AskHistorians

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What factors (I’m guessing environmental or economic) led to Asia developing religious movements (Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, etc.) that emphasized the cyclical nature of existence instead of creating narratives about human history building towards an end times reckoning, as in the Abrahamic faiths?	2247
When Vietnam invaded Cambodia and overthrew Pol Pot, where they aware of the level of atrocities he was carrying out and did they have any humanitarian motivations?	236
The abolitionist John Brown was famously motivated by his Christian convictions and believed slavery was a sin. But I can’t find any information on the specifics of his denomination or theology. Surely he wasn’t Catholic, but then what was he? Baptist? Methodist?	19
How much did Malcolm X know about the tenets and practice of mainstream Islam, having only converted late in life?	19
What is a good introductory text to learn about the day-to-day functions of the Soviet economy that isn’t from the perspective of a Marxist or a zealous anti-communist?	16
How seriously should historians take books like “The Private Life of Chairman Mao” or the book by Fidel Castro’s bodyguard claiming he trafficked drugs when there’s no way to refute them by reference to historical archives because they’re still hidden by the governments they controlled?	12
Have any serious historians ever reviewed or responded to Grover Furr’s series of Stalinist apologetics books?	7
How did Mexico benefit from its refusal to sever diplomatic relations with Cuba after the Castro came to power? Did Castro provide aid or support to Mexican leftist insurgent or terrorist groups like he did in other Latin American nations?	2
In communist theory, the idea is sometimes pushed that a revolution must be modeled on “the October road.” But most communist states seem to have emerged from post-WW2 negotiations or from very un-Bolshevik guerrilla warfare. Did any later red revolution really succeed modeling itself on October?	1

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