So I'm working on a strategy game set in world war 1, and obviously being a WW1 game, digging trenches plays a fairly large role.

It was only when I started playing around that I thought about digging towards the enemy, and wondered if it ever happened, I've done some light research and while I now know that sapping was a thing, I have no idea how it worked.

So I ask you wise historians of reddit, what was the aim of sapping, was it of a similar fashion to the siegecraft of the 1700's? Or was it something uniquely WW1, and if so, what was the purpose of it, how was it done, and all that other good stuff.

Thanks all!

There are some phenomenal questions with some of the most incredible answers occurring in this sub. And I’d pay for a compendium of these. Do the mods plan to create some form of collection or almanac of these? Be the digital or printed? (I’d by both but printed would be amazing, around in physical form for posterity).

In more than a few documentaries and films of the era, New York City in the 1970s is depicted as a society in freefall. Crime, urban decay, political dysfunction, and so on. To what extent is this perception true? And why were things so bad? And how did they turn around?

So you know how Mansa Musa’s predecessor went on a voyage across the Atlantic to never be heard again from? Columbus recorded Native Americans knowing of the Muslim religion and noted that they had items from West Africa including clothing and handkerchiefs. They are said to have landed on Brazil’s Coast. What happened to all of them?

As a son of Indian immigrants to America and a future lawyer, I am very interested in the immigration systems of countries around the world. I'd like to know more about the French immigration system and the specific policies that allowed a relatively large number of people from the former West French Africa to make a life in France.

I’ve found some old WW2 American Bombardier Flight gear in my grandparents house. I was wondering if in the Pacific Theater, it there was a B-27(not sure if that’s the exact type) that flown under the name Oooperman? The description of the plane artwork/plane insignia is a Caveman winding up for a pitch with a finned bomb instead of a baseball. I’ve found pictures on the internet about some of the planes I’ve seen in a photo album that has all the plane that were on the same base in Hawai’i, but haven’t found anything in regards to Oooperman. For reference, Rhode Island Red and The Ink Squirts were two others planes one the same base a Oooperman.

What was his opinion of them?

I’ve heard that dogs were especially beloved in Ancient Rome, and were frequently adorned with religious charms to improve their health, hunting ability, etc.

Do we know what a day in the life would have looked like for a Roman dog? Are there any examples of the charms they wore? We’re there particular breads that were valued? We’re all dogs respected or was it just dogs of rich families? We’re they treated like modern pets or like working animals?

Did they get toys and fancy beds like we give them now?

I just watched 300: Rise of an Empire, and there is a clear emphasis on the rowers used in the opposing fleets. The Persians use chained slaves while the Greeks use free citizens. Is this depiction accurate to the time period, or did both sides use galley slaves as rowers?

From what I've been able to gather so far, the vaunted rocket attacks from the air tended to be either too weak, or too inaccurate, or both, to be very effective against armored targets. Cannon attacks seemed to be only marginally more effective. Bombing attacks seem to be just plain inaccurate.

I thought the show has been great so far but, as with all historical dramas, I’m sure artistic liberties were taken to tell a more entertaining story but at the expense historical accuracy.

Season 1 spoilers ahead

Some aspects of the show I am curious about are

1. Was Queen Elizabeth’s childhood education as inadequate as depicted in the show? The show depicts her as being unusually uneducated with math and other subjects.

2. How accurate was the depiction of Wilson Churchill’s relationship with the Queen and also members of his Conservative Party?

3. How accurate was the depiction of Queen Elizabeth’s relationship with Princess Margaret?

4. There was a scene where Queen Elizabeth was fighting with Prince Phillip and the paparazzi got footage of it and then gave it to her. Was this based on a real event?

5. Anything else that was surprisingly accurate or inaccurate.

Note: Please no spoilers (or appropriately mark spoilers) for things after Season 1 of the show.

Tadeusz Kościuszko left several wills, the most famous of which left his American estate to be used to free and educate enslaved people. It ended up being contested by the beneficiaries of his other wills, and went to the Supreme Court three times. All of this sounds very interesting, but I can't seem to find much detailed information. I was wondering if there are any good books that include detailed information about this process.

In 1808 Napoleon called up 80,000 conscripts from the conscription class of 1789 in order to fill his ranks to invade and conquer Spain. I am one of those conscripts. How do I get to my unit? I've been assigned as an Infantry fusilier in a line infantry regiment. The regiment is already in Spain. Do I receive training on the way? Do we (me and my fellow conscripts) just walk to Spain and link up with the regiment? When do we get weapons or uniforms? What happens when I reach the unit? What does my life look like?

I'm very interested in WWII and am lucky enough to have the opportunity to pick the coursework question myself. I need to find a topic which has been debated by historians, but not one that is so generic that it has been done countless times before and lacks depth (e.g 'What was the turning point of the second world war?').

I was thinking of exploring a topic such as 'how extensive was the role of the French resistance in undermining German occupation throughout WWII?'. This could be interesting, as it would enable me to examine social and political themes in depth, as well as some military aspects of the war. I'd hope this would give my answer variety and make it stand out, whilst also allowing me to explore a feature of WW2 that is often overlooked in the greater context of the large scale military campaigns.

This question would allow me to explore topics such as resistance to the Vichy regime, the role of Charles de Gaulle in prompting the beginnings of French resistance groups, the role of propaganda and the media in breeding resistance against Nazi occupation, the actions of the French resistance in aiding allied spying, the creation of intelligence reports, and their role in the allied invasion of France (quite a lot of variety? - and I'm sure much, much more could be covered in such a topic).

As of now, my knowledge of the French resistance is very limited, but I know it's an aspect of the war I'd really enjoy researching and I'd like to gain a more comprehensive understanding of its role in subverting Nazi control. My question is, would I be able to find enough evidence/arguments from different historians to create a well fuelled debate on this topic?

(sorry if this is the wrong subreddit, I read the rules and I see it says no homework, I hope it's ok since I'm not asking for answers to a specific piece of homework - Thanks in advance for any replies :)

Is this a common motif? What is it in reference too? Why would a small town in Germany choose that image to represent itself?

Awhile ago I read a book on mithrodates (think that’s how It’s spelled) the poison king. He was a rather interesting foe of time. Pompeii was tired up with him for awhile. Was wondering if anyone had information of lesser known fires of Ancient Rome and what crazy things they did to try to keep Rome at bay.