AskHistorians

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It is claimed that the Katana was developed in response to the Mongol invasion of Japan, as the then-standard sword type would often get stuck and snap against the leather armour of the Mongols. Is this the case?	2500
2021 saw an unexpected wave of sea shanty revivalism, but how popular were songs like 'Wellerman', 'Old Maui', and other sea songs and shanties in practice among Whaling and other vessels?	2069
Science fiction authors have often taken locations that were poorly understood at the time and used these for their stories (H.G Wells with Mars for example). Before explorers had charted the Arctic and Antarctic, was there ever a time of such fantasies set in the (then) unknown polar regions?	1627
In the UK, 1931, the Conservative party achieved an absolute majority with 55% of the popular vote and 470 seats. Why did they not form a government of their own, but instead form a national government with the Liberal parties and with National Labour's Ramsay Macdonald as Prime Minister?	1196
A recent poll claimed that one in five young Americans believe the Holocaust is a myth. How has holocaust denial grown to such an extent given the abundance of evidence and documentation?	964
Barely three months after VE day, massive pogroms against Jews erupted across Poland. Why? And to what extent is this recognised today?	807
This week Jews around the world commemorate the Maccabean revolt in the celebration of Hanukkah. But what actually happened? Was Antiochus IV as tyrannical as portrayed? How was it that the Judeans under the Macabees were able to defeat the Seleucid Empire?	417
At first glance there are many similarities between Byzantine Basilica (Like the Hagia Sophia) and many mosques in their structure. To what extent did Byzantine architecture influence later architecture in Islamic Arabia, Persia, and beyond?	217
Why was the Holy Roman Empire not re-established during the Congress of Vienna?	127
The Seljuk Empire stretched from the Bosporus to (according to some maps) the westernmost part of China. Yet almost all discussion about them revolves around their role in Byzantine history. Why is this the case? Is much known of their history prior to and after Manzikert?	113

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