/u/AlisterSinclair2002's posts in /r/AskHistorians

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As I understand it, sword duels between gentlemen were rarely to the death, but rather ended at first blood. Why then did English duellers switch to using pistols when this could more easily kill them or their opponent?

963 upvotes

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How 'important' was the eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum in contemporary Rome? How much would Emperor Titus have known about it and how involved would he have been in the aftermath? Additionally, what would the 'average' citizen of Rome known about it (if at all)?

543 upvotes

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Has there ever been a successful treasure hunt?

144 upvotes

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Why was Western Sahara colonised by Spain and what did they use it for?

130 upvotes

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Where did the cultural image of the 'flying saucer' originate from, and why has it been so pervasive in remaining one of the 'standard' ways of imagining alien space craft?

104 upvotes

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How significant were the differences between the two Germanies at the point of reunification in 1991? What were the biggest issues that needed to be overcome during reunification?

34 upvotes

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For quite a while I've had the idea that the diets of medieval peasants were essentially constricted to bread and ale. How accurate is that?

16 upvotes

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How did medieval countries with exclaves/enclaves maintain control over their separated parts?

10 upvotes

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Contemporarily, was the Holy Roman Empire genuinely considered to be the successor to the Roman Empire, or was the name just used for prestige?

8 upvotes

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Why did Britain and France not attempt to colonise the Americas until over 100 years after they were discovered?

7 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
As I understand it, sword duels between gentlemen were rarely to the death, but rather ended at first blood. Why then did English duellers switch to using pistols when this could more easily kill them or their opponent?	963
How 'important' was the eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum in contemporary Rome? How much would Emperor Titus have known about it and how involved would he have been in the aftermath? Additionally, what would the 'average' citizen of Rome known about it (if at all)?	543
Has there ever been a successful treasure hunt?	144
Why was Western Sahara colonised by Spain and what did they use it for?	130
Where did the cultural image of the 'flying saucer' originate from, and why has it been so pervasive in remaining one of the 'standard' ways of imagining alien space craft?	104
How significant were the differences between the two Germanies at the point of reunification in 1991? What were the biggest issues that needed to be overcome during reunification?	34
For quite a while I've had the idea that the diets of medieval peasants were essentially constricted to bread and ale. How accurate is that?	16
How did medieval countries with exclaves/enclaves maintain control over their separated parts?	10
Contemporarily, was the Holy Roman Empire genuinely considered to be the successor to the Roman Empire, or was the name just used for prestige?	8
Why did Britain and France not attempt to colonise the Americas until over 100 years after they were discovered?	7