Category Archives: History

Am I supposed to laugh or cry?

Posted on December 16, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: Who were the Cheka? a) The Cheka was the German army. Russia helped defeat the Cheka during WWII. b) The Cheka was the name for the royal family of Russia. The Soviets murdered the Cheka … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, History | Leave a comment

Stalin and the success of the USSR

Posted on December 12, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: Did USSR owe its ‘success’ to entirely to Stalin? ie without Stalin, perhaps it may not last that long? When the USSR was formed in 1922, Stalin was a lesser-known senior bureaucrat in the Communist … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, History | Leave a comment

Lenin, imperialism, and the course of history

Posted on December 6, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: How is lenin’s theory of imperialism relevant to today’s global economic reality? what are the strenghts and weaknesses of these theories Let’s start with the date and the title; Lenin’s major work on imperialism came … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, Economics, History | Leave a comment

Pastoral setting in Renaissance literature

Posted on November 25, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: What is the appeal of the pastoral setting in renaissance literature…? What other setting could be more appealing to a Renaissance person? There were only two settings to choose from, pastoral and urban. Renaissance cities … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, History | Leave a comment

What would the Pope say to Martin Luther?

Posted on November 15, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: What would the pope say yo matin luther? Why “would”? The Pope DID say a few things to Martin Luther, and in writing, too… On June 15, 1520, Pope Leo X signed a bull (the … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, History | Leave a comment

On space shuttle…

Posted on November 15, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: Why was the flying shuttle important? What evironmental impact did it have? If you’re talking about the space shuttle, it’s not important and never was. For starters, it’s a manned vehicle, which means it’s inferior … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, History, Technology | Leave a comment

Ronald Reagan and the fall of communism

Posted on October 30, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: How did Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy contribute to the fall of communism in Russia?? It didn’t. Communism was slowly decaying from within (French historian Emmanuel Todd very convincingly showed it in his remarkable 1976 book, … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, History | Leave a comment

The most influential person in the last thousand years

Posted on October 30, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: Who was the most influential person in the last thousand years? In the year 2000, the biography channel did a special highlighting who their experts considered the most influential people in the last thousand years. … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, History | Leave a comment

What if Hitler had died in August 1941?

Posted on October 14, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: What if Hitler had died in august 1941 what would have happened after his death? There are at least two possibilities I can think of. One (the most likely, in my opinion) is business as … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, History | Leave a comment

Sub-Saharan kingdoms: why is so little left of them?

Posted on October 14, 2007 by NC

A question from Yahoo! Answers: Questions about sub-saharan African kingdoms? O.k. I have learned about various kingdoms that developed in Africa. My question is why did they leave so little behind? For example the Sahelian Kingdoms of Mali, Songhai, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Answers, History | Leave a comment