askhistorians

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Haile Selassie was an incredibly controversial figure, seen by some as a cruel tyrant and by others as a national hero. How do today’s historians evaluate his reign?	168
In the early 20th century, the city of Harbin, China was famous for its large Russian community. Today, Harbin is around 0.01% Russian. What happened to Harbin’s Russian community?	79
How was the Armenian genocide remembered and commemorated in Soviet Armenia?	64
The Qarmatians were an Islamic sect from eastern Arabia who sacked Mecca in the 10th century. Why did they do this?	56
Between 1912 and 1950, Tibet, despite being claimed by China, was a de facto independent state. However, it lacked international recognition. During this period, did the Tibetan government ever seek international recognition and how did other countries interact with Tibet?	55
The attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981 sparked several theories as to who was really behind it. Some suggested that it was ordered by the KGB or Bulgaria. Is any of that true or are these just conspiracy theories?	41
Why was KFC the first western fast food restaurant to open in China?	35
South Korea was led by authoritarian governments for decades after the Korean War but eventually transitioned to democracy. North Korea obviously didn’t become democratic. Why did South Korea become democratic and North Korea remain a dictatorship?	31
The Philippine–American War ended in 1902, and yet the Muslim Moro people in the south of the Philippines continued to fight the United States until 1913. Why did the war with the Moros continue so long after the rest of the war had ended?	22
Why was the Khmer Rouge so violent and oppressive?	22

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