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I mean actual mistakes not bad decisions.
For example, the Berlin Wall fell because some bureaucrat reported that the border wall was opening, when in reality, they were not totally opening the border but changing visa requirements, but by the time it was clarified there was a mob destroying the wall.
Researchers now agree that the U.S. Battleship "Maine" blew up in Havana harbor in 1898 because of an accidental spark below decks where gunpower was kept, but the Hearst newspapers at the time insisted it was an act of sabotage by Spain, so the U.S. declared war on Spain. This resulted in Cuba gaining independence from Spain. And the U.S. (after committing massive brutal atrocities against Filipino civilians) gained possession of Philippines (until 1946) - and also gained possession of Puerto Rico.
The bloodiest day of the U.S. Civil War, Antietam, occurred because a Union infantryman, by chance, found a copy of General Lee's detailed handwritten orders to invade the North, which was wrapped around some cigars which a Confederate had carelessly dropped on the ground.
Last edited by slowlane3; 11-10-2015 at 01:45 PM..
Researchers now agree that the U.S. Battleship "Maine" blew up in Havana harbor in 1898 because of an accidental spark below decks where gunpower was kept, but the Hearst newspapers at the time insisted it was an act of sabotage by Spain, so the U.S. declared war on Spain. This resulted in Cuba gaining independence from Spain - and the U.S. (after committing many atrocities) gaining possession of Philippines (until 1946) - and also of Puerto Rico.
The bloodiest day of the U.S. Civil War, Antietam, occurred because a Union infantryman found a copy of General Lee's detailed handwritten orders to invade the North, which was wrapped around some cigars which a Confederate had carelessly dropped on the ground.
so where is the mistake in there? defeating Spain gave America reason to be imperialist
Maybe The Zimmerman Letter.
Sent to Mexico, it invited Mexico to join Germany in WW 1, and promised them New Mexico, Ariz, and Texas in return if Germany/Mexico won.
Big mistake. Or, at least getting caught made it a big mistake! Wilson had it printed in the paper, and the US entered the war.
OR...
It could be Shah Pahlavi's (Iran) decision to just let a little known Ayatollah Khomeini live as long as he was not in the country.
We're not through with the repercussions of that, yet!
OR...
It could be Archduke Ferdinand's decision to go visit the victims of a failed assassination attempt. His driver took a wrong turn going to the hospital, put the vehicle in reverse and it stalled. Then, out walks one Gavrilo Princip, who had given up the idea of killing Ferdinand but still had his pistol, and blazes away starting WW 1.
History is strange stuff.
Last edited by Listener2307; 11-10-2015 at 04:02 PM..
Worst military blunder---Hitler trying to invade Russia in WW2. If he hadn't done it, the war may have lost for the Allies in Europe much earlier. Given the geographic size of Russia alone, never mind the size of its army, you'd have to conclude that Hitler was a bit insane..
Maybe The Zimmerman Letter.
Sent to Mexico, it invited Mexico to join Germany in WW 1, and promised them New Mexico, Ariz, and Texas in return if Germany/Mexico won.
Big mistake. Or, at least getting caught made it a big mistake! Wilson had it printed in the paper, and the US entered the war.
OR...
It could be Shah Pahlavi's (Iran) decision to just let a little known Ayatollah Khomeini live as long as he was not in the country.
We're not through with the repercussions of that, yet!
OR...
It could be Archduke Ferdinand's decision to go visit the victims of a failed assassination attempt. His driver took a wrong turn going to the hospital, put the vehicle in reverse and it stalled. Then, out walks one Gavrilo Princip, who had given up the idea of killing Ferdinand but still had his pistol, and blazes away starting WW 1.
History is strange stuff.
Those are bad decisions, not mistakes. A mistake is something unintentional, those things were decisions made intentionally that did not turn out well.
except for the last one, where Archduke Ferdinand's driver made a mistake, and eventually WWI.
Wasn't there some nation recently, around the start of this century I think, that invaded another nation, toppled their government, and triggered a long running sectarian bloodbath, all in the name of seizing some weapons of mass destruction that turned out not to exist? Oops.
It could be Shah Pahlavi's (Iran) decision to just let a little known Ayatollah Khomeini live as long as he was not in the country.
We're not through with the repercussions of that, yet!
...
There wouldn't have been a Shah Pahlavi except that the UK managed to convince Pres. Eisenhower that Iran's elected prime minister, Mossadegh, was a Communist, or a Socialist, or something; & was plotting to throw in with the USSR. UK simply wanted to renege on its commercial & diplomatic promises with Iran, to train oil execs & workers, & to more equitably share the oil revenues with Iran. They approached Pres. Truman, who turned them down.
Pres.-elect Eisenhower was much more receptive, & with Sect. State & CIA eager to throw some weight around, we got Mossadegh thrown out, & the Shah reinstalled on the Peacock Throne. Foreign policy by The Wild Bunch.
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Stand & deliver
