Short Answers to Simple Questions | August 21, 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:

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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.

just_the_mann

When was the phrase “I have to see a man about a horse” most popular, and was it often used literally back in the day?

ByzantiumBall

What was the demonym of a citizen of the Confederate States of America? Did the average Confederate citizen refer to themselves as an American, a Confederate, an [insert state]ian, or something else?

Tatem1961

Why is pickled cucumber the default pickle in America?

AH_LA_questioner

When did humans start getting cats to poop and pee in litter boxes?

corruptrevolutionary

How common were forest fires in medieval Europe? Especially in the Baltic and the lesser dense Eastern Europe?

theladygraymalkin

I heard today that a dog was on the Hindenburg, brought on by Joseph Spah. Did the dog survive?

Senorisgrig

Does anyone know if the security company ADT faced any backlash once it was known that the BTK killer used to work for them?

Alinos23

How long after the Nazis had Jews in their camps did they start to kill them themselves (shooting, gassing, etc.)?

Stavrosmich

Could Jews seek asylum in foreign embassies during their persecution in Nazi Germany?

Fugacious_Simmer

people from Hollywood filmed Pancho Villa when he was fighting in the Mexican revolution. Where can I find a list of all of those movies?

Wonton64

How much would glass have cost in Europe in the late 1600s to early 1700s?

athenatheta

Were there any instances of "fragging" (the killing of a superior officer by one or more subordinates) by non-praetorian legionaries in ancient Rome? I'm especially interested to know if there were any non-political killings of unpopular commanders by their legionaries like what happened during the Vietnam War.

Nomsheep

How would you go about digging up all court records? and news Articles? 1800~

staubsaugernasenmann

Not sure whether it's a simple question, but I'm curious regarding Jewish land ownership in the HRE until the early 19th century. I've read sources claiming that only christians were allowed to own land uring the 14th century, but I can't find the order/decision that excluded them from land ownership. 11th to 12th century proclamations(Wormser Privileg for instance) by the emperors seem to confirm that Jews can own immovable objects. On the other hand there seems to be a small Jewish wine production throuhout the entire period.

So when were Jews allowed to own land in the HRE and when not? Did the church exclude them or secular rulers?

Nomsheep

I just finished reading Joseph T Fuhrmanns Rasputin : The Untold Story and wish to dig further but he recommends caution using many secondary sources especially from the 80s-90s as they flat out make stuff up.

I'm specifically interested at the moment in books chronicling the rise of Rasputin and the Twilight of the Romanovs but just general answers are also fine.

How do I sift fact from fiction in secondary sources and how do I do the same with primary sources?

With sources like Maria Rasputin, Pierre Gilliard and Felix Yusupov it's much easier to see where their bias lies and that their words should be taken with a pinch of salt. With other actors, It's much more difficult to discern the veracity or lack thereof of their claims.

Fuhrmann himself seems to disagree with other well known Scholars such as Ferro, For example Ferro claims that Rasputin was paid as a lamplighter where Fuhrmann claims he was not paid for any role with the Czar and lived primarily off of gifts and bribes.How would I determine who was right and who was wrong or at least who was closer to the truth?

BRD_Cult

How many people died in Nazi concentration camps (not death camps).

unskilledworker

I’m looking at doing some writing for a seminar topic on the history of Henry Grady hospital in atlanta, as maybe a case study of the history of public hospitals as an institution, or the history of modern medicine in the United States.

I’ll be posting in r/historyofmedicine as well, but does anyone have reccomendations for books about the history of modern medicine with a particular focus on the United States, or histories of public health with the same regional focus?

AyukaVB

Is David in ‘David vs Goliath’ supposed to be nondescript regular-type dude (perhaps even meek/weak) or is it a misconception from the popular saying?

Rustain

I recall reading about a time period in Eastern Europe sometime before-or-after the WW1. i remember that during this period there was an upsurge in production and circulation of underground art, books, and pamphlets. This period was brief, and it was squashed by the government. At first I thought this was the Prague Spring, but from what I have read nothing about the Prague Spring is related to this. Can anyone suggest if there was anything resembling this?

jsckbcker

Did people in the Philippines speak Spanish like they did in Mexico prior to American control?

Edit: spelling

darth_stroyer

Do we have death tolls/causalities for each of the individual coalitions wars?

raketenfakmauspanzer

What was the first British Colony?

Ersatz_Okapi

Why did Grant take a “vacation” north right after Lee’s surrender, even though he was the overall general and still had multiple fronts to oversee? I would’ve presumed he would’ve immediately marched the Army of the Potomac south to ensure the immediate unconditionally surrender of Johnston’s army, as well as coordinating Wilson’s raid and other western theater operations.

Squilookle

[WW2] Which Japanese air groups were stationed on Timor? Super specific, I know, but does anybody have any information on the names of the air groups that were stationed on Timor following the Japanese invasion of the island in 1942? And whether the land based fighter units flew Ki-43 Hayabusas, or the A6M Zero instead?

Many thanks for any information people can give.

Cheerio_Fujisaki

Did china have any sniper rifles (telescoped rifles) in the second sino-japanese war and world war 2?

While trying to peace together what china's common weapons were, I noticed that there was almost no info on the sniper rifles of the kmt. Is it just that china simply didn't use or need telescopes? Or china had a just a telescope on a hanyang rifle or even the chiang kai shek. I just don't know, thats why I am looking here! Anyways, thanks. Anyone please?

PRINCE-KRAZIE

How liberal was the Kronprinz Rudolf, aka Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria? Supposedly he had a strained relationship with his stiff and conservative father Franz Josef. What were some of the ideas that he published under fake names? How far did his liberalism go?

athenatheta

Would Roman auxiliaries in the late Republic / early Principate have worn a cingulum militare? Or was it usually just legionaries?

WarmOutOfTheDryer

How did Franklin D Roosevelt write his inaugural address? Did he use a typewriter or a notebook? Or some other thing that I don't know about? I'm just trying to picture in my head how it looked when he was writing it.

Pecuthegreat

do we know the names of any of the Kings of the Kingdom of Kerma

prisonmsagro

I got these in my german grandmas coin collection when she passed and wondered if these were fantasy pieces or could potentially be real because most of the authentic ones I have seen look slightly different and are usually in pretty terrible condition. https://imgur.com/a/aZl1C98

ghostof_IamBeepBeep2

Considering "The Bolsheviks come to power" by Alexander Rabinowitch was written in 1976, before the soviet archives were opened, is it still worth reading for someone looking for an introduction to the revolution?

FlagAssault

Can anyone help explain why Germany in WW1 was fighting the Red Army after the Brest Litovsk treaty?

I was reading on the German Intervention tab on this wiki article. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_War_of_Independence

TheVoidStrider

Hi! I’m working on a WWII tank game and want to be able to differentiate drag for each type of round. Is there a place where I can find reliable technical data on most types used? I’d be primarily looking for width at base, mass, and length of ogive. Additionally density and ballistic coefficient would be nice, but the latter can be derived. Any assistance is much appreciated.

DaenerysTargaryen69

Looking for software to help me make a timeline

I've made a quick sketch of what I'm looking for https://imgur.com/a/JHqkHix
Anyone using any software to help them chronicle History they have learned?

Zata700

I'm not sure if this is the right reddit to ask, but I figure a question in a mega thread can be ignored if I'm wrong. But, my question is this: could a modern business suit (jacket, pants, shirt, tie, and shoes) have been produced in medieval times with the materials and tools available to them? This is not taking into account knowledge of modern techniques or fashion sense.

starlord2307

Can anybody reccomend a book or something to start off with studying anciet history? I realy wanna study it so I dont have a ton of confusement