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1500 questions
41
votes
7 answers
Why did China shut itself out of the world in the 15th century?
After a period of maritime explorations (see Zheng He) in the early 15th century, the Ming Dynasty started shutting the Middle Kingdom out of the rest of the world. This of course continued with the Qing, and the empire remained largely isolated…
Orion
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41
votes
13 answers
Which monarch had the longest break in their reign?
During periods of political instability it is not rare for monarchs to be deposed, new monarchs declared, and the original monarch to reclaim their throne a few months later. During this time the deposed monarch is often actively fighting a civil…
Neil Tarrant
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41
votes
3 answers
In the Battle of the Coral Sea, how could two Japanese scouts grossly mis-identify two American ships?
I've been reading the Wikipedia pages about the Pacific theatre in WW2; in the page describing the battle of the Coral Sea there is the following passage:
[...] the scout [from Shōkaku] confirmed that it had located "one carrier, one cruiser, and…
Vorbis
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41
votes
3 answers
How were concentration and extermination camp guards recruited?
I'm interested in knowing how the Nazi regime went about hiring the guards and other camp personnel who did the dirty work.
Were they screened for sadism, callousness, obedience, or some other trait that was conducive to the job, or did they not do…
EvilSnack
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41
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2 answers
In the "Christmas truce" of 1914 were there any football (soccer) matches between British and German troops?
British and German troops meeting in no man's land during the unofficial truce. Source: Wikipedia
As the holiday season is upon us again this year, I am reminded of the 1914 Christmas truce (German: Weihnachtsfrieden; French: Trêve de Noël), when…
Kerry L
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41
votes
1 answer
Did Chinese emperors wear a rectangular hat with suspended gems?
The mythical Jade Emperor is sometimes depicted as wearing a mortarboard hat with strings of jewels suspended from its edges:
According to Shen Yun's post:
Hanging from the front and back of the emperor’s hat are twelve strings of beads. They’re…
Aaron Brick
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41
votes
6 answers
Why didn't line infantry tactics try to keep up a constant volley of fire?
Often in movies on the American revolution and back when muskets were common place the opposing armies would line up facing each other and take turns firing. One side, then the other. Kind of like a volley.
While I'm not sure if this is historically…
Alex
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41
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2 answers
‘Avoid sleeping on your back’ & ‘breathe in toilet smells’ were seen as precautions against the Black Death. Why did doctors think these would work?
Browsing a school book, Medieval Britain by Brenda Williams, I came across three precautions recommended by doctors to help people avoid going down with the plague. These were:
cover windows
avoid sleeping on your back
breathe in toilet smells
I…
Lars Bosteen
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41
votes
7 answers
Why aren't there major cities on the Atlantic coast of France?
I see Bordeaux and Nantes, but they are a short ways inland. The U.S. has several like New York, Boston, Miami, Charleston.
don57
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41
votes
7 answers
When did the practice of formally "declaring war" cease and why?
Here's a detailed description of ambassador Neville Henderson being received by the foreign ministry in Berlin in 1939. Perhaps the most famous example.
He came in looking very serious, shook hands, but declined my invitation to be seated,…
Tea Drinker
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41
votes
5 answers
What did Germany do in World War II about the different rail gauge in the Soviet Union?
One reason it was so hard for Germany to invade Russia/the Soviet Union in World War II (and I) was because the Russians had a different (wider) railroad gauge than that of most of the rest of Europe, making European rolling stock useless on Russian…
Tom Au
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41
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5 answers
When and why did having long hair become associated with women, and short hair with men?
It's obvious that having short or long hair is an identity sign for men and women respectively, more or less worldwide.
I wonder why something like this happened, though. Maybe it was a way to differentiate them easily that got widespread, as I…
user12177
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41
votes
10 answers
What is the origin of the stereotype that Polish people lack intelligence?
A quick glance at Wikipedia's list of Polish people demonstrates the stereotype as false. Poland has produced notable minds in such diverse areas of knowledge as Astronomy (Nicolaus Copernicus), Chemistry (Marie Curie), Music (Frédéric Chopin and…
stevvve
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41
votes
8 answers
Why did Hitler not order the use of poison gas in combat?
From what I know, Hitler wanted Germans to fight, quite literally, to the last, and he wouldn't have minded terribly if every last German died fighting the enemy.
So why did he never use poison gas in combat, especially in the closing months of the…
user3521
41
votes
10 answers
What is the oldest building in the world still in use?
What's the oldest building in the world that is still in use (i.e. used for something other than a tourist spot).
Opt
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