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29
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6 answers
Why did Chamberlain remain Prime Minister of Britain until 10 May, 1940?
WW2 officially began on 1 September 1939, but Churchill did not become Prime Minister until 10 May 1940. Neville Chamberlain, the same leader of appeasement with Hitler, remained Prime Minister all that time.
Why is this? Wasn't some emergency…
DrZ214
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29
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Why was Kaliningrad placed under the Russian SFSR rather than the Lithuanian SSR?
Kaliningrad was (and still is) Russia's only (non-trivial*) exclave. Why did Stalin and the Soviet leaders transfer Kaliningrad to the Russian SFSR rather than the Lithuanian SSR (with which Kaliningrad was contiguous)?
My thoughts:
Soviet leaders…
user29153
29
votes
4 answers
How could Jews integrate into Western modern society back when Saturday was a normal working day?
My understanding is that Saturday has only become day off for most people since the 60s-70s, and before World War II it was a working day just like Monday-Friday are today.
Also my understanding is that before the 19th century Jews were very…
Bregalad
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29
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Anyone know what this stone building is?
It's located next to a beach and below a small hill. It has three sides and a large metal grid on top, on each of the three sides is an arch which tapers down toward a small opening on the ground. I came across it while walking a coastal path in…
user27027
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29
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3 answers
Why are the French and Indian Wars / Seven Years' War not considered WW 1?
The French and Indian Wars, which began in 1754, led to the Seven Years War beginning two years later in 1756; both ended in 1763. Why is this not considered World War 1? It was a world conflict, was it not? It changed the balance of power in the…
B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven
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29
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7 answers
Why did Stalin and the Soviet leadership have Leon Trotsky assassinated?
Leon Trotsky was killed with a mountaineering ice axe in Mexico. The method of murder chosen was interesting. If he was a political fugitive in far off Mexico, why bother dealing with him? What about Trotsky's communist ideology differed from…
0tyranny0poverty
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29
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2 answers
Why did the term "Byzantine Empire" enter common usage instead of "Eastern Roman Empire" or "Roman Empire"
Why did the term "Byzantine Empire" enter common usage instead of "Eastern Roman Empire" or "Roman Empire"? (or Imperium Graecorum?)
Wikipedia says that the term Byzantine wasn't used until 1557, and that pope Leo around 800 AD named Charlemagne…
Astor Florida
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3 answers
If I were a well-to-do ancient Roman, could I make money by investing in the construction of an aqueduct?
One incentive for wealthy Romans to finance construction of aqueducts was, of course, glory. One's name would go up on the wall somewhere, and down in history, too.
However, there was more to aqueducts than just delivering water to cities for…
Ricky
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What is this household object from early 1900s rural Russia?
At the Kalashnikov museum in Izhevsk, one of the exhibits includes this item:
It is a yoke-shaped square bar of light, unvarnished wood, roughly 100 cm long, with rounded corners. There is a hole about 5 cm in diameter drilled vertically through…
Robert
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Why are the USA and Canada's states border so straight?
Many states within the USA and Canada have straight lines as a border, completely ignoring natural borders like mountains or rivers. Many American states and Canadian provinces are just rectangle-shaped, and a good half of the US/Canada border is…
Bregalad
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29
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9 answers
Why was PTSD not written about as much before the 20th century?
As late as WW1 there was very little literature surrounding PTSD/'shellshock'. In fact, the term was not coined until the 1980's.
Considering the fact that warfare has been a part of human life since time immemorial, why is PTSD only being discussed…
Evil Washing Machine
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29
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10 answers
When was the last time a reigning monarch personally participated in battle?
A similar question was asked about only British monarchs. The conditions in this question are the same, but for monarchs world-wide.
For the sake of this question, tribal chiefs are not considered monarchs, even if all hundred members of his tribe…
vsz
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What is the meaning of people "looking elsewhere" on medieval paintings?
Looking at some medieval paintings I noticed that there are sometimes people "looking elsewhere" even though they take part in an important event and would be expected to pay attention:
Is there a significance to this? Or is it just a question of…
WoJ
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29
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4 answers
Do Real Roman and Greek warriors have big muscles and six-pack abs like in the movie?
When watching movies like Spartacus (2004), Gladiator (2000), etc, I often see Roman or Greek warriors have a lot of big muscles and six-pack abs.
What about real Roman and Greek warriors in real life?
Do they also have big muscles and six-pack abs…
Tom
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What was Hitler like in private?
The image of Hitler is very well-formed in the modern public imagination: stern, stoic, focused, commanding and intimidating, with a powerful oratory skill and a terrifying ability to stir up passion within his followers.
Ask anyone to do a Hitler…
Nerrolken
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