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1500 questions
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6 answers
Why did Germany officially acknowledge the contents of the Zimmerman telegram?
The Zimmerman telegram was a diplomatic message from officials in Germany to the Mexican president, sent in 1917. After being intercepted and decoded by Britain's intelligence community, its contents were found to be an offer of monetary…
Jules
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How did such a relatively minor event as the assassination of an archduke start World War I?
The assassination of the Austrian archduke was, considered in the context of all Europe's near-explosive politics, a relatively minor event. So how did it cause such a major war?
George A. Solodun
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Where did the Romans store their cash?
In the era before banking was invented, where did wealthy Romans store their cash? The emperor probably could store it somewhere in the imperial palace thanks to the Praetorian guard, but what about the others? Did they hire guards to protect their…
Karlth
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When did the Greeks stop calling themselves "Roman"?
I've been reading a lot about the Byzantine Empire recently, and one of the things I see pointed out over and over again is that "Byzantine" is a term coined by historians, not by the people themselves. If you'd asked a citizen of the Byzantine…
Nerrolken
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When did the Romans finally acknowledge that they were living in an empire?
The Romans, during the time of the Republic, were a famously anti-monarchical society. There are plenty of stories of Roman politicians gaining favor by refusing crowns, or condemning kings, etc. As I understand it, even the first emperor Octavian…
Nerrolken
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How did the Roman state verify citizenship?
How were ancient Roman citizens identified, and how did officials make sure that their identity wasn't fake? I.e., did they maintain some kind of citizens registry, or did they have some kind of identity papers (analog of modern ID card, driver's…
NikitaBaksalyar
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What mysterious Flemish peasant activity is depicted in this painting?
There is lots to see in Bruegel's famous painting representing life in June/July ('Haymaking'). (cf, https://insidebruegel.net for a great online collection of his work).
There is this activity he depicts in the background... It looks like shooting…
Konchog
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During the breakup of the Soviet Union, on what basis was citizenship granted or withheld for each of the fifteen new republics?
The politics and economics of the Soviet Union caused large numbers of people to be transplanted from one region to another, for example:
The Crimean Tatars were deported to Central Asia;
Ethnic Russians were encouraged to settle in…
chancellorofpaphos
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Why did a young George Washington sign a document admitting to assassinating a French military officer?
On May 28, 1754, a young Lt. Colonel named George Washington ambushed a French force at Jumonville Glen with assistance from a Iroquois leader named Tanacharison. One of the casualties was the French expedition's leader, Joseph Coulon de Villiers,…
RichS
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Why couldn't soldiers sight their own weapons without officers' orders?
The 4th bullet here contends
Gen. Joubert viewed the aftermath of the battle and noted that the British rifles were sighted at 400-600 yards when the battle raged at about 50-100 yards, as the British officers had not told the troops to alter…
user8309
49
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18 answers
Are there confirmed cases where a country changed its language without being conquered?
I thought about this question and wondered: Are there any known cases where a country switched to a different language other than because of being conquered? If some country ever did this I would be very interested in how exactly they implemented…
Wladimir Palant
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Has there ever been an instance of an active nuclear power plant within or near a war zone?
The question
Has there ever been a military combat going on around an active (running or in outage but not decommissioned) commercial nuclear power plant? Or dangerously near it? If yes, how did the plant and its personnel fare in such…
Pavel
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When did FDR announce he was running a 3rd time, and was there any outrage?
When did President Franklin Roosevelt announce he was running again for a 3rd term? And was there any shock or outrage at this?
I noticed the Vice President, John Garner, actually ran against FDR in the primary. That's what led to Henry Wallace on…
DrZ214
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How was Germany able to hold itself together, while Austria-Hungary could not?
After defeat in WWI, the monarchies of the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire rapidly crumbled, and their outlying provinces took the opportunity to declare independence and sovereignty. Austria's problems are well-known, but Germany also…
SPavel
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Did the Soviets excel in one area of weaponry during World War II?
The Germans had some of the best machine guns and tanks during World War II. Likewise, the Americans had a big advantage with the M1 Garand (which Patton famously called "The greatest battle implement ever devised").
My question is: Did the Soviets…
I Like Computurs
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