askhistorians

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Of the twenty-five Einsatzgruppe commanders, a shocking fifteen of them had Ph.Ds. Why did the SS insist on having their Death Squads run by credentialed academics?	1854
A contemporary "protein shake" is just whey, a byproduct of cheesemaking, dissolved in water or milk. How old is the practice of drinking this for strength or fitness purposes? If I trained for the ancient Olympics would I be scooping protein powder into a ceramic shaker bottle?	1307
National participation in the holocaust varied, but Romania seems to be among the worst, frightening even SS officers, and Bulgaria among the best, inspiring SS officers to reject their orders — Why did these two nations alike in history, religion, and position have such antithetical responses?	702
The number of victims killed in the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 ranges from three dozen to three hundred. What evidence exists to suggest one number vs the other, especially given dig-teams are presently looking for mass graves which assume the larger count?	536
Virtually all household lamb consumption in the United States happens in immigrant communities - how did Lamb, a cheap and versatile meat common in other cultures - become effectively absent from American diet?	507
If a monk walked into a respectable monastery of the High Middle Ages, carrying books in Arabic, Farsi, or even just Classical Hebrew, could he expect to meet anyone capable of translating them? If he brought the Sanskrit or Chinese classics, would anyone recognize the language?	474
Dante places Ali in Hell with heretics who split the Christian Church, presumably, and strangely, for his central role in Islam's own Sunni-Shia split. How did Medieval Christians conceive of Islam's internal schisms and the distinct Shia tradition?	391
The Druze religion accepted new members and actively evangelized between its founding in 1017 and the "Closing of the Divine Call" in 1043, when it ended new membership and became an exclusively hereditary faith. What social classes, people, and communities in the Fatimid Caliphate became Druze?	299
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V held a "Triumph" after the fashion of the classical romans to celebrate his victory over the Ottomans. What did 16th century Europeans think constituted a Triumph ceremony? What did this even look like, and how did it compare to the Triumphs of a thousand years prior?	282
THE LAST DUEL claims charges of rape in 14th century France were a species of property crime made against the husband or father of the woman. What was the legal nature of sexual assault in the high middle ages? NSFW	215

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