Wanting to ask awkward question

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I'm reading something related to my main interest, and I need some questions answered about it. It's about history and it's pretty esoteric, though, and I've already made the mistake of talking to people about it when it wan't really appropriate. I really want my questions answered, and I don't know who to ask.

Should I try to find some sort of history forum? I'm nervous tat the people could be jerks there because I'm new to getting into historical things and my questions will probably be stupid.

Should I ask one of my professors whether he know anyone who can help me? I already talked to a professor about my interest when I shouldn't have, and I don't want to annoy him again (I have other professors, but I don't know them as well). Besides, the history professors at my university may not even be the right people to ask. I heard one making some really, really inaccurate statements.

What is it about? The historical subject that is. Maybe someone here knows something about it or a good place to ask. I have visited historical sites for that purpose. It usually doesn't go badly at all. I make a point of stating up front I am a novice, etc. There's usually someone who doesn't mind talking about their interest.

Oops, sorry. I wanted to know about the rules of 18th century European warfare. What was and was not prohibited, what was okay but weird, etc.

Do you mean the ethics followed ? As opposed to military science of the time.

I do know: one of the main reasons why the US won its Revolution was because they didn't adhere to the usual "etiquette" of 18th century warfare.

Basically, warfare could be said to have been a spectator sport in the 18th century. It is said that the last war where people "watched" was the Crimean War. The Civil War is considered the first "modern" war in the sense that "etiquette" was pretty much dispensed with.

I'll have to research this to obtain specifics. But I do know that Europeans in the 18th century usually fought in strict formation. Battles seemed to have been "arranged" on at least occasions, rather than spontaneously erupting. If you research the "etiquette" of dueling, you'll learn much about the "etiquette" of warfare in the 18th century.

There was strict protocol when armistices were arranged. As to the exchange of prisoners. As to how a person of a certain rank would be "received" during negotiations for an armistice/truce. A general, for example, could not be "received" by a colonel; that was considered a major-league insult.

Guerilla warfare was considered "low class." People had to be in uniform. People fired, then the enemy returned fire. It took at least 5-10 seconds to load a musket--that's why warfare could be conducted in this way. There were no automatic weapons, basically, until around the Civil War, I believe.

I bet, if you google "Etiquette in 18th century warfare," you'll get lots of fodder for further research.

Thanks for the replies so far, but I was trying to say that I want to learn more about the rules of war. Like our Geneva Convention. Back then, of course, they didn't have an international law like the Geneva Convention, so individual countries had their own rules and stuff like impressment was widespread and legal for hundreds of years. I thought that since the laws back then were more complicated and diverse I might need more specialized knowledge, and I don't really have the time or money to buy and read another book. (Learning about the etiquette of 18th century warfare would also be interesting, though.)

A lot is available online, in the form of sites/blogs devoted to historical subjects. It only has titles of a certain age and not in print, but Goggle Books online has some very old books available to view/read.

I only have limited knowledge of the period you speak, as none of my special interest periods are in it except at the very tail end.

Btw you mean the 1700's right? Significant European Wars being The 7 Years war (French and Indian War in America). The American Revolution, the French Revolution and at the end the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars.

I don't know of any international convention between the countries. Certainly it was diverse and changing and when addressed was in the form of agreements between allies and combattants, but for specific periods or events.

The handing and treatment of prisoners for instance was normally addressed in surrender agreements. One common practice at the time was for either parole or prisoner exchange. Parole was where the captured soldiers were released upon signing a document swearing to not fight again in the war, or in a specific theatre of war.

The nature of the terms depended a lot on whom you surrendered to. Generally prisoners of the larger powers were treated in a civilized manor though often in harsh conditions. The English for instance kept prisoners of war in old rotting ships moored at dock. The were called 'The Hulks'. Killing of prisoners was frowned upon and rare, though it did happen on rare occasion. When more barbaric troops, usually as allies of one of the powers, were involved it was more dangerous. The European leaders did not always have complete control over allied native troops and after a victory might slaughter the wounded and captured enemy. This is mostly because that is what they did in their native warfare which had its own traditions and policies. In more primitive warfare which is more life and death, you do not leave enemies to come back to haunt you again.

Mercenaries were still in use during the period, though not in large numbers. Those that exsisted tended to be regiments/troops of a organized state 'loaned' for a price to another state. As such they were usually fairly disciplined.

Much of the lawlessness as occurred was on the ocean as you have mentioned. Impressment, slavery, piracy, 'legal' piracy in the form of prize taking privateers. The European powers were involved in some of the worst practices themselves in the form of colonies. I think it was mostly a case of their being no overall authority and such as was, was spread thin on the vast oceans. People did the most outrageous things, because the could. But non-aligned pirates were considered by all a pestilence and as such they had a short lifespan once captured. Summary execution was the norm.

You should ask one or more of your professors during their office hours. That's one of the reasons professors have office hours. While you're there, ask them if they could recommend any online communities.

PS: Whenever you get your answers, please post here. I'm really curious.

I don't have any history professors. My last one made some historically inaccurate statements and is now retired. I talked to one of my professors before, but I'm afraid I was awkward because it was a deep subject and I hadn't talked to him about anything not related to that subject before and I got emotional. Or at least I think it was awkward because he didn't say whether it was or not.

I think asking a professor in person would be more risky than asking by email because I would be nervous, which would likely make me more awkward. On top of that I wouldn't be an actual student of the professor. I really don't know whether it would be appropriate to ask a question to a professor that I'm not having a class with.

One of my problems is that for some reason, when I have a question, whether mundane or pressing or related to one of my interests, I always want to ask a person instead of looking it up, even though that presents a lot of opportunities for me to be awkward. Doing an in-depth internet search often doesn't even occur to me.

Thanks! Which titles would you suggest?

Then, what are you majoring in?



Now I'm really confused. You just said you don't have any history professors. So, what, did you like, go up to your organic chem professor and start asking him or her a series of esoteric questions about whatever came before the Geneva Convention? Because I can totally see how that could get awkward even without high emotions.



Well, no. Just don't try to wing it. Come with all your questions written down, and be conscious of their time and their students' time. It's completely appropriate to consult with an authority in your field of inquiry. Since you aren't their student, call ahead during their office hours to schedule a time to come in for a face to face meeting.



Since you are a student, I would also encourage you to use JSTOR as much as possible while you still can.

I'm majoring in Linguisitcs, but I had to take a history class for these core/general education requirements. You know how you have to take speech over and over again in as a requirement? The History class was another requirement.

Not even I would go to an organic chemistry professor and ask about history, fortunately. It was kind of a strange situation. I was thinking about this figure in German history, and then my German teacher (who I thought might know about the figure and might know the Germans' attitude towards the figure) emailed me to say hi and gave me some German film recommendations. He said something else that I forgot exactly, but it was to the effect of "What's going on with you." So I asked him about the figure and it turns out he hadn't heard of him before, but he said he was glad that I was learning about German history on my own. I told him why I knew about the historical figure in a long email, in which I said that I wanted to base a character after this person that I was reading, and I was feeling really sad about some things I was reading at the moment so I also talked about some upsetting things in a journal I was reading from another German historical figure and why they were upsetting to me.

I guess I just felt invited to because he said it was good that I was taking an interest in German history and he asked how I was doing or something.

Recently he asked what what going on with me again, so I'm still pretty confused what his perception of me is. I think he probably feels concerned about me (because of my demonstrated sleep deprivation and how I often probably looked depressed or anxious in class), but I don't know whether he actually wants me to talk about my interests with him or not.

Ahhhhh. OK.


I had to ask, because in college, I definitely knew people who would do that. If sufficiently sleep deprived, I'm even one of them.



He might be concerned about you. He might just be doing the NT thing, and asking you how you are, expecting, and probably now hoping, you'll give him a NT answer like "I'm great," or "I'm fine" with maybe one short line that further enforces the impression that you're doing well.

Actually now that I think about it, I might also do that if I were sleep deprived enough. I really need to get to bed on time...