/u/ColbyStein's posts in /r/askhistorians

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What were the thoughts of the Japanese Emperor going into the war with the US? The US isn't China: was he optimistic or concerned about direct conflict with such a powerful nation?

20 upvotes

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In Western law, when did the concept of "manslaughter" as opposed to "murder" first appear and what was the original distinction?

20 upvotes

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What is the oldest text of which the original is extant?

19 upvotes

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Did any indigenous cultures around the world view the arrival of European settlers as fulfilling of doomsday prophecies in their native religion?

17 upvotes

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How involved was Spain in WW2, and why did they never escalate into full scale involvement?

16 upvotes

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u/Beltharean mentioned that some of the Saxon nobility disposed of by the Normans went on to become mercenaries, notably in the Byzantine Empire. At the risk of being too vague, can someone explain how this occurred and what impact it had?

15 upvotes

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My great granduncle was one of the "Rats Of Tobruk". Is there any way I can find out what he did while he was serving?

12 upvotes

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I did a quick google search and couldn't find an answer, but is it known who the last Australian convict was?

11 upvotes

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Was being Aryan in Nazi Germany more to do with the genotype or the phenotype? Would it matter if I was a blonde, blue eyed non-German race? Or if I was a brown haired, brown eyed, well tanned purebred German?

11 upvotes

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It seems like in ancient societies sex between adults and children wasn't as taboo or prohibited as it is today. What were the first societies that started putting laws on how old someone had to be to consent to sex, and what prompted this change?

8 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
What were the thoughts of the Japanese Emperor going into the war with the US? The US isn't China: was he optimistic or concerned about direct conflict with such a powerful nation?	20
In Western law, when did the concept of "manslaughter" as opposed to "murder" first appear and what was the original distinction?	20
What is the oldest text of which the original is extant?	19
Did any indigenous cultures around the world view the arrival of European settlers as fulfilling of doomsday prophecies in their native religion?	17
How involved was Spain in WW2, and why did they never escalate into full scale involvement?	16
u/Beltharean mentioned that some of the Saxon nobility disposed of by the Normans went on to become mercenaries, notably in the Byzantine Empire. At the risk of being too vague, can someone explain how this occurred and what impact it had?	15
My great granduncle was one of the "Rats Of Tobruk". Is there any way I can find out what he did while he was serving?	12
I did a quick google search and couldn't find an answer, but is it known who the last Australian convict was?	11
Was being Aryan in Nazi Germany more to do with the genotype or the phenotype? Would it matter if I was a blonde, blue eyed non-German race? Or if I was a brown haired, brown eyed, well tanned purebred German?	11
It seems like in ancient societies sex between adults and children wasn't as taboo or prohibited as it is today. What were the first societies that started putting laws on how old someone had to be to consent to sex, and what prompted this change?	8