/r/AskHistorians

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How did the word "Byzantine" become a synonym for something overly complex and inefficient?

136 upvotes • ALABAMA_LEPRECHAUN_

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How did Mandarin Chinese come to use the question mark (?) and what was used before to differentiate written questions from statements?

136 upvotes • Derpese_Simplex

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What is the origin of bullfighting in Spain?

136 upvotes • maxitobonito

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I am a man in France between 1670 and 1705, and I am making ends meet by traveling to different towns and singing in pubs and armories. What songs do my audiences request the most?

136 upvotes • Anyhoodle

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Did handlebar moustaches precede the invention of bicycles and if so what kinda of handlebars are they referring to?

136 upvotes • Lucas_Steinwalker

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Why does France not have a 'Commonwealth' relationship to its past colonies?

136 upvotes • Crandom-rap

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I've heard that during the Roman incursions into Germania, Germans would sometimes light themselves on fire and throw themselves into Roman formations so they'd break line. Is there any truth to this?

136 upvotes • SamuraiRake

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Prior to early modernity, were the Romans unique in being able to turn lads from common backgrounds (as opposed to self-equipped rich guys) into professional infantrymen?

136 upvotes • Chernograd

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In The Northern Wars, Frost says that the invasion of Poland in 1655 was "an opportunity for Sweden to [...] escape from the domestic problems which had followed the end of the Thirty Years War". What exactly is he referring to?

136 upvotes • Bromao

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How quickly did Nazi sympathies in Germany "die out" after WW2? Just because they lost the war doesn't mean they admitted being wrong, did it?

136 upvotes • blablaorka

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
How did the word "Byzantine" become a synonym for something overly complex and inefficient?	136	ALABAMA_LEPRECHAUN_
How did Mandarin Chinese come to use the question mark (?) and what was used before to differentiate written questions from statements?	136	Derpese_Simplex
What is the origin of bullfighting in Spain?	136	maxitobonito
I am a man in France between 1670 and 1705, and I am making ends meet by traveling to different towns and singing in pubs and armories. What songs do my audiences request the most?	136	Anyhoodle
Did handlebar moustaches precede the invention of bicycles and if so what kinda of handlebars are they referring to?	136	Lucas_Steinwalker
Why does France not have a 'Commonwealth' relationship to its past colonies?	136	Crandom-rap
I've heard that during the Roman incursions into Germania, Germans would sometimes light themselves on fire and throw themselves into Roman formations so they'd break line. Is there any truth to this?	136	SamuraiRake
Prior to early modernity, were the Romans unique in being able to turn lads from common backgrounds (as opposed to self-equipped rich guys) into professional infantrymen?	136	Chernograd
In The Northern Wars, Frost says that the invasion of Poland in 1655 was "an opportunity for Sweden to [...] escape from the domestic problems which had followed the end of the Thirty Years War". What exactly is he referring to?	136	Bromao
How quickly did Nazi sympathies in Germany "die out" after WW2? Just because they lost the war doesn't mean they admitted being wrong, did it?	136	blablaorka