askhistorians

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In 53 BC, the Roman legions at Carrhae were decisively defeated by the Persians, who used a combination of heavy cavalry and light horse archers. But in the 2nd Century, the Romans twice sacked the Person capital at Ctesiphon. How did the tactics of the two empires change between those centuries?	415
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Agreement, where expatriate Czechs and Slovaks agreed to form an united, independent nation after WWI. 75 years later, Czechoslovakia broke up into two. Why did the sense of unity end?	350
A asked this question a few weeks ago, but with no response. The wife of the first President of South Korea Syngman Rhee was Franziska Donner, an Austrian woman. How did Korean society react to having a white person as their First Lady?	340
During the Age of Sail, the stern of a typical ship of the line were often fitted with large glass windows. This seems like a luxury for a war vessel and was a weak point during battle. Did the windows serve a practical purposes?	281
The Leaning Tower of Pisa took 199 years to construct, but it began leaning during construction to the point that the building was built slightly curved to compensate for the tilt. Why did construction continue on a clearly defective building?	261
ISIS captured the ancient city of Palmyra today. Given that ISIS has a propensity towards destroying ancient sites, what might be lost? What is the historical significance of the site?	226
Several nations faced severe gender imbalance in the aftermath of WWI and WWII. How did the increased rates of unmarried women affect gender roles and culture in those countries?	220
Fossils of the Archaeopteryx with clearly preserved feather imprints were discovered in the 1870s. Why did it take for so long to be accepted that other dinosaurs were also feathered?	147
Many American universities use "blue books" for students to write in their exam answers. Why did the practice become so ubiquitous?	113
William Pitt the Younger became Prime Minister of Great Britain at age 24. How did he attain so much power at a young age and what did his peers think of it?	86

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