E.g. Shapiro/Shapira (which comes from Speyer), Deutsch/Deutch, Ashkenazi

As I understand it, Ashkenazi Jews migrated from Central Europe to Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, so why do our surnames sometimes reflect German places?

I must admit I'm not familiar with the Chinese civil war, but I'm somewhat confused as to why the ROC lost Hainan, since it seems like it has many of the same advantages of Taiwan?

I’m sure the resemblance was not lost on most. But I also assume they didn’t assume we had common ancestors. So what did they think?

I also know the answer would be vastly different across cultures, I’m just curious what anyone knows about this anywhere.

It's a famous and polemic quote, but I've never seen the context, to who and why he said it?

Why did Pope Urban II issue the decree to fight the Muslims?

I know the CPC in China has always declared that even before the commonly accepted start of the sino-japanese war there were communist partisans fighting Japan in Manchuria, but why back date the start of the war now decades later? Even if it's just propaganda its not like they couldn't have done it immediately in the aftermath of their victory in the Civil War, so is it motivated by a genuine historiographical reinterpretation? or is it political reasons related to education issues I'm unfamiliar with in modern China?

While I´m speaking from the position of a layman, from what I understand Medieval Germany/The HRE, as the middle ages went by, slowly broke apart internally until it entered the Early Modern period a barely functional collection of dozens of different polities, only being reunified in the mid-19th century. Which is jarring, since other medieval ``countries´´ , Like England and France, mostly became more centralized and nationalistic during this period.

Of course this could be a misconception. But I would really like to hear about it if it is, as well as the origins of the misconception.

Hello everybody, I hope you're having a great day!

I've been reading Mein Kampf and Hitler makes it clear of his hatred of Marxism. Why then, did he join the Nationalist Socialist German Worker's Party? Weren't their other anti-semitic nationalist parties that wanted Austria to join Germany again? I've read the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, and Hitler doesn't really seem like a socialist. I know a lot more about Hitler and the Nazi's social policies than I do about their economic policies, so this confuses me.

Thank you in advance.

Bharatvarsh now India has always existed as one united nation and peoples. Especially since the Mauryan age. Thus, why did Indians/Bharatiyas betray their fellow countrymen and brothers to foreigners?

I know at least in the British Army, one had to be an officer to carry the colours. However, I don't know if similar things were requirements for being a field musician.

Question to anyone who is knowledged enough to answer, why is the Seven Years War not considered the first World War?

I have a couple of questions

1. When UK took control over palestine, did they bring in more European jews into the country?
2. Did the british authorities restrict immigration and property ownership for jews specifically?

Why is the holocaust called the holocaust? And not for example the jewish genocide or european genocide or something like that. I also wanna know the history behind the name of holocaust

I love this sub and its strict moderation alike, seriously you all do a great job and you've made this one of the most productive, interesting spaces on reddit <3

Also I'm 100% unironically curious if I'm the first person to think of this pun, so this is technically a history question

For example, a fanatical sect which doesn't tolerate contrary viewpoints and burns books that say otherwise, operates in a particular location during most of history.

So the sources coming out of that place would biased and one sided.

For confirmation, let's say we have see those folks censoring news even today.

How do historians overcome that bias? If not, why do they call "history" a scientific discipline?

Did countries use gold as the main currency for international trading during World War Two?