/u/ChubbyHistorian's posts
Reading Froissart, I’m struck by the importance of city leaders (The Calais’ Burghers, The Prevost of Paris). What are good books on urban politics of the 14th century, especially navigating their relationship with both the central government and The Mob?
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I’m a mid-level bureaucrat in the second Cleveland administration. I want to give 15 regional offices a 25 page report on some matter. Does my clerk have to type the document 15 times? 20 years before, did they have to handwrite it 15 times?
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The 6th century historian Gregory of Tours establishes the veracity of the Christ story with by referencing letters written by Pontius Pilate to the Roman Senate, presumably taken from "Gesta Pilati". How and when did these "Acts of Pilate" fall out of the Christian Canon?
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Tim Jeal’s biography of Henry Morton Stanley is cited a great deal on Wikipedia. How accurate is his relatively rosy portrait of this often reviled explorer?
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"German historiography developed an explicit interest in hermeneutics, emphasizing the role of understanding–after the historical projects of philological studies generally and scriptural interpretations of Biblical texts" What does this mean?
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In his 2023 history of Central Europe, Martyn Rady implies that Catholicism (as opposed to Eastern Orthodoxy) more naturally lent itself to allowing competing institutions to the state (parliaments, universities, etc.). Is this a widely held view among historians?
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According to Philipp Blom's "Vertigo Years: Europe, 1900 - 1914", women would pay $300 to touch bodybuilder Eugen Sandow's "steely muscles" backstage. (p. 180) Given that per capita US GDP was ~$5000 in current money (maybe ~$150 in 1900 USD?), were these women only getting a "touch" for this money?
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On February 6th 1934, a mob tried to storm the French capitol and force the installation of a far-right or fascist government. The putsch failed (with 15 deaths). I would expect this to have weakened and alienated the Right, but instead a right-wing Prime Minister was appointed. Why?
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Commodore Perry's flag was proudly displayed by the US during the ceremony of Japan's surrender in 1945. What was the trajectory of Perry's reputation during the 20th century? Was there at any point discussion among American elites or public that what Perry did was morally or politically a mistake?
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