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1500 questions
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The riddle of Marco's Millions
The question is asked in the context of theories about the use of 'millions' or 'milioni' in association with Marco Polo and the reason for the use of the word as the Italian title for his book, known in English as 'The Travels of Marco Polo' and…
Leon Conrad
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Roughly, what percentage of arrows can be reused after a battle?
The English Longbowman according to some sources can shoot at/above 10 arrows per minute. Some of the medieval battles would last for many hours. Back-of-the-envelope math says the number of shots fired by an archer is very large indeed. Clearly…
Pulsehead
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4 answers
Flag with dark border and light inner?
This picture features twice a flag with a dark border and a light inner: which flag is that?
From left to right we can see:
an Italian flag
a British flag
a striped flag, possibly USA
a tricolor flag, possibly French or Irish, doesn't matter
the…
o0'.
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What is the historical background of the current Ukraine crisis (2014)?
Apparently the "Ukraine" is actually split east and west. Many people in the eastern part would prefer for their country to be part of Russia, while protesters in the western Ukraine wants something different, perhaps full "independence." Unless…
Tom Au
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What are some indicators that distinguish pseudo-history from actual history?
It is sometimes hard for a layman to separate well-researched history from the writings of kooks (or what Mark Twain called "inspired idiots").
For example: my local library carries "A Secret History of the English Language". This book attempts to…
Mike
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Has a foreign power ever sought to compel another country to abide by international law by means of that country's internal judiciary?
Suppose there are two countries which have a treaty or convention between them. One country thinks the other has infringed upon it.
Have there been any instances where the first country filed a suit in the courts of the other to make it abide by the…
Anixx
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19
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Did the German people actually know Joseph Goebbels as the "Minister of Propaganda"?
I've been trying to understand this for some time now. It seems to me that propaganda should only work if the audience doesn't know that it's propaganda. So if the Nazis' goal was to control its population and deceive them via Goebbels' ministry,…
Ryan Albon
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19
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5 answers
What led to the creation of Belgium?
Why was Belgium created as opposed to grouping the Fracophone Walloons and the Dutch-Speaking Flemish with their respective linguistically similar neighbor countries; France and the Netherlands?
user88
19
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3 answers
Who was the last US president who did not start a war?
Who was the last US president who did not start a war?
Anixx
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What forces/incentives drove the Mongols to conquer a much larger territory than they could comfortably settle or rule?
Internet resources on the Mongol Empire usually dwell on the Mongol conquests of a huge mass of territory. Unfortunately, seldom are the reasons behind the conquests explained. One gets the impression that the Mongols were conquering for the sake of…
curious
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19
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8 answers
What strategic value did Christianity hold for Constantine that made him convert to Christianity?
Christianity started off as a cult religion before becoming a major religion today. The major event that put Christianity on the road to world domination was the conversion of Emperor Constantine into Christianity.
What strategic value did…
curious
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What was used instead of toilet paper in the US and the UK prior to 1900?
I read in this Wikipedia article that toilet paper came to be available only around 1920. On the other hand, this article says bidets were never popular in the UK and the US.
Moreover, colonies of the UK like India, have not adopted toilet paper…
Sultan
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Was there any separation between hunting bow technology and weapon bows?
Was there a clear trend throughout early history (say, before 1300 for Europe) to have (or ot have) separate technologies/materials for bows and arrows for hunting purposes, and same-period same-culture bows and arrows for military purposes?
I'm…
DVK
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Have Germany and Poland ever signed a peace treaty after WWII?
I met a shocking (for me) information, that Germany and Poland have not signed a peace treaty after the World War II.
Because I could not believe this, I performed some research.
In the Potsdam agreement:
The three Heads of Government reaffirm…
Voitcus
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18
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Why were the Normans such good builders?
The Normans are a bunch of Vikings that settled in northern France, and within a century they were Christians speaking French. By 1066 they had become very experienced at fighting wars between themselves, a skill that came in useful, but they also…
none
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