AskHistorians

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The popular belief that WW1 was an example of tactics failing to catch up with weapons technology has been heavily criticized & arguably debunked. What, then, caused such a prolonged stalemate on the Western Front?	13
Both Pakistan & India have long been criticized for gender-based inequalities and injustices. How did both of these countries end up with female heads of state?	13
What geographic, historical, or cultural factors led Prussia develop such impressive military prowess?	13
Marriage between cousins was not uncommon in the US and UK up till the WW2 era. When and how did cousin marriage become taboo in Western societies?	12
Most Americans too young to remember Vietnam think of servicemen being routinely spat upon and openly disrespected. How accurate is this conception of the American public’s perception of the Armed Forces in the late 60’s/early 70’s?	12
Why were German Jews during WW1 officially barred from the officer ranks in the regular army but not the reserve component? What other de jure restrictions did Jews face in the Kaiser-era German armed forces?	12
The First Crusade brought Europe's nobility into close and extended contact with non-Europeans, Muslim & Christian alike. What concept of "race", if any, would have been held by Western European nobility of the 11th-century?	12
Both Allied & Axis armies in WW2 utilized “tank destroyers” to complement their tank forces. What was the role of tank destroyers as compared to tanks? How did the Main Battle Tank concept make TDs obsolete after WW2?	11
Of the ships torpedoed by U-boats during WW2, a strangely high proportion were Norwegian. Why were such a large proportion of merchant vessels Norwegian?	11
Why weren’t militaries in the years between WW1 & WW2 more eager to field semi-automatic rifles? Considering the advantage over bolt-action weapons it’s hard to see why more nations weren’t rushing to widely equip their troops with them.	11

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