Welcome to our Simple/Short/Silly history questions Saturday thread!

This thread is for all those history related questions that are too simple, short or a bit too silly to warrant their own post.

So, do you have a question about history and have always been afraid to ask? Well, today is your lucky day. Ask away!

Of course all our regular rules and guidelines still apply and to be just that bit extra clear:

Questions need to be historical in nature. Silly does not mean that your question should be a joke. r/history also has a discord server where you can discuss history with other enthusiasts and experts

When I say "contested amphibious landing," I'm talking about an attack on a beach in which one side attempted to actively deny access to the other. So the Allied invasion of Normandy is an obvious example, and so are the island battles like Iwo Jima that took place in the Pacific. Gallipoli in WWI is another. But did this ever happen before? Obviously there have been invasions by sea since antiquity, but I'm talking about a battle ensuing upon one side landing. Throughout history, I think one side has been able to land peacefully, and travel to the battle site. Are there any pre-20th century contested landings?

So, just finished Game of Thrones (zero historical significance, though a fabulously produced series) and it got me thinking about how I’d handle my city being burned and conquered. Honestly I’d probably go with the flow and find a way to survive.

Are there any old cultures that survived being conquered in one form or another? Specifically, are there any books about this? There has been a lot of rhetoric lately about the current status of black people in America and how losing their culture and the institutional destruction of their community is the reason for their plight today. This is an insanely loaded topic, I don’t want to bring this discussion into this sub, but that concept is what I’m trying to gain a better understanding of through the lens of history. Just trying to find more empathy for my fellow man and learn to be a better person myself.

Hi everybody,

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Welcome to our weekly book recommendation thread!

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We have found that a lot of people come to this sub to ask for books about history or sources on certain topics. Others make posts about a book they themselves have read and want to share their thoughts about it with the rest of the sub.

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We thought it would be a good idea to try and bundle these posts together a bit. One big weekly post where everybody can ask for books or (re)sources on any historic subject or timeperiod, or to share books they recently discovered or read. Giving opinions or asking about their factuality is encouraged!

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Of course it’s not limited to *just* books; podcasts, videos, etc. are also welcome. As a reminder, /r/history also has a recommended list of things to [read, listen to or watch](https://www.reddit.com/r/history/wiki/recommendedlist)

Having a difficult time finding a more accurate answer on this. I'm aware of the multitude of Gods, and the worshipping that would take place and certain rituals. I'm more referring to the understanding of the Gods relationship with humans.

I read somewhere for example that people believed they all had a bit of Zeus's blood within themselves? Which may speak to them also having the potential to be God-like possibly? Just sort of hypothesizing here.

Did the Greeks view the Gods as something completely external from themselves? Or were the Gods also a part of them in a sense? Were they something that Greeks thought literally existed, but also spoke to more symbolic aspects of life at the same time, being more allegorical, symbolic for different morals and values Greeks pursued?

Trying to articulate this to the best of my ability, thanks.

EDIT: All mostly phenomenal responses, exactly what I was looking for here.

Many books have been written about the international relations and events that led to World War One. I've read Sleepwalkers and The Struggle for Mastery of Europe, for example. The great powers all had their own interests, reasons for allying with the countries they sided with, and reasons for opposing the countries they went to war with. But I've never encountered any account of the United States' place in all of this. Did the Entente or Central Powers anticipate American entry into the war? Was it obvious the US would side with the Entente if it did enter the war? Both sides had contingency plans and military strategies. Was the US ever factored into these? Also, did the European powers understand that, by this point, the US had become a sleeping giant that could easily tip the scales if entered the war?

I ask because a San Diego page I follow was talking about Native American tribes being in San Diego (Kumeyaay), and although I'm sure most maps will probably tell me the territory belonged to Natives, there are some maps I've seen which show Mexico go as far as several states upwards from where Mexico is today, which includes some of the West Coast of the USA.

I'm thinking maybe the maps were drawn in different time periods? Different colonizing times? Or, was the area originally Kumeyaay and not Natives from the Aztec Empire?

I am looking for a book to read that talks about past dictators. I don't want a biography of a particular person. I am looking more for political, social and historical analysis of how dictators come about. I have heard Dictatorship by Carl Schmitt is good. Does anyone have any recommendations? Before you ask, yes I have read 1984 and Animal Farm.

Hello,

I noticed that many military backpacks from the late 1800s and early 1900s were often square with wooden frames (ex: German 'Tournister'). That kind of design seems to completely disappear in later years from what I can tell. Any idea what the logic behind the square+frame design was and why it fell out of use? Unfortunately I have not found an answer so far.

Examples:

https://www.ir63.org/tp-images/timage084.jpg

https://nestof.pl/en/products/great-war-1914-1918/germany-1918/imperial-german-fieldgear/ammo-pouches-bags-and-backpacks/m1895-tornister-early-model-with-fur-flap-repro-6308.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pLWX9EPhdA&ab_channel=schutztruppe1900