/u/ShapeSword's posts in /r/AskHistorians

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Many Latin American nations once had extensive train networks which no longer exist. Why did they disappear throughout the region while other countries kept their railways?

135 upvotes

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In the novel "Please Look After Mom" there are references to North Korean soldiers hiding in the mountains of the south long after the end of the Korean War, raiding and pillaging. Is this accurate?

37 upvotes

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In 1998, Costa Rica was denied entry to the Non Aligned Movement. Why? What were the criteria for membership?

12 upvotes

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In his song "The Hurricane", Bob Dylan says Rubin Carter was in South America "Fighting for his name." What is this a reference to? Was he fighting in a South American country before his arrest?

11 upvotes

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Outside of civil wars, do we know of any pre modern or early modern societies which had homicide levels similar to the most violent nations today?

4 upvotes

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To what extent was the opium trade responsible for instability in Warlord era China?

2 upvotes

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I've often seen claims that an Uruguayan ship, in battle against either the Argentines or the Brazilians, ran out of cannonballs and used hard cheese to fire upon the enemy ship. Is there any truth to this, or is it just a myth?

2 upvotes

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No American ground troops have been killed by enemy aircraft since April 1953. This is often cited as evidence of US air superiority, but what are the relevant dates for other nations' militaries, especially the USSR?

2 upvotes

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Historically, what societies or periods have been the most impacted by crime?

1 upvotes

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What have been the highest murder rates of all time?

0 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Many Latin American nations once had extensive train networks which no longer exist. Why did they disappear throughout the region while other countries kept their railways?	135
In the novel "Please Look After Mom" there are references to North Korean soldiers hiding in the mountains of the south long after the end of the Korean War, raiding and pillaging. Is this accurate?	37
In 1998, Costa Rica was denied entry to the Non Aligned Movement. Why? What were the criteria for membership?	12
In his song "The Hurricane", Bob Dylan says Rubin Carter was in South America "Fighting for his name." What is this a reference to? Was he fighting in a South American country before his arrest?	11
Outside of civil wars, do we know of any pre modern or early modern societies which had homicide levels similar to the most violent nations today?	4
To what extent was the opium trade responsible for instability in Warlord era China?	2
I've often seen claims that an Uruguayan ship, in battle against either the Argentines or the Brazilians, ran out of cannonballs and used hard cheese to fire upon the enemy ship. Is there any truth to this, or is it just a myth?	2
No American ground troops have been killed by enemy aircraft since April 1953. This is often cited as evidence of US air superiority, but what are the relevant dates for other nations' militaries, especially the USSR?	2
Historically, what societies or periods have been the most impacted by crime?	1
What have been the highest murder rates of all time?	0