/u/sp31415926535's posts in /r/askhistorians

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These days, The United Kingdom has MI5 and MI6. Were there ever MI1 through MI4? What did they do, and what happened to them?

416 upvotes

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I’ve read that USSR was extremely inefficient in its industry and agriculture, and had to buy grain, food, and machinery from the west, starting at least in the 1960-s. Why couldn’t they produce enough food and machinery by themselves?

73 upvotes

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Why was there an ‘authority on porcelain’ at Bletchley Park during WWII? How did people with skills seemingly unrelated to cryptography contribute to breaking the Enigma?

58 upvotes

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During the Battle of Britain, could the radar (Chain Home) operators distinguish between different types of aircraft? (e.g., could tell, say, a Bf 109 from an He 111?)

23 upvotes

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1938 Peace for our time agreement with Germany. What were the alternatives and the arguments pro/against it at the time?

15 upvotes

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I've read that President Roosevelt has explicitly excluded the Navy from the atomic weapons development during the WWII. What were the reasons behind this decision?

14 upvotes

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CNN’s Cold War documentary repeatedly states that communism seemed appealing to many in impoverished Europe after WWII. Why?

10 upvotes

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Why was a B-29 chosen to carry the Fat Man?

8 upvotes

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WW2 - What’s an auto cannon, and why is it better than a machine gun?

7 upvotes

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Reading recommendation – can anybody recommend a book on the Soviet atomic bomb program?

6 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
These days, The United Kingdom has MI5 and MI6. Were there ever MI1 through MI4? What did they do, and what happened to them?	416
I’ve read that USSR was extremely inefficient in its industry and agriculture, and had to buy grain, food, and machinery from the west, starting at least in the 1960-s. Why couldn’t they produce enough food and machinery by themselves?	73
Why was there an ‘authority on porcelain’ at Bletchley Park during WWII? How did people with skills seemingly unrelated to cryptography contribute to breaking the Enigma?	58
During the Battle of Britain, could the radar (Chain Home) operators distinguish between different types of aircraft? (e.g., could tell, say, a Bf 109 from an He 111?)	23
1938 Peace for our time agreement with Germany. What were the alternatives and the arguments pro/against it at the time?	15
I've read that President Roosevelt has explicitly excluded the Navy from the atomic weapons development during the WWII. What were the reasons behind this decision?	14
CNN’s Cold War documentary repeatedly states that communism seemed appealing to many in impoverished Europe after WWII. Why?	10
Why was a B-29 chosen to carry the Fat Man?	8
WW2 - What’s an auto cannon, and why is it better than a machine gun?	7
Reading recommendation – can anybody recommend a book on the Soviet atomic bomb program?	6