Short Answers to Simple Questions | June 27, 2018

by AutoModerator

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Please Be Aware: We expect everyone to read the rules and guidelines of this thread. Mods will remove questions which we deem to be too involved for the theme in place here. We will remove answers which don't include a source. These removals will be without notice. Please follow the rules.

Some questions people have just don't require depth. This thread is a recurring feature intended to provide a space for those simple, straight forward questions that are otherwise unsuited for the format of the subreddit.

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  • Top Level Posts should be questions in their own right.

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  • Questions which ask about broader concepts may be removed at the discretion of the Mod Team and redirected to post as a standalone question.

  • We realize that in some cases, users may pose questions that they don't realize are more complicated than they think. In these cases, we will suggest reposting as a stand-alone question.

  • Answers MUST be properly sourced to respectable literature. Unlike regular questions in the sub where sources are only required upon request, the lack of a source will result in removal of the answer.

  • Academic secondary sources are prefered. Tertiary sources are acceptable if they are of academic rigor (such as a book from the 'Oxford Companion' series, or a reference work from an academic press).

  • The only rule being relaxed here is with regard to depth, insofar as the anticipated questions are ones which do not require it. All other rules of the subreddit are in force.

MatthewT1205

Why did so many Spanish soldiers die from disease relative to American soldiers during the Spanish-American War?

ruimtetaart

Was the Russian language taught in schools in the DDR and if yes, was this mandatory or optional?

DrHENCHMAN

I asked this last week, but didn't get an answer.

Did Empress Josephine ever actually love (or even like) Napoleon, or did she just took advantage of him for the wealth and prestige?

QWERTYiOP6565

I was in French class a few days ago and made a joke about giving up. Everyone laughed but my teacher. She didn't get the joke and asked me what it mean. I said "well France is famous for surrendering in wars or conflicts." She didn't buy it and she wanted proof. Then I thought about it. I know its popular and all to say that their flag is white, but how many wars/conflicts did France actually surrender in?

fuckingmermaid

How did the “pinky finger up” gesture while drinking beverages become famous and started to be seem as something royals do?

corruptrevolutionary

What happened to the physical crown of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem?

Do we know who made it?

Did it have any value as a relic after the Fall of Acre?

XeshTrill

When was alchemy set down as a specific subset of study?

My understanding is that while information varies from individual to individual on what alchemy involves, at some point it was established as a specific branch of study (or people began to be called "alchemists").

iorgfeflkd

There was a lot of pseudoscientific nationalism in the late 19th/early 20th centuries relating to the proto-Indo-Europeans, claiming that X country was their homeland. When it was finally determined that they actually lived in Ukraine and the Caucasus, was there a resurgence in PIE-based nationalism in that area?

soakednoodles

I think this question has been asked many times but after a bit of Googling, honestly it didn't sate my curiosity, so I post this here, hoping someone knowledgeable would help answer this question:

I've read quite a bit about Chinese history, and I'm particularly interested in the Spring-Autumn and Warring States periods (so obviously sources are scarce!). What I want to know is if the troop numbers in battles are exaggerated? China has always had a huge population, but I just doubt if their true troop amounts in battles could reach 100k level (for each army). For example, battle of Changping (262 - 260 BC), Qin and Zhao troops in total numbered roughly 1 million! (this is from Wikipedia so it's probably not very reliable but then again I haven't read from certified sources so...)

Thanks in advance!

combo5lyf

How did people of ancient/medieval/Renaissance times refer to different types of military units?

Specifically, In modern games we might differentiate between "close combat" or "melee" units and "ranged" units, but the terms "close combat" and "melee" didn't even exist until the 1700s, as far as I can tell.

What about the people writing about militaries/military action back then? Or they just refer to different units as "archers", as opposed to a generalized grouping of "people with missile weapons"? Or did they just mix people with bows and people with swords and call them all the same thing?

.... Or was there really even any differentiation back then at all?

watchoutgraham

Where is the current location of the country Isenburg (Homberg) from the 1400s (Central Europe)?

I am researching an ancestor of mine, of which I have only two pieces of information:

  • He was a member of the court of Selvoldt in the country Isenburg/Homberg. (Dutch: lidmaat des gerigts van Selvoldt in het graafschap Isenburg (Homberg), leefd in 't jaar 1470.)
  • He was a member of the court in Lagenselbold, country of Isenburg/Homberg. (German: Gerichtsbeisitzer in Langenselbold ( Grafschaft Isenburg / Homberg ) erwähnt 1470)

I have not been able to reconcile "Selvoldt", "Isenburg", "Homberg", and "Lagenselbold" into a particular location around the year 1470.

ZosoGG

I actually made a post with this question but realized it belongs here.

Was the Woolworth department store breaking the law by desegregating?

I've been thinking about Jim Crow laws and segregation and I might have some misunderstandings. My first impression is that public spaces and restaurants and such were *required* by law to have separate by equal facilities for whites and blacks. If this is the case, and Jim Crow laws were abolished sometime in 1964, while the Greensboro sit ins took place in 1960, then wouldn't Greensboro integrating their lunch counters actually be illegal? I know this is a simple question with a simple answer but I need some confirmation.

CompactedConscience

Were any immigrants ever deported from the United States under the Alien and Sedition Acts? I can find some examples of people being prosecuted for sedition under those laws, but I cannot find any examples of deportation.

If the answer is no, then I also have a follow-up question. Were any immigrants deported from the United States before the Chinese Exclusion Act was enacted?

KoontzGenadinik

Considering the Nazi focus on Kinder, Kuche, Kirche, what did the German soldiers thought of Russian female soldiers and how did the Nazi propaganda describe them?

DrHENCHMAN

Did Prussia actually have a consulate (or any other diplomatic equivalent) in Siam?

BrianofAmerica

Do we know the exact time of day (i.e 12:30pm) that the United States became independent? Perhaps the ratification time?

Taiwanderful

Does anyone know of a free British newspaper archive, online?

Kerkinitis

Have Potemkin villages existed?

elazard

What percentage of the world’s wealth did mansa Musa own ? Thank you

DoctorEmperor

Who are notable Chinese emperors? While in school we did learn about China, we often focused on the dynasties as a whole rather than the emperors individually (2,000 years of history will do that). So who among the emperors were know as particularly good rulers?

Gandalf_Is_Gay

When did coins stop looking smooshed and start being minted to exhibit better precision and uniformity? What technologies drove that change?

Vespertine

Had this open in a tab for ages, but never been sure how to ask about it. Curious about similar examples, or articles about the phenomenon, links / list would be fine; don't need anyone else to write me an essay on it. Late medieval wall paintings of King Arthur, and the Nine Worthies in Poland. Any other examples, or info about the phenomenon of post-Classical national heroes, myths and legends (not saints) spreading far afield during the medieval period; how widespread knowledge of these was? Just among nobles and clergy who might have travelled or met those who had?

cyclone_madge

Who exactly were the "service gentry" in Russia at the time of Peter the Great?

I'm taking a distance course and this is listed as a significant term for one of the units, but while it's mentioned in the unit notes and one of the readings (an excerpt from Riasanovsky's A History of Russia), it's not clearly defined anywhere and I'm not sure if it's referring to:

  • people who became gentry through service via the Table of Ranks
  • a term for gentry at the time since Peter demanded lifelong service from all of them
  • something else entirely
PALillie

Can anybody recommend any books on the Rape of Nanking, I've just finished Iris Chang's book & thought it was a great overview and would be interested in reading further about the massacre from both the Chinese & Japanese perspectives and also the foreigners inside the safety zone.

jbonz37

Hi Everyone, can you help me with military identification from the 1930s? My Father-in-law recently found a huge set of film from photos his father took in Europe around 1933-1936. In an effort to piece together his trip we would like to try to identify the rank and branch of the man in these photos . These are pretty blurry but are the only pictures we have. I have done my own searching before coming here and have come to the following beliefs:

This man is a Polish military officer. The wavy embroidery on the collar tells me that he is Polish and maybe a General of some sort. I say general because of the thickness of the line and the 4 (maybe 5?) objects on the shoulder. This is as far as I have gotten.

Am I right? Can you tell me anything else?

Thanks!

forsakeNXE

Hey fellow historians,

I am currently working on a paper about the UNWCC and it's history/legacy. It seems that there is little in terms of literature around this topic, so I am looking for recommendations.

The standard book about this is of course the report of the UNWCC itself (from 1948) which I have now worked through. Secondly Dan Plesch has written multiple books that at least grace that topic, but I am unable to find a lot more than that in Europe. Eventually you know of some website or article/book I could use to broaden my knowledge and add more substance to the paper.

The internet is also relatively empty about the UNWCC so a few recommendations might help more people than just me.

Cheers!

gmanflnj

Is there any relationship, either etymological or genealogical, between the the surname Osmond, like that possessed by Donny Osmond, and the Ottoman dynasty, the house of Osman?

lewistronzo

Has it ever snowed during the World Cup or Summer Olympics?

helpinghat

Why is the New Year when it is? Who decided that the year should change in the early winter (of Northern hemisphere)?

dandan_noodles

When kings of England raised armies through contracts of indenture, did the holder of the contract responsible for raising the men actually command them in battle?

Vladith

Who are some interesting Marxist historians under age 60?

deroberfuhrer

During the Great Panic of 1907, why did the Knickerbocker bank fail to pay its clients back their deposits when the gold standard dictated that they keep their reserves in gold; couldnt they have just repayed in gold instead of paper money?

just_the_mann

How did inhabitants of low islands in Oceania defend themselves against typhoons?

AFWUSA

What are the casualty figures for the US military in WWII in the European theatre vs the Pacific Theatre? I googled and can’t really find anything conclusive, but I feel like this should be an easy answer and I’m overlooking it. Thanks!

Squibidyflop

I'm sorry if this isn't the place to ask, but I'm looking for recommended reading on the topic of the 1989 Romanian Revolution. Obviously a Google search yields plenty of results but I'm not sure how to determine which books are held in higher regard. The sub's booklist also doesn't seem to have anything on Romania, unless I'm looking at the wrong categories. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Shakedaddy4x

How many British soldiers have died total throughout history in what is now known as the USA?

FaulheitARG

When did Tolstoy say "If you want to be universal start by painting your own village"?

[deleted]

How many total solar eclipses were there between 1900 and 2000?

http://openlitreview.com/index.php/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017