/u/Elphinstone1842's posts in /r/askhistorians

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How did Stalin personally react to Hitler's 1941 invasion and launching of Operation Barbarossa? I've read he had a mental breakdown and disappeared for several days. Is this true?

15 upvotes

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How were opposing trenches in WWI built so close together?

14 upvotes

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What is the origin of Ashkenazi Jews? Do they really have origins in Khazaria in the 8th century?

14 upvotes

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Did Alexander the Great ever set foot in Greece again after crossing the Hellespont in 334 BC or was that definitely the very last time?

13 upvotes

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Why did the military shako become so popular in the first half of the 19th century when it seems much less comfortable and practical than both the tricorne that preceded it and kepi/pith helmet, etc., that came after?

13 upvotes

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The "common knowledge" explanation of what caused Viking invasions is that they were seasonal farmers who got bored during long Scandinavian winters, but that doesn't seem like it makes sense given the massive scale and colonizing goal. Why were they so aggressive and desperate for new territory?

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To what extent was slave labor used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica? Who did the backbreaking labor to build the Aztec pyramids?

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I've read that it was only in the 16th century during the Counter-Reformation that the modern form of private Catholic confessional was introduced, whereas before confession and penance had been a public act. Is this true and if so what caused it?

12 upvotes

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How and when did certain works of art become so famous? Was the Mona Lisa for example always valued so much more than the thousands of other Renaissance female portraits?

10 upvotes

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Why is Francis Tumblety not universally acknowledged as the prime Jack the Ripper suspect?

9 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
How did Stalin personally react to Hitler's 1941 invasion and launching of Operation Barbarossa? I've read he had a mental breakdown and disappeared for several days. Is this true?	15
How were opposing trenches in WWI built so close together?	14
What is the origin of Ashkenazi Jews? Do they really have origins in Khazaria in the 8th century?	14
Did Alexander the Great ever set foot in Greece again after crossing the Hellespont in 334 BC or was that definitely the very last time?	13
Why did the military shako become so popular in the first half of the 19th century when it seems much less comfortable and practical than both the tricorne that preceded it and kepi/pith helmet, etc., that came after?	13
The "common knowledge" explanation of what caused Viking invasions is that they were seasonal farmers who got bored during long Scandinavian winters, but that doesn't seem like it makes sense given the massive scale and colonizing goal. Why were they so aggressive and desperate for new territory?	13
To what extent was slave labor used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica? Who did the backbreaking labor to build the Aztec pyramids?	13
I've read that it was only in the 16th century during the Counter-Reformation that the modern form of private Catholic confessional was introduced, whereas before confession and penance had been a public act. Is this true and if so what caused it?	12
How and when did certain works of art become so famous? Was the Mona Lisa for example always valued so much more than the thousands of other Renaissance female portraits?	10
Why is Francis Tumblety not universally acknowledged as the prime Jack the Ripper suspect?	9