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1500 questions
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How were diplomats and their staffs treated when World War II was declared?
This could be a large and varied subject so I will restrict it to the 20th century and give two instances.
In Sept 39, after Poland was invaded, the British diplomat in Berlin handed a note to the German government stating that if they, the Germans,…
PurplePilot
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What were the Allies' plans if they caught Hitler alive?
Hitler committed suicide in 1945, but I'm curious as to what would have happened to him if he hadn't. Did the Allies have any formal plans as to what they would do with Hitler if they caught him alive? Moreover, did the Allies agree on this plan, or…
Gwen
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What role did the Eastern Roman Empire play in the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
What role did the Eastern Roman Empire play in the fall of the Western Roman Empire? Did the Eastern Empire actually contribute to the fall of the West? Was the Eastern Roman Empire able to help the Western Roman Empire around the time of their…
Sally
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Is there any evidence that the Catholic Church slowed innovation during the Middle Ages?
I often hear that the rate of innovation was very high during ancient times in Greece and the Roman empire. I've also heard that the rate of innovation was reduced once the Catholic Church gained strength. Is there any clear evidence to support (or…
David
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How far could an English war bow shoot?
The range of the medieval weapon is not accurately known, with estimates from 165 to 228 m (180 to 249 yds)
So says Wikipedia. I did read, however, in a semi-fictional, semi-historical work of Bernard Cornwell that bows could fire (and hit…
Bram Vanroy
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Did the Celts really go into battle naked?
Yes, this of-repeated tale was reported by the Romans all the time, but it sounds a lot like rumor. Stuff the victors write about their former enemies, "they were so stupid, they went into battle naked" etc. As historians, we need to look at…
user809695
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Aside from the Jews, did Hitler have a final solution plan for other ethnicities/races in the Third Reich?
We know that Nazi ideology explicitly singled out Jews as the main reason for all Germany's problems, and planned to exterminate all of them. Nazis also persecuted gypsies, Polish people, and POWs. Did the Nazis plan to exterminate other…
The Byzantine
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Between 1948 and 1967, were Arab people in the West Bank in favour of Jordanian rule or opposed to it?
In 1948, Jordan took over the West Bank.
From the Wikipedia article, I read that other Arab countries were strongly opposed to the Jordanian occupation. Jordan came close to being expelled from the Arab League over it. Presumably Israel was not…
Ne Mo
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How difficult was it to spoof the sender of a telegram in 1890-1920's in USA?
For my current genealogical research, I'm interested in how telegrams were sent inside the USA, in the 1890's through 1920's. I do not have copies of any actual telegrams that were sent or received; my question is just to understand what was…
H-32
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Why require every ploughman to make his own plough?
The answer to Why did it take so long for Europeans to adopt the moldboard plow? mentions that "Anglo-Saxon law required every ploughman to make his own plough" What was the reason for that?
Daniel Darabos
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What was the shortest time between a historical event occuring and a museum opening dedicated to said event?
As an example, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum opened 5 years after 9/11. The National World War I Museum opened 8 years after the end of World War I. Was there ever a museum that opened after an even shorter time period following a major historical…
JonathanReez
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What was the strategy to protect the British Museum during the World Wars?
Today I was surprised with the claim by the CNN, that the Rosetta Stone was:
on display in The British Museum since 1802 with only one two-year
break during World War I
I assumed at first that it was a typo, a confusion between WWI and WWII.…
Quora Feans
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Were there luxury restaurants in East Germany?
I was recently reading the excellent book Mac B, Kid Spy: Mac Saves the World by Mac Barnett.
It is set in 1989, and Mac crosses the Berlin Wall to infiltrate the Television Tower in East Berlin.
I was surprised that he came across a luxury…
Nick Matteo
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What time of day was the White House burned in August of 1814?
I am working on a project for the War of 1812 and for one of the illustrations I am drawing the White House as it is burning down. I am trying to make sure everything is historically accurate such as the time of day during its burning and specific…
Mintvbz
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What language did Brahe talk with Kepler?
What language did Tycho de Brahe use to talk with Johannes Kepler? Latin? They met in February 1600 and Brahe died in October 1601. Brahe was Danish, Kepler was German, i.e. a different nationality.
Jan
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