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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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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.
Of countries who have resolved civil strife long ago ago (e.g., not Ireland) is the USA unique in not being able to let their civil war go?
Will the Canudos rise again? Are there pickup trucks in Siberia with White Army flags on their bumper? Are there regions of Spain with inaccurate high school textbooks and statues of Republic generals erected 100 years after the war?
Why did luggage back in the day mostly not have wheels? Seems like everyone was carrying everything
What was the heaviest recorded weapon ever to be used in melee combat?
People have said spoken Cantonese is closer to ancient chinese than mandarin. Does cantonese pronounciation and lexicon have more in common with other east asian languages than mandarib?
At what point in history did it stop being the norm for clothes to be made entirely at home for most people? When did purchase-able patterns become widespread?
And, can anyone give me a less vague timeline on when mass-produced clothing became the norm? Most of my efforts at research are coming back with late 18th to early 19th century, which is not only a huge length of time but also feels too recent. I know the War of 1812 and the need for uniforms played a significant role in the development of garment sizing, but i find it hard to believe that uniforms weren't being mass-produced before that time.
Were there any explicit depictions of homosexuality (or other LGBTQ+ identities) in pre-Hayes Code movies?
What did the Mayans use to create their calendars - specifically the Haab since they managed to get so close to the actual solar year. I found some buildings like the Caracol but was it the main observatory structure used?
How tall was Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary? The only result I get when I look that up is ‘3.5 metres tall!
Is there any truth to the story that crews of beached submarines in WWII would run up and down the boat to dislodge it?
Not sure this belongs here, I read the rules but couldn't find anything about asking for sources/books.
What are good books about WWII that address the following topics:
By "good book" I mean one that could realistically be considered a valid source in an academic environment. I'd also rather not go with books that hold an historical significance on their own right, but are outdated or skewed in their portrayal of the subject (e.g. Achtung-Panzer by Heinz Guderian).
Thank you!
Did the Lapland War have a large effect on German morale? And how did the Finnish people react to learning they would essentially be turning against their former allies in the Continuation War?
I asked this as a sub-question of a much larger inquiry, so I thought I would post it here since it was actually the initial starting point of my interest.
Which Hawaiian island was the first reached and which was the first inhabited?
Did Rome really reach a million people under the Roman Empire, as some sources I've seen claim, or was this figure exaggerated, as suggested by others?
I'm after images of costumes and items from history, specifically iron age to early medieval periods. Ideally just day to day objects or clothing.
Ideally I'm after images like those in Time Team or other documentaries or in some Osprey books, drawings or interpretations of the past.
What are the best resources for these? I find many history books have limited images in or just simple line drawings.
So I read on wiki that there were a lot of theater plays and literature that has lesbianism in them during renaissance so does anybody know what these are?
In pre-WWII Britain how did qualifying for university work? Especially in the case of someone who was taught by a governess or private tutors?
Why do some historical military formations use roman numerals incorrectly? As an example I've seen "XXXX Armeekorps (mot.)" repeatedly, but it should be "XL Armeekorps" shouldn't it?
Is this an error in documentation or do unit designations follow a different rule system for roman numerals?
When did purses become exclusive for women?
How likely was it that American troop ships would have been hit by a uboat in WWI. To my knowledge, the convoy system should have been in place by then. How likely would it be for a ship in a convoy to be hit and would the escort ships pursue the attacker after that?
For use in a historic fiction. Would someone be able to see this attack unfold from another troop ship in the convoy or is this unrealistic?
How many U.S. soldiers were allocated during the Second World War in France, Germany and the UK between 1942 and 1945?
How did rice spread all they way from Asia to West Africa? Or did they domesticate rice independently?
When slavery was abolished in northern states, how many slaves were freed vs how many were moved or sold to the south?
How was fresh water transported by travelers in Edo-period Japan? Skins? Gourds? Casks? Something else?
Why is Leonardo da Vinci commonly referred to by his given name and place of birth, while other Renaissance artists are referred to by only their given name?
Was there a fascist movement within British India during the Second World War? How successful were they?
During the Second World War the British Army had a special unit which would survey battlefields, look at damaged and destroyed tanks, and compile reports on what destroyed what and how. What was this unit called?
It is still a common occurrence to find undetonnated bombs and shells from WWI. Do we have an estimation of the proportion of these which failed to detonnate?
Not sure if this is allowed but can somebody recommend me a book relating to coal mining in West Virginia back in the 50's-60's to show what the lifestyle and culture of an average coal mining town, and miner would be like? After reading Rocket Boys I'm fascinated in the subject
What units of time did people use throughout history before the SI (system international)? More specifically, how did they divide up 1 day?