Comment by Georgy_K_Zhukov on 02/04/2020 at 14:00 UTC*

156 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)

View submission: Thank you everyone who participated in /r/HistoricalAITA for April Fools, 2020! Here is the full rundown of submissions, and more importantly, the tallying of the judgements!

Seems only right to do a bit of a rundown of the more *proper* history for the posts I did!

WIBTA if I (m18) challenged my friend (m18) to a duel because he wouldn’t concede that I had laid claim to the trout at dinner first?[1] by /u/John_G_Adams [Student | Man of Honor] is based on an account of the South Carolina College duel of 1833. As with so much of the history of dueling, our knowledge of it is based on minimal sourcing, but it is described essentially as detailed in the post, with two friends quarreling over a plate of trout at dinner, and the school's social convention of "first come, first serve" causing it to become a matter of honor, which saw Adams lose his life. You can read more in:

1: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/fsqr9t/wibta_if_i_m18_challenged_my_friend_m18_to_a_duel/

Walker, William E. 1951. “The South Carolina College Duel of 1833.” The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine 52 (3): 140–42.

AITA because I slapped a soldier who was a lily-livered, goddamn COWARD in order in try and put some fighting spirit back into him? Oh, and then did it again? Obviously not, but why are they, I mean?[2] by /u/George_S_Patton_Jr [Warrior of Destiny | Wicked Good Backhand] is of course based on the infamous pair of incidents in Patton's career. Slapping two soldiers, roughly a week apart, in August of 1943, saw PAtton censured privately by Ike with Patton forced to apologize, but the whole thing was kept under wraps until a journalist broke the story several months later, igniting a veritable firestorm of public indignation which almost ended his career.

2: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/fsogns/aita_because_i_slapped_a_soldier_who_was_a/

AITA for meddling in the foreign affairs of another country to assist in the military overthrow of the government?[3] by /u/HL_Wilson_Esq [Magnificently Mustachioed Manifest Destiny] is an accounting of the 'Ten Tragic Days', which saw the overthrow of the Mexican government under Madero by a military coup, which was greatly facilitated by the machinations of Wilson, the American Ambassador at the time. I've written a more even-handed account of it in this thread[4].

3: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ft7bjt/aita_for_meddling_in_the_foreign_affairs_of/

4: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2czp6n/what_happened_during_the_ten_tragic_days_la/cjkq8j4/

AITA for helping my friend stop an attempted coup?[5] by /u/Marshal_G_K_Zhukov [Four Time Hero of AskHistorians April Fools] is, of course, about Zhukov himself, detailing the chain of events which saw his ouster from power by Khrushchev. After seeing the degree of respect which Zhukov commanded following the attempted coup by the Anti-Party Group in mid-1957, Khrushchev began to see Zhukov as a real threat to his position, within mere months he himself was being accused of disloyalty and forced into retirement. I've written more extensively on the matter here[6].

5: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ftbaeb/aita_for_helping_my_friend_stop_an_attempted_coup/

6: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/387pco/tuesday_trivia_historys_greatest_betrayals/crt4ne4/

AITA for fighting a duel, being forgiven by the King, and then dueling again despite his edict not to?[7] by /u/Big_Boute [Straight Outta Comte] recounts the fate of François de Montmorency, comte de Lux et de Bouteville, known to history alongside his Second as one of the few persons executed for fighting a duel, having the poor choice of working *very hard* to thumb his nose at the King (and his minister, Richelieu) mere months after a new edict had been passed. In Early Modern France, a pardon for a duel was practically automatic, given out by the thousands, but the Kings did at least make token efforts to clamp down on the institution, and Bouteville pushed too far at the absolute worst time. For a good accounting of Bouteville and the larger circumstances around his death, try:

7: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ft92nv/aita_for_fighting_a_duel_being_forgiven_by_the/

Herr, Richard. 1955. “Honor versus Absolutism: Richelieu’s Fight against Dueling.” The Journal of Modern History 27 (3): 281–85.

WIBTA if, in my capacity as head of company security, I use overwhelming military force to disperse some whiney rabble-rousers camped front and protesting?[8] by /u/DotheDougieMcA [I'll Be Back | Better Part of Valor] is a reference to the Bonus March of 1932 which camped out in Washington, DC, and was put down with military force led by MacArthur. This old answer of mine details it more[9].

8: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ft2t3o/wibta_if_in_my_capacity_as_head_of_company/

9: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5uung6/were_world_war_one_veterans_given_benefits_upon/ddx0n68/

Replies

Comment by [deleted] at 02/04/2020 at 18:44 UTC

13 upvotes, 2 direct replies

[deleted]

Comment by Baud_Olofsson at 02/04/2020 at 18:50 UTC

6 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Just the flairs made me laugh out loud.