I'm familiar with the tensions between most great powers leading to WWI. Austria-Hungary and Russia were rivals in the Balkans. France had resented Germany since the latter's annexation of Alsace-Lorraine after the Franco-Prussian War. The UK essentially joined the war last because it feared German domination of Europe, and the specter of a powerful German navy. But why did Germany and Russia oppose one another? During the period 1870-1890, Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary were apart of the Three Emperors League. This arrangement made sense — an alliance of Europe's three conservative powers. Of course the alliance broke up because of an Austrian-Russian rivalry in the Balkans. But why did Germany maintain its alliance with Austria, and become hostile to Russia? I know that Germany felt compelled to go war in 1914 because they feared a growing Russia that would outpace its material advantages (which would happen in WWII), but that only explains why Germany wanted to fight Russia when it did, not why it did. So what were the origins of German-Russian tensions leading up to WWI?

Is it possible that many other heroes also had quite a lot of adventures on the way home but the poems about them simply did not survive unlike Odyssey?

A lot of my reading of Risorgimento history involves an imagined split between a rich, productive north and an underdeveloped south. When did this start to become the case, and how far were people aware of it at the time? Also, did the line between north and south stay in the same place? If England is anything to go by, this kind of identity is pretty hard to pin down, but its taken as a given in a lot of the history books I'm reading.

I have only heard of the evidence from the dispersal of and the Polynesian names for the Sweet Potato, both connecting it to the South Andeas

Tutankhamun's tomb is probably the most famous archeological findings ever.

Why is it so significant?

John Brown had to have known that he couldn't complete his plan at Harpers Ferry with only 22 people. Why didn't he wait until he had more men?

What's the consensus on Michael Parenti? I've heard his works such as "Democracy for the few", "Face of Imperialism" & "Inventing Reality" are really good.

With the improvement of the filming technology, it was necessary to have a revolution in the makeup area, creating products and techniques that were better in the filming. But what needs to improve? How was their makeup? What did they use? Was there a difference between theater and film actresses makeup?

Or is that post-war propaganda?

I was recently researching this topic and am particularly interested in the representation of women with regard to weaponry/war machines and vice versa (e.g. women as nose art, the Enola Gay being named after a woman but also things like Miss Atomic Bomb). I was wondering if anyone knows any good resources to further research this? (books would be great) also artistic representation of women and war whether that be on the home front, as munitions workers or any other role they took on or women artists that depicted war (particular artist recommendations, facts or resources would be really appreciated)

I know a lot of factors go into play for this type of question such as crew experience, late or early war production, weapon type and state of the weapon, target profile type, weather, stable or moving, cluttered hills or open field....ect ect. I am asking on average how well could a seasoned tank or AT crew hit a target in general over a long distance? IE a bright clear day a Pak 42 AT gun versus a moving T-34 or Sherman at 1500-2000 meters. Or a FireFly vs a hull down panzer IV at 2000 yards with a slight fog. I mean would the majority of these shells miss or most hit or even just skim by the target? thanks any info would be appreciated!

I know each day was a "domain" of a god, and determined who your patron god was and what fundamental idea you were meant to express like knowledge, drunkeness, or chaos etc.

However I never find anything about the 5 bad days and why these days were cursed. What was the reasoning behind the cursed days and who were these terrible gods you would never want as your patron? Similarly, I cannot find anything about how a birthday changes your name.

What is stopping a parent from lying about the day of a child's birth with a fake birth name for example?

Can anyone shed light on this facet of life?

Herodotus’ book Histories is hundreds of pages long. Several of Plato’s books are also hundreds of pages long. How did they manage this without paper?

Were all several hundred pages carved into clay? How did they even survive?

Albanians and Bosnians were already in Europe when the Ottomans arrived and converted to Islam under their rule. Albanians in particular did rise high in Ottoman society, I think an Egyptian ruler was Albanian in origin

Nonetheless Albanians regularly helped western Europeans in anti Ottoman wars and fought the Ottomans for independence. Why would they do this if the Ottoman Caliph was their religious leader?

I generally have the same questions about Arabs, but the Ottomans were considerably weaker by the time of the Arab revolts.

Most regular soldiers joined because they needed the money, but the upper classes had basically no limit for money, so why did they still join up?

I don't know that much about the English Civil war but it struck me that the history I have read talks about radical movements like the levelers and religious movements like the Fifth Monarchists but barely touches on how women participated, even though you'd expect things like the constant warfare to have changed the status of women somewhat.

Good afternoon!

Thanks to a prior request for suggested resources, I read Shattered Sword by Parshall and Tully. I have read a number of accounts of the battle of Midway, and it was really interesting and instructive to read a book that brought new perspectives to a widely told story. It’s well written, too, which is a pleasant bonus.

This got me thinking: are there similar books about other aspects of World War II which highlight contemporary scholarship to challenges the orthodoxy of how events transpired? I know there were a bunch of books released during the anniversary window, but there were so many it’s hard to assess what is good quality.

In particular, I’m particularly interested in naval battles and Pearl Harbor, but I’m particularly to hear suggestions on any topic.

Thanks in advance!