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1500 questions
22
votes
3 answers
Why was the shape of German states pre-WWII (especially Prussia) so complicated?
The shapes of the Länder territories in Germany were very complicated. There was hundreds exclaves and enclaves all over the place to the point it became ridiculous.
Notably the shape of Prussia, which covered most of the territories of northern…
Bregalad
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22
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4 answers
Why does Japan celebrate the Gregorian New Year but China still celebrates Chinese New Year?
Before the Meiji Restoration, Japan used the Chinese calendar and celebrated Chinese New Year just as China did.
Nowadays, both Japan and China have adopted the Western calendar. However, Japan celebrates Western New Year while China still…
user11531
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22
votes
5 answers
Why is the capital of Turkey Ankara rather than Istanbul?
Turkey's predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire, had its capital in Istanbul. Are there any reasons for the capital's move when it became Turkey?
Anixx
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22
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Why did Canada, Australia and New Zealand separate from the UK?
I asked this question in various places on the Web. I haven't received a clear answer.
The USA separated from the UK because the people felt that they were not British, and they weren't.
Weren't Canadians/Australians/New Zealanders also descended…
user806
22
votes
3 answers
Why would Jesus' parents travel to their birthplace for a Roman census?
The Gospel According to Luke says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem because his parents had to travel to their place of origin for a census:
1 Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the
world should be enrolled. 2 This…
user2848
22
votes
1 answer
What was the relatively most populous city in history?
Which city did, at a given time, have the largest percentage of humanity living in it?
I think that it's probably Imperial Rome, which is said to have reached a million inhabitants, at a time when the world's population must have been less than…
Michael Borgwardt
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22
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4 answers
Is there any evidence to support the claim that the US Strategic Defense Initiative played any significant role in undermining the USSR?
I have been reading Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson, and one of the things that stuck me was a quote by Soviet hydrogen bomb creator Andrei Sakharov who was released from political imprisonment by Premier Gorbachev in large part to analyse the…
BrotherJack
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22
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2 answers
When was slavery abolished in Russia?
It is usually agreed that the Russian serfdom which was abolished in the mid-19th century originated in the 16th century as a form of martial law needed for armed campaigns and was especially strengthened by Peter the Great in the 17th-18th…
Anixx
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3 answers
To what extent was prohibition supported by the American public?
I read an answer here that said the prohibition was imposed on cities against their will.
A bit of research on Google seem to say that it was pushed through because people didn't realize even wine and beer would be banned. All in all it seems that…
user5001
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22
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5 answers
Rape perpetrated by American soldiers during WWII?
A while back, I had a disturbing encounter with someone related to a Jewish survivor from the Auschwitz death camp. This survivor apparently claims that not only Red Army soldiers, but also G.I.'s perpetrated rape during World War II. While rape…
Erwan Legrand
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22
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3 answers
Why was Newton's observation of the falling apple significant?
As described in this article at Wikipedia, in 1666, Newton was in a garden when he noticed an apple falling. Surely, Newton could not have been the first person to notice that things fell when dropped. I'm sure many gardeners saw that happen and I…
Village
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Why did the island of Bali remain Hindu when most of the rest of Indonesia converted to Islam?
The Wiki page on the spread of Islam in Indonesia stresses that our knowledge of this macro-historical process is fragmentary, for instance often we don’t how the religion diffused out into the general populace after a ruler converted. Bali seems…
neubau
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22
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2 answers
Was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914 captured on film?
I have a memory of reading about how Franz Ferdinand's assassination in 1914 was captured on film and watching it, but for the life of me I cannot find this and am beginning to think I fabricated it.
You can find video of the archduke's arrival on…
George Mandis
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22
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6 answers
What was the most recent country to be conquered and disappear?
In the Old Days, one country would conquer another and add it to its empire. What was the most recent country to be conquered and cease to exist as a country?
Clint Eastwood
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What is the primary source for this quote by Julius Caesar's on Celts and Germans?
I encountered an interesting quote on the English Wikipedia page for Germania some time ago, which seems to have persisted, albeit without citation. I was hoping someone could find a reliable source (ideally the primary source, which is probably…
Noldorin
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