AskHistorians

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We're in 1600. What led to such incredible fragmentation of today's Germany relative to any other European country, with only Italy coming somewhat close? Why so many tiny kingdoms and states emerged there (and Italy) and not elsewhere? Were the rulers there less war prone and more isolationists?	10
What drove the large scale arrests of LGBTQ+ individuals in the 1960s in the US?	9
Greeks of the Classical period viewed uncircumcised penises as ideal aesthetically and moreover, apparently developed a strong dislike for the alternative. Where does this attitude or aesthetic value come from?	9
Were Turkish hammams adaptations of Roman (and be extension Byzantine) public baths or did they develop independently perhaps from older Turk traditions/constructions?	8
I heard professor Barbero speaking about a very liberal sexual culture at the Ottoman court, including homosexual relations involving the sultans. Is this widely supported by contemporary sources?	7
Why did the word "employee" overtake "worker" in both formal documents, such as contracts and legislation, and informal conversation? Is this an effort to suppress class conciousness in English speaking countries?	7
Milovan Đilas was a Yugoslav dissident who, although jailed and released several times until pardoned, continued to criticise the Yugoslav regime publicly until the death of Tito and thereafter. Was this happening in other Eastern European countries at that time or was Yugoslavia exceptional?	3
How was the Greek institution of pederasty viewed by Ancient Romans and did it ever become part of the social fabric of Rome and its provinces, or was it rejected right away on moral or other grounds? Similarly, did pederasty persist in Greece and former Greek colonies once Rome conquered it?	3
Did the US try to prevent Pakistan from developing nuclear weapons? Diplomatically, through economic pressure or through illegal interventions, common to the US, such as sabotage, acts of terror etc? If not, how come? Was it not perceived a threat to their strategic geopolitical interests?	3
Homophobia in Europe and the great divide: can history offer any explanation?	1

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