AskHistorians

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Adolf Hitler completed his WW1 service with the rank of "Gefreiter" and is frequently described as having been a "Corporal". How does the rank of Gefreiter compare to a Corporal in the modern US Army or Marine Corps? Was he a true NCO, or more akin to a Lance Corporal (USMC) or Specialist (US Army)?	31
The existence of safe sex messaging targeted at American servicemen during WW2 seems to imply that casual sex was not uncommon in the 1940’s. How common was it for an American GI to “get laid” while stateside during WW2?	30
How surprised was Hitler that Churchill rejected a negotiated settlement in 1940? By the time of Dunkirk, to what extent did Hitler actually believe his own prior claim that Britain, if sufficiently bloodied, would agree to a peace treaty favorable to the Nazis?	29
What economic & social conditions in medieval Scandinavia produced a noteworthy tradition of raiding/exploring/voyaging/et al (aka the “Vikings”), and what changes to these conditions made this phenomenon decline?	28
The enormous Soviet offensive against Japan in 1945 is often overlooked when discussing the end of the Pacific War, but did the Soviets possesses the capability for an amphibious invasion of mainland Japan?	28
The memoir of a Japanese fighter ace (“Samurai!”) describes fighting China’s air force in the late 1930’s. The author states that these planes were flown by foreign volunteers. Is this true? If so, who were these pilots, and how were they recruited?	27
Regarding Project 100,000 (“McNamara’s Morons”) during the Vietnam War, how aware were the participants of their involvement in this policy? Did they know “usually I’d be considered too dumb to serve but now they’re giving guys like me a shot”?	27
How true is the claim that WW1’s carnage was partly the result of tactics having failed to catch up with modern weapons technology?	25
If the Wehrmacht was only about 20% mechanized and relied primarily on horses for transportation, then why are horses rarely seen in photos of the Wehrmacht in combat?	24
When did insect repellent first become widely available? Were people prior to insect repellent just getting eaten alive by mosquitos non-stop?	23

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