where do i start when i want to learn history?
>>2752454
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_world
>>2752454
What in history are you most interested in? Try starting there.
from the beginning
Why did the Romans abandoned Mesopotamia? Mesopotamia was richer than all other provinces.
.
>>2752392
Wasn't it conquered by the Parthians?
>>2752392
Because supply lines.
Hadrian knew that Trajan was a stupid fuck who had no idea about ruling an empire.
The Roman Empire had a population of 70 million and was defended by an army of 450,000. They didn't have the resources to properly secure Mesopotamia against a resurgent Persia and the emperor knew it.
Mesopotamia has a shit location. Thats why its always been under the thumbs of more powerful neighbours.
The Romans didn't hold on to it because it would be difficult to defend. The possible taxes gained from it wouldn't pay for the armies and fortifications needed to hold it.
Hey /his/ student here writing a paper about the Winter War here, why can you guys tell me about the Finnish side? Specifically their tactics and and significant figures, thanks!
>>2752334
>why can you guys tell me about the Finnish side?
Because we are a history board,board and we love telling things.
>>2752334
https://youtu.be/yHrndb0oZEc
>>2752334
The Mannerheim line was overhyped. It helped, but it wasn't as well fortified as say, the Maginot Line.
Significant figures would include Emil Mannerheim and Simo Hayha.
Anons, what are the primary attributes of Islamic aesthetics?
>>2752199
intricate geometric designs. little to no iconography.
also small pillars
Rubble
>>2752199
Nothing that can be misconstrued as an "idol", so artwork depicting any organism is out of the question (Shia are lot looser about this).
If the Donation of Constantine is a forgery, then why do the Pope still have authority in Rome?
The Donation of Peppin. That one wasn't a forgery.
>>2752134
The Pope is the Antichrist
>>2752134
The Pope has authority because the Church has convinced everyone that he it. It's self-fulfilling.
The Papacy was little more than a joke until the 800s.
How did cavemen create new words? I get bullied when I try to invent cool new words.
Also, is it reasonable to assume languages changed so much through the centuries because the majority of the populace wasn't literate and the languages they spoke were standardized?
>>2752067
Invent better words then faggot
>>2752067
Same way memes are created. Eventually you just understand from context what certain things are supposed to mean.
>>2752067
>I get bullied when I try to invent cool new words.
Wtf did you expect? That everyone would just start using them?
Have Armenians ever done anything other than be a thorn in the side of whatever empire that rules them?
Shoo, roach
Armenia was once pretty powerful.
How's does that border work?
When it was obvious that Yugoslavia was ceasing to exist, there had to be some border adjustments but the International Community didn’t allow these (and it made the war inevitable)
You don't try to stop the monkeys from battering each other with sticks, you give them the sticks instead and watch them fight
>>2751636
That's a bit harsh. 100000 people were killed
>>2751602
It started going to shit when ambitious politicians started vying for power over the whole place. They found a good base in nationalism and since Milosevic couldn't get the west support he went "well fuck you then i'll fight you all, Russia is bound to have my back, you cant touch me." Seeing how batshit insane and power hungry he and his clique were, NATO took him upon his bluff. If there were more sane politicians on all sides the whole country could have started the process of joining the EU back in 1990, like it was mooted at the time and everyone would be better off, people in what was Yugoslavia, but EU also. Shame that demagogues won over, like they always do, cases in point, Brexit, Trump.
What does /his/ think about this shithole?
>>2751551
It is a weird and obscure buffer zone between the western civilization and the barbarian hordes.
>>2751551
>shithole
It was probably one of the only places on the northern frontier of Rome that ever came even close to becoming a centralised kingdom. Compared to the rest of the barbaricum it would have seemed like a paragon of peace, prosperity and security. Domitian and Trajan blowing them the fuck out in the long run was probably bad for long term Roman security since instead of ensuring they had a buffer between them and the dangerous Carpi, Roxolania and Sarmatian tribes they were directly exposed, pissed off the locals and led to the confederationism of the barbarians in the 3rd century AD.
>>2751611
t.gyppo
Hitler standing in front of Napoleon.
G*rman trying to claim descent from a far better man
Hitler seems insignificant next to him. Everyone staring at Hitler while he stares at Napoleon.
>>2751447
If only either of them could have taken Europe and Russia. ;-;
>writing developed independently in Mesopotamia around 3100 BC
>writing developed independently in Egypt around 3100 BC
>writing developed independently in Indus around 2600 BC
>writing developed independently in China around 1500 BC
>writing developed independently in Mesoamerica around 300 BC
This isn't to disparage their other achievements, but what made them so late to the game? You can't say it was because they were isolated.
>>2751389
>Four civilizations that were close to each other
I wonder why they all developed writing...
>>2751408
Also, the American continent became populated much more later, though lately there has been an "study" that claims humans reached America about 130.000 years ago. https://www.nature.com/news/controversial-study-claims-humans-reached-americas-100-000-years-earlier-than-thought-1.21886
>>2751389
Well, the Americas were settled late in the game. That might have an impact.
Question:
Do you guys think it's predominately ideology that changes the world, or material circumstances?
Nature changes the world. In terms of its vehicles, rising cultures.
And ideology is a result and part of the meeting of mind and nature called religion. The calling to complete something that compels men to build, and once having built, causes them to lapse into easy living and weakness, with no mission, and finally resource depletion, social distinction and giving up.
So, what way would you go?
>>2751171
I'll just turn back and choose the American way.
>>2751171
I'll go straight, following my own will, walking my own path
we have seen what """British Freedom""" looks like
one day...
Can you guys suggest me historical podcasts à la Dan Carlin?
>>2751005
have you heard the "History on Fire" podcast by Daniele Bolelli? it's exactly what you're looking.
He's an actual history professor, whose a friend of Dan, and he follows almost the exact same formula. If you can get used to his thick italian accent, you'll definitively like it.
Personally i'd recommend his series on the life of Caravaggio.
In Our Time
I like them because they get actual historians and not just smoothtalkers who read a pop history book omce
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/04/mastodons-americas-peopling-migrations-archaeology-science/
Alright so, what now?
Where do we go from here?
Time travelers
>>2750964
>what now?
Handle it with skepticism until the findings are backed up with other research. This a huge claim, and so far, that paper doesn't really make that strong of a case. And this quote sums up why:
>One of the main critiques is that the study doesn’t definitively rule out natural causes for the presence of the purported stone tools, the breakage patterns in the mastodon bones, or the patterns of breakage and wear on their surfaces.
Given what's stated in the study, everything they're talking about could be the result of natural processes. There's certainly nothing linking the bones and rocks to humans; the researchers aren't even claiming that they're talking about a kill or butchering site. Unless there's more proof that hominins could have been around at the time and place to apparently randomly break bones in an ambiguous way, I'm considering the site noncultural.
>>2750964
Ancient aliens