Eastern Front, I'd be interested in knowing as well. Stuff like a Mongol who wrote about his involvement in the sacking of Baghdad or a Carthaginian who hammered the nails into a crucified Roman.

Thanks!