Short Answers to Simple Questions | June 12, 2019

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.

Here are the ground rules:

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

  • Questions should be clear and specific in the information that they are asking for.

  • 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.

TheRealCannedTuna

Why do people despise Wikipedia as a source? It is pretty accurate and it often does not conflict with other sources.

[deleted]

I recently visited DC and got to walk through the American Presidency exhibit at the Museum of American History.

There was a seating area to watch some clips of interviews with past presidents. I thought I remembered seeing a History Channel logo on the clips and was really interested in watching this documentary but I haven't been able to find it.

Would anyone know what was being screened at the end of this exhibit and where I might be able to watch it?

EverydayDan

Does there exist a digital library of letters between people of importance’s from the medieval times?

I wanted to follow who went where and for what reason.

Gremer99

Why were southwest VA and Eastern Tennessee so pro-Union?

ifjnweu

https://i.imgur.com/LxbJAJu.jpg

This is a picture of the Conference of Venice on March 1, 1962. Four of the five people in this picture are named, Adolf von Thadden, Jean Thiriart, Giovanni Lanfre and Oswald Mosley.

Who is the fifth person? And if the people in the photo could be labelled also that would be a massive help.

From what I can deduct I assume (from left to right):

???

Adolf von Thadden

Oswald Mosley

Jean Thiriart

Giovanni Lanfre

ZoddyBoy

Are there any early middle eastern history podcasts that are actually historically accurate?

[deleted]

I've read on this subreddit that the old hellenocentric view of the greco-persian wars has been corrected over the years. Are there any sources a layperson could understand/enjoy?

corruptrevolutionary

When did Normandy and the Normans lose their distinctive culture as warriors/mercenaries that could be found fighting from the British isles to Outremer and were assimilated into the wider French culture?

MrBuddles

With regards to the 17th/18th Century Triangular Trade, was it most common for a single ship to complete all the legs of the journey? I had the impression that the depiction of the routes was more about flow of goods rather than individual ships, but the wikipedia article on Triangular trade mentions slave ships inefficiently completing the Americas -> Europe leg carrying random cargo.

TheDailyGuardsman

What instrument would Leonardo Da Vinci use to make his sketches? or a more generic question how were ancient pencils like and how expensive were they?

[deleted]

Incredibly niche topic:

Évariste Galois, French mathematician, died in a duel at 20. According to the English wiki:

His last words to his younger brother Alfred were:

"Ne pleure pas, Alfred ! J'ai besoin de tout mon courage pour mourir à vingt ans !"
(Don't cry, Alfred! I need all my courage to die at twenty!) 

However, there doesn't seem to be a source for it, and there's no similar quotation on the French wiki. It just says 'he died in his brother's arms after refusing the services of a priest'.

I googled the quote in French, and nothing came up other than 'famous last words' sites.

So I think this might be made up. It seems a pretty unlikely thing to say. That said, does anyone have any further info as to its veracity? I've seen it on wiki for years and years, so I'm surprised it's survived if it is indeed unsourced.

rock_the_cat-spa

When was the last attested use of SPQR (Senatus Populusque Romanus) during the empire's existence? The wikipedia mentions Constantine. I know the medieval city used it to some extent, as well as Mussolini's propagandic uses during WWII, but I'm more looking for its last legitimate uses during antiquity.

Edit: rephrased

ArchiveDiver

Hi, I'm trying to source this illustration from a medieval manuscript

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AdamNeve.jpg

​

All I know is that Wikimedia dates it to the 15th c., and it appears to depict the temptation of Eve. Ideally I'd like to know what manuscript it's from and what archive it comes from, but advice on where to research this question further would be greatly appreciated too.

​

Edit: I've already done a reverse image lookup and come up with nothing but conspiracy blogs.

lifesucks4

How did we learn about most of Ancient History (Like Ancient Greece, Roman Empire, Middle Ages)?

It seems like we're very knowledgeable about even very specific details regarding these facets of history, even from disestablished empires, from religion/beliefs to governmental system to specific figures and their teachings/lives. Did we actually learn all of this stuff from books/artifacts/letters/remnants of their society? Seems like an awful lot that was pieced and woven together. How did we deal with clashing information, for example, if two letters had different accounts of something, or one piece of information had bias/was deliberately false?

What's the process of discovering new information?

Is it just 1) artifact is found (by a random person of archaeologist) and 2) it is sent to a museum/historian to be studied?

Apologies for these stupid questions history is definitely not my forte, but hopefully they're broad enough for most to contribute.

kakalbo123

Regarding pictures of crowded ships filled to the brim after World War II. What were conditions like aboard one?

Did army troops have space to sleep in or did they do short rotations with the available beds? Did they just all stood up with little moving room or was there a choice of being below deck or above? How long did the journey take from Europen to the US in 1945?

Bromao

What's a good book on World War 1 artillery? I'm specifically interested in the Austro-Hungarian / Italian front, but if you have a title in mind that doesn't focus just on that front, that's fine too.

Kaboogy42

What was the capacity of medieval water wells? I.e. how many people could live off of a single well, how many wells were in various cities, and by how much did these amounts vary. Additional information like water volume and rate of natural replenishment is also very welcome.

BruteWandering

The Imitation of Christ, allegedly by Thomas a Kempis, seems to draw heavily on Stoic philosophy. What Stoic works would the author have had access to?

deosine

Where can I find info about Japanese during WW2, 1st and 2nd Sino-Japanese wars through their lenses, or in other words, the story from the other side?

[deleted]

What's a good book/source specifically about the First Indochina War?

wulteer

What is the name of this octagonal Islamic symbol? It's two "overlapping" squares resembling a star. Image

TheOhNoNotAgain

What was the international reaction to Sweden's annexation of the Danish provinces in 1658?

IffyWithTheBlicky

What caused the huge rise in college tuition in the US and why are we the only country in the world with this issue?

decemberandjuly

How is The history of WW2, Hitler, and the Holocaust taught in Germany? Is it any different of a perspective than what is in American textbooks?