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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.
Here are the ground rules:
Was it possible for a white person to fail the literacy test in Jim Crow South?
Was the "Society of December 10" which Marx talks about in The Eighteenth Brumaire, a secret Bonapartist group (a sort of early astroturfing group/militia) 10,000-strong composed of lumpenproletariat, really a thing? It sounds rather fantastic, and Wikipedia's only cite is Marx's essay.
Did Wilhelm II say this quote to either Franz Josef or Franz Ferdinand?
"I do so love the german parts of your empire. I look forward to absorbing them into the Reich."
I've heard that he said this probably in the 1890s on a hunting trip with probably Franz Ferdinand, and that it's one of the many examples of Wilhelm just stuffing his foot into his mouth and alienating people around him.
And if he did say it, What would he have considered the "German Parts" of Austria-Hungary? Obviously Austria but Bohemia had been a vital part of the HRE and the German confederation, and had roughly 1/3 german population.
Was there an idea that in the near future that the German Empire would have an Archduchy of Austria and a Kingdom of Bohemia joining it?
What's the current consensus on Machiavelli's motives behind writing the Prince? Is he sincere? Pandering to the Medicis? Insulting the Medicis?
What historical figure has the coolest sounding title in human history?
Who are some himbos of history?
Himbos, as a named concept, are relatively new — they're delightfully airheaded, kind, attractive and heroic guys with more brawn than brains (though they're arguably very emotionally intelligent, too). They're like the golden retriever of people!
However, I'm wondering if there are any pre-1990s himbos you can think of, preferably some himbos of history. What historical figures or unknown ancients might qualify as a proto-himbo?
How far would a traveler walk on foot in a day? Assume they are adult, in good health, have a road, and are in no special hurry - say going to a festival a few towns over in medieval Europe.
How long did it take to set up an iron mine in the middle ages?
Anti-German propaganda in WW1 often referred to Germans as “Huns”, thus racializing them within the pre-existing framework. But race science, from its inception, had established Germans, along with Anglos, as the pinnacle of human genetic and cultural development. Did this obvious and glaring contradiction affect the perception or common understanding of racial science at all? Did this basic incoherence make for more or less effective propaganda, or was it compatible with the common understanding (race “science” of course being the most elastic of “sciences”)?
Can anyone recommend a good book about ancient glass? Specifically the origins of glassmaking, the whens, wheres, and examples?
Article 4 section 2 of the constitution: The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
Can somebody explain this to me? Isn’t the fact that laws differ between states in violation of this article?
I'm looking for advice on finding some basic information on the cost of things in 1920s London. Everything from food, homes, cars, tools, and house hold items. I'm not really where to start finding sources of this information.
What language did Vladimir I of Kievan Rus speak? Was it a Germanic or Slavic language?
What was the significance of the number 52 in pre-Colombian Nahuatl cultures? In reading descriptions of the contents of various Aztec codices, I've noticed that some authors will describe periods of time in groups of 52 (e.g. "He reigned for fifty-two plus three years," the first age of the sun is described as being "fifty-two times thirteen years long", etc).
Given that this is a rather arbitrary way of describing time in English, I'm assuming this would have had some significance to the Mexica that I'm just missing.
Did the Soviets really build 80k T-34s during WW2? If so then why would they need that many? Each tank corps/mechanized corps had around 150 tanks. And they had around 30 of these. So that means they'd need around 4,500 tanks, not 80,000! Did they just build way more tanks than what they actually needed just in case?
Are there any books detailing the lives of the people who lived inside Intramuros Manila during the Spanish Colonial period? Thanks!
I have a certain north korean document from ~1930. I have some understanding of what they are, but not total. Ive done some translation thanks do google translate that gives me a broad picture of what they are, but searching for them on the internet leads me nowhere.
If theres anybody who thinks they could help me, DM me and i will send you the images, since i cant post images on here. Thanks.
Who was the first US president to use a dip pen instead of a quill?
The Naval Expansion Act of May 1938 increased the allowed tonnage for destroyers by 38,000t to 228,000t. The London Naval Treaty had allowed 150,000t. Where are the missing 40,000t coming from?
What are some major technological advancements Canada has made in the past?
Reading the wiki of a Buyid Dynasty judge called Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn aṭ-Ṭayyib al-Bāqillānī (also known as Imām al-Bāqillānī), who apparently went to the Eastern Roman Empire in 371AH/981CE as an envoy to debate Christian scholars on theological and jurispudential issues.
I cross-referenced this info with the King/Emperor(?) who corresponded with that date and it's Basil II Porphyrogenitus. Problem is, looking through Basil's wiki, there's no mention of the judge coming as an envoy; basically to any Historian of the period did this exchange happen and if so, do we have records of their exchanges?
Do we have a rough time frame from when did humans start valuing gold so highly?
Are there any remnants of German rail lines in the former Soviet Union laid during WWII still in existence? Are they used?
I think I've heard that the Ottoman has nobles (or princes? I don't remember the detail) near the border to raid their enemy's territory with irregular armies. What I want to ask is:
Is this true? And if yes, how common is this anywhere else?
Is there some sort of guide or something along that line, to tell us how raiders did their thing? How many should they be, how long should it be done to avoid the enemy, what kind of resistance should they expect, etc etc.
For the nobles in said enemy's states, what are the effect of these raids for them? Especially since considering they probably live in a more defensive position like a fort.
Are there any Roman works that are a guide or have tips for painting statues? We know they did paint them, but I'm curious about the process. Follow up. If such sources exist, have any been translated into English or, less preferably, Spanish so I could read them?
Do we know roughly how many calories a foot soldier on march would be consuming in ancient/medieval times? If an army was marching across an entire country, through mountains or difficult terrain I would think they needed a lot of sustenance to keep going. Thanks.
What country's military was the first to adopt repeating rifles (i.e. not single-shot) as it's standard infantry weapon and not just in small numbers?
I found two pins at an antique store that I’m having trouble identifying. The first says ‘86, and the second reads диалог культур. Could the 1986 be referencing the Reykjavik summit/disarmament? I also tried looking up US-USSR dialogues of culture but couldn’t tell if the second pin is referencing a specific instance.
What is the estimated kill count of the post Stalin Soveit leaders?
I'm not sure if this is the place to ask it or not. A while back someone on reddit mentioned a book and shared a quote from it. The book was written by someone who lived in Nazi germane and was talking about the effects of propaganda.
The author talked about how he felt like he was surrounded by insanity at times, and that he was lucky that he had access to foreign papers that helped keep him from falling into it.
What revolutionary brotherhood did mikahil Bakunin lead and what risings did he get involved in? I've seen multiple different names.
Edit: also, what policies/acts were implemented after anarchist terror attacks in 1800/1970?
Where does the Russian-style pentagonal medal ribbon come from?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/WW2_Victory_USSR_OBVERSE.jpg
Do we know how long hand to hand combat would take in pre-gun times?
Sorry for asking I'm sure it's been asked before.
Roman empire Vs Egyptians, which civilization lasted longer.
Apologies for my lack of knowledge even with the naming of empire Vs civilization.
Hello :)
I'm looking for books that focus on the Kingdom Of Israel. I've already checked your wonderful book list (which helped me numerous times) but I would like to know more about the subject. I would like to clarify I am talking about the northern kingdom specifically, and not the Judean kingdom. Thank you... and sorry for the vagueness :)
How many Germans did the Nazis kill?
I'm trying to find resources on British military stationed in Australia during the early to mid 1800s.
I read some people say that the industrial revolution. "made life expectancy longer in the long run", but I want to know and learn about the life Expectancy. of coal miners, factory workers,etc, during the early stages. Specially in UK and USA.
Also welcome is pre-worker protests conditions of labor:Before any trade union or protest..for example, a longer than 8 hours work day. What rights did workers lac?
I am currently listening to "The Anarchy" by William Dalrymple and in one of the early chapters he describes how a Native American tribe practicing cannibalism "ate the tastiest parts of French invaders." I was unable to refind the exact phrasing just now and hope you can forgive me for that.
Having spent a decade in a country where (to me) rather odd parts of certain animals are considered delicacies I wonder if Dalrymple was being merely vulgar here or if there might be another body part that was considered "tastiest" among Native American tribes practicing cannibalism? Could he have been referring to something like lips, livers or eyeballs, all items I have heard praised as tasty in animals in various cultures?
What is the first time that the term "power user" appeared in the context of personal computing?
Approximately how much area did cattle take up during a drive? Given a count of 1500 head of cattle, roughly how much area did the cattle occupy while in motion? Was it roughly a uniform circle or more of a narrow column? What about when stopped for the night?
Thanks for the info.
I'm looking for books about the European exploration of the Platine basin, specifically the voyages of Aleixo Garcia and Sebastion Cabot--any suggestions? Thanks!
I'm looking for a good book on European history from 1500 to today. Should be informative and well researched but also readable for the general public. Thanks!
I was watching a documentary about Dunkirk and they mentioned that the whole war has a lot better chance of going in Germany's favor if those troops had been annihilated.
How true might that be?
Was Kiyev Metropoly ever under Greek orthodox church? Under ecumenical patriarch?
I want to get a rough idea on how powerful the Catholic church is back in the day. Can you point me to some events that show both how powerful and weak they are in the grand scheme of things?
In reading the FAQ links for the question about spice in pre-Columbian Indian cuisine, I saw a claim that people only start eating things because they tried it and though it tasted good. While I'm not sitting here drinking cod liver oil in my coffee, this seems to leave out medicinal beliefs, which would seem to be a bit of a miss given that the two cuisines people ask about the introduction of hot peppers to, China and India, have traditional medical systems that place a strong emphasis on the use of spices and other foods. China in particular has strong beliefs about the need to balance "temperature." In contrast, I can't think of a use the West's Galenic medicine would find for them, but I also don[t know much about it. Do we have records on how hot peppers were received and potentially incorporated into the medical paradigms that were encountering them?
Was Alscae-Lorraine formally annexed by Germany during WW2?
The Wikipedia article on the region states,
After the defeat of France in the spring of 1940, Alsace and Moselle were not formally annexed by Nazi Germany. Although the terms of the armistice specified that the integrity of the whole French territory could not be modified in any way, Adolf Hitler, the German Führer, drafted an annexation law in 1940 that he kept secret, expecting to announce it in the event of a German victory.[21] Through a series of laws which individually seemed minor, Berlin took de facto control of Alsace–Lorraine, and Alsatians–Lorrainians could be drafted into the German Army"
So, okay, de facto but not de jure annexation. Except the same article goes on to say,
During the occupation, Moselle was integrated into a Reichsgau named Westmark and Alsace was amalgamated with Baden.
which sounds rather de jure. And pretty much every other source I can find just says the region was annexed (although it's also true that the armistice guaranteed France's territorial integrity
Hello everyone, I'm exploring some culinary novelties from the age of sail, and I've heard it said that ship's biscuits, or sea biscuits, are somehow different from hardtack. However, I've had little luck in trying to differentiate between the two, and from what I can tell Hardtack was just the term used for the same product at a later time. Does anyone have any insight into this?
