askhistorians

Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Why did Switzerland, a landlocked country which never held any colonies let alone one where coco beans grow, become so famous for chocolate?	3154
Why did the French 4th Republic Collapse? Wikipedia says that there was a threat of a military coup in Paris that was averted when De Gaulle was invited to form a government. Is this broadly correct? How did a Western (super?)power basically have to surrender to a coup d'etat as late as the 1950s?	2051
Lee Harvey Oswald tried to kill Edwin Walker before he killed JFK. How significant of a political figure was Edwin Walker? I'm familiar with what he did from wikipedia but would the average American have known about him? Would his death have been big news?	372
The Gulf War is known for having been incredibly one-sided and quick. But did the coalition actually expect to win so easily? Why did they overestimate the capacity of the Iraqi military?	271
I have read as an aside that the Aztecs and the Inca, previously unfamiliar with horses, did fairly quickly find ways to counter the Spanish use of them. Is this correct? And if so, what tactics or technology did they use?	182
7 different coalitions fought France in the Napoleonic Wars. In modern warfare, is the idea of various coalitions forming to fight the same adversary again and again unique to the Napoleonic Wars?	122
From what I've read, Peru and Brazil among others supported Argentina materially in the Falklands War. How did this affect UK relations with these countries in the years immediately afterwards? Same question regarding Argentinean relations with Chile and other countries who supported the UK.	86
From what I've read, Peru and Brazil among others supported Argentina materially in the Falklands War. How did this affect UK relations with these countries in the years immediately afterwards? Same question regarding Argentinean relations with Chile and other countries who supported the UK.	77
The USA withdrew from Vietnam and the Paris peace accords were signed in 1973. North Vietnam then invaded, and conquered South Vietnam in 1975. So did the North actually sign the Peace Accords in good faith?	67
Did Communism work in Mongolia during the period of Communist Government? I would have thought that Mongolia had a very nomadic and self-reliant culture (although I'm open to correction on that) which would not be suited to USSR-style governing	53

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