askhistorians

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During WW2 there was an 'Indian Legion' fighting alongside the Germans. How were they recruited, how much action did they see, and what ultimately became of them?	72
AskHistorians Podcast Episode 166 - Vikings and Popular Culture	71
Was Argentina already planning to invade the Falklands before the downsizing of the Royal Navy, or did the plans only get formulated once it appeared like Britain would offer no resistance?	71
It's often said that the vast majority of German transport in WW2 was horse-drawn, but what about the other major players? Who or what was moving supplies for China, the USSR, Britain, Japan or the USA	70
The split of the Netherlands from Spain in 1568 was followed by eighty years of conflict across the world, yet the war that followed Portugal's secession in 1640 seems to have been limited to the Iberian Peninsula. Was there actually significant fighting overseas? If not, why not?	69
Wikipedia claims that the Mughal ruler Akbar assembled some 400,000 troops for the Battle of Tukaroi. What were the logistics like for the Mughals at this time, that this army – or one large enough to be exaggerated to 400,000 – could be maintained in the field?	69
There are apparently a number of seemingly absurd tactical formations described in ancient Indian texts. Was there a particular style of warfare that resulted in their existence, or were these largely the products of myth?	68
'Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr Epstein.' So said Dick Rowe of Decca Records when he rejected the Beatles in 1962. We now know he was wrong, but would this have been a reasonable prediction in 1962? What sorts of 'guitar groups' were around, and were they facing a decline in popularity?	68
How did the idea of the 'Nine Worthies' (Hector, Alexander, Caesar; Joshua, David, Judas Maccabeus; Arthur, Charlemagne, Godfrey of Bouillon) as exemplars of chivalric virtue come to be canonised? How widespread was recognition? Did different places have different versions of the nine?	67
According to books I read as a child, the 1857 Rebellion in India was sparked by the use of pig and cow fat in the grease for rifle cartridges, offending Muslim and Hindu troops, respectively. Were these greases used? Did they cause controversy? And how significant was it in kicking things off?	64

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