AskHistorians

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A Song of Ice and Fire depicts medieval warfare as devastating the countryside, crop harvests, and peasant population with widespread abuses of non-combatants. Is this accurate of what warfare was really like during the War of Roses time period?	299
Why was the British colonisation of Australia uncontested by other European powers?	91
"I think, Watson, that I shall resume that course of tobacco-poisoning that you have so often and condemned." This is a phrase from a Sherlock Holmes story. Was knowledge of the risks of tobacco widespread in the medical community at that time?	71
Why did Hill Forts like those found in Britain fall out of fashion? It seems castles would be considerably more difficult to build	28
In his WWI series, Dan Carlin claims that Germany saw Russia as on the fasttrack to superpower status, which may have been a driving factor for the war. What were Imperial Germany's plans for a defeated Russia, and is it accurate to say that Tsarist Russia was approaching superpower status?	22
I've heard that the Mongols' experience of routing an enemy army came from Genghis leading his army in gigantic hunts through the Eurasian steppe. What do we know about these hunts? How big of an impact would they have had on ecology?	16
Why did the Tiananmen Square massacre not prompt further rebellion or international intervention?	14
Around 75% of Australians live in Suburbs. What caused the spread and domination of suburban life in Australia? And why was it so much more successful than in other countries?	14
Did the Third Reich have any specific plans for Ireland?	12
Why did Ireland never become a European power?	9

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