AskHistorians

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Given that we have a comparatively good written record of Islamic history, why is it impossible to definitively settle the question of Ali's inheritance as leader from Mohammad? Many other (and less important) exchanges are recorded with accuracy, why did this matter prove to be inconclusive?	7
Is there a reason that the apple was chosen to represent the Garden of Eden's 'forbidden fruit' beyond random selection, and when did this tradition begin? Did apples have some pre-existing nefarious connotations in Early Christian populations?	7
Would you consider the Concordat of Worms (1122) to be important in the subsequent creation of the Treaty of Westphalia (1648), or is that too much of an intellectual stretch?	6
In WW2 Germans flooded drained plains in Italy, introduced mosquitos with malaria and took all the medicine with them. 10,000s were infected. Did poeple consider this a biological warfare act?	6
Why did many Soviet public buildings use the title 'palace', when that would more normally be associated with their despised royalty? Was there a conscious attempt to usurp that supposed grandeur for 'the people' and public works?	6
Are the terms 'Franciscan' and 'Minorite' synonymous, or do they refer to different groups of people?	6
Was 1992 the first time we had declared 'The End of History', or was Fukuyama's claim of an end-point to societal evolution just one of many throughout time?	5
Why did Charles de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria trigger such a crisis in France, including attempted assassinations and coups, when the 1962 French referendum had shown that 90+% of people supported the policy?	5
What were the important events, addresses and impacts of Pope John Paul I's brief 33-day papacy?	5
Why did the Soviet Union install an independent North Korea, rather than having it join the USSR or annexing the area entirely?	5

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