AskHistorians

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I know many died of infection after an amputation in the Civil War, but given the lack of knowledge of bacteria, how did ANYONE live after an amputation? It seems infection would be a near certainty. Also, after having say a leg amputated, how did they get back home from the battlefield?	1718
During the battle of Midway, after Japan lost all of the aircraft carriers they brought to the battle, what happened to the Japanese planes that were in the air? Did they just all ditch in the ocean? If so, were any rescued?	1280
Did any kamikaze pilots return to base without crashing their planes into American forces? If so, what happened to them?	295
Was Hitler angry that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor? I know Germany had its hands full at the time, and I would think they would have preferred the US not directly enter the war. So what was Hitler's reaction to Japan's attack?	144
I assume not every German and Japanese citizen was in favor of trying to take over the world during WWII. What was the punishment in Germany and Japan for refusing to fight and/or support the war effort if they were drafted to do so?	47
To what extent was Hitler able to keep the true brutality of his concentration camps secret from the Allies, and the German people?	32
Is there a reason that the majority of Communist governments (in particular I'm thinking around WWII era) were concentrated on the continent of Asia? Was there something about that geological location that made Communism flourish there more so than other portions of the world?	23
Back when coins were minted with silver and gold and the value of a coin was based on the amount of precious metals was in the coin, how did they deal with the fluctuations in the metals price?	23
What did the "average" African American do after the Civil War ended for housing and work?	19
When did kissing become popular. From a biological standpoint, it serves no purpose (like sex does), so I wouldn't figure it was popular with the first humans. Was it a cultural invention, and if so, from what culture?	18

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