Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
I got into grad school for history! :)
This sub got name dropped in a recent episode of the History Extra Podcast
(here https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/questions-ancient-greco-roman-world-podcast-garrett-ryan/ at around 2 mins in)
Does anyone have some favorite questions/responses from when the sub's weekly theme was Art? I was very excited for that one but did not actually have time that week to peruse the sub to see the content. Cheers!
Your Weekly /r/askhistorians Recap
Friday, March 18 - Thursday, March 24
###Top 10 Posts
| score | comments | title & link |
|---|---|---|
| 6,170 | 101 comments | While he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan fought for the members of the union to get residuals, healthcare, a pension and the ability to strike. When he became President of the US, Reagan was staunchly anti-union. What changed in that short 20-year period? |
| 3,185 | 106 comments | Why is the Bible Belt in the South if the Northern colonies were largely founded by religious communities, while the southern ones founded by commercial opportunities? |
| 3,122 | 42 comments | In 1985, the popular American sitcom Night Court ran an episode about a transgender woman, treating her identity (more or less) with respect and dignity. How big of a deal was this at the time? |
| 2,980 | 44 comments | David Lean’s film “Lawrence of Arabia,” the Arab leader reminds his British Army adviser, T. E. Lawrence, of a glory that once was.“You know, Lieutenant,” he says, “in the Arab city of Córdoba were two miles of public lighting in the streets when London was a village.” How authentic was this claim? |
| 2,813 | 76 comments | Did ‘legendary warriors’ truly exist, or was the variance in fighting capabilities amongst ancient fighters much much smaller than what is conveyed in culture and myth? |
| 2,516 | 60 comments | How genuine was Boris Yeltsin's democratic reforms in Russia? Did Putin "betray" his ideals by grabbing more power? |
| 2,455 | 354 comments | [AMA] I'm Dr. Stuart Ellis-Gorman, author of The Medieval Crossbow: A Weapon Fit to Kill a King. AMA about crossbows, medieval archery/guns, or most things medieval warfare! |
| 1,961 | 2 comments | Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria was severely mentally impaired and suffered up to 20 seizures a day during his reign. He had 5 attempting to consumate his marriage. However after abdicating in 1848 at 55 he lived nearly 30 more years. What was his life like post-abdication? |
| 1,534 | 48 comments | How "advanced" was the Islam world compared to the Christian Medieval Europe (c. 7th-12th century)? |
| 1,119 | 28 comments | Russia is having a lot of logistical difficulties in its invasion of Ukraine. Did the Soviet Union have the same problems supplying and feeding troops during its war in Afghanistan? |
###Top 10 Comments
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Napoleonic Experts: Can you identify the uniforms on these armored cavalrymen during the Napoleonic War guarding the French King Louis XVIII in the film Waterloo? I am unaware of any Cuirassier or Carabiniers-à-Cheval that served as a Guard unit, and the red uniforms suggest a Swiss unit, but I'm unaware of any Swiss Cuirassiers in the Napoleonic Wars.
https://i.imgur.com/rPFb904.jpg
