AskHistorians

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One popular narrative says that the US “lost” the Vietnam War, while another claims that the war was “won militarily but lost politically”. How much truth do either of these positions represent?	4
During the 1919-1920 Red Scare, how much did US leaders actually understand about Marxism? Was their hostility based more on knowledge of Marxist theory or simply its revolutionary & “foreign” nature?	4
How well does the real-life Stonewall Jackson measure up against the mythologized Stonewall Jackson? Was he really that superb of a battlefield commander?	4
The WW2 U-boat memoir “Steel Boat, Iron Hearts” extensively describes alleged sabotage of U-boats by French saboteurs. Was this the case, or was it paranoia on the Germans’ part?	4
Why was Frederick the Great so strongly prejudiced against the Poles?	4
The oil tanker RP Resor was torpedoed off NJ in 1942 when U-578 tricked it into thinking the sub was a fishing boat (this made the Resor turn, offering U-578 a perfect shot). Was this ruse a common tactic of U-boat commanders in either World War, or did the U-boat captain make it up on the spot?	4
What were European military leaders’ tactical & strategic opinions of the American Civil War? Did anything surprise them? Were any lessons drawn from it? What were the assessments of the armies’ performances?	3
There are two highly contrasting claims of Che Guevara’s last words: “shoot, you’ll only kill a man!” vs. “don’t shoot, I’m worth more to you alive than dead!” Which of these accounts has more credibility?	3
What about Prussia lead to it becoming synonymous with military prowess? Was it due to any cultural or political factors unique to Prussia?	3
If Nazis held many European “races” in modest or high regard, why did Nazi racial theory entail such disdain for the Slavic peoples?	3

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