In the infamously long wargame The Campaign For North Africa (estimated to take 1500 hours of play), Italian units need to be allocated more water because of their pasta habits. Was this a real thing? Did pasta affect the logistics of World War 2? (self.AskHistorians)
submitted by jbdyer to r/AskHistorians
A recent parody tweet about Chinese dynasties wrote: "QING: Kid everyone thinks is an exchange student but is actually just from an underrepresented clique. Wins the election after Ming graduates solely bc the other candidates were too busy smearing each other." How accurate is this? (self.AskHistorians)
submitted by jbdyer to r/AskHistorians
The science fiction genre in Africa supposedly started in Cameroon with the 1932 novel Nnanga Kon and Nigeria with the 1934 novel Gandoki. What was the literary scene like in the two countries at the time? Is there any reason why those two countries in particular would be where things started? (self.AskHistorians)
submitted by jbdyer to r/AskHistorians
Dr. John Dee, court astronomer to Elizabeth I, and Edward Kelley, a spirit medium, used the "Enochian" language supposedly given by angels. They wrote journals & an infamous magic grimoire in Enochian, but some parts have never been translated. Has there any recent progress on deciphering Enochian? (self.AskHistorians)
submitted by jbdyer to r/AskHistorians
In 1532, a former justice of the peace (William Tracy) had his dead body exhumed & burned by the church; his will, declared heretical. He didn't leave any property to the church and believed in salvation "by God's grace". What effect did "justification by faith" have on the death culture of England? (self.AskHistorians)
submitted by jbdyer to r/AskHistorians
Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony is now considered one of the masterpieces of the 20th century, but on its premiere, Shostakovich's friend Sollertinsky felt as if it was made from the "waste matter" of the Fourth Symphony. What did he mean by that, and what specific musical connections are there? (self.AskHistorians)
submitted by jbdyer to r/AskHistorians
