AskHistorians

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While listening to the "Destroyer of Worlds" podcast, Dan Carlin mentions that Nikita Khrushchev interfered with the American Elections and took claim of Kennedy being elected during the 1960 presidential campaign. Is there any historical evidence to this claim?	991
Did Nomadic Steppe Archers have farriers/blacksmiths for horse care? Was there a social class in those societies who were designated as horse groomers?	131
In War and Peace a recurring jest is the saying 'be promoted a German.' While I understood that this was meant to be a contemptuous slur, what's the historical context and explanation for why this would be seen as a quip?	76
In War and Peace the Battle of Borodino, on August 26th 1812, is portrayed as a complete blunder on both armies. Both in terms of purpose, Tolstoy posits the battle was unnecessary and served no purpose, and in execution from both armies. How accurate is this portrayal?	56
What is the origin of the terms redneck and white trash? Are they synonyms or do their roots create very different connotations?	14
What's the origin of the magical ring trope in the fantasy genre?	13
In the Movie "Thing From Another World" released in 1951 one of the characters incessantly says "Holy Cat!" Was this ever a catch phrase?	11
There is a stereotype for the other branches of the military to hold contempt towards the Air Force. AF officers have a stereotype of being dandies. Did these stereotype start post WW II when the US was discussing reorganizing, and perhaps removing/aggregating branches of the military together?	10
My Mom has health issues which someone postulated could be a result of my grandmother being exposed to chemicals in Berlin during WW II. Were there incidences of chemical weapons being used during the siege of Berlin?	10
Buying a deck of cards in modern society is cheap and affordable for everyone. You can go to a gas station and buy a pack for under $5. Were playing cards ever seen as an extravagant commodity that only the wealthy had and would want to show off?	9

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