Buzz
We all make poor choices, but fortunately, most of them don't lead to widespread devastation. Below are the most disastrous decisions of the twentieth century, and you might be surprised by a few.
10. The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
While President Harry Truman was under immense pressure to end the war and save American lives, his decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, 1945, was a mistake. Japan was already defeated. General Henry H. (Hap) Arnold of the Army Air Force stated, “We always believed that, whether or not the atomic bomb was used, Japan was on the brink of surrender.” President Dwight Eisenhower later remarked in a Newsweek interview: “The Japanese were prepared to surrender, and there was no need to use that dreadful weapon.”
9. The Elite Within the Democratic Party
A grave mistake occurred during the 1960s and 1970s when the high-ranking upper class gained control of the Democratic Party. Since that shift, the Democrats have struggled to secure victories, regardless of how poorly the Republicans perform. Some mistakenly believed that this new, elitist Democratic Party would prioritize peace, but in reality, they became more inclined towards war. The wars, however, have become even more senseless, with examples such as our military invasions of small Muslim nations. Where have the Democrats gone who once advocated for working-class people?
8. The Vietnam War
General MacArthur once remarked that any defense secretary advising the president to engage in a land war in Asia should 'have his head examined.' Unfortunately, this was exactly the advice Defense Secretary Robert McNamara offered to President Johnson, leading to a dramatic increase in troop levels during the mid-1960s. The war played to the enemy’s strengths. In Vietnam, no domestic opposition was allowed, so the government didn’t have to concern itself with public opinion. The country had a large population adept at evading American firepower within the thick jungle. Meanwhile, the U.S. media frequently criticized the war effort, and Americans, generally averse to high casualties, grew weary of an endless conflict halfway around the globe.
7. The Iraq War
The 9/11 Commission, led by Republican Tom Kean, found that Saddam Hussein did not assist Al-Qaeda in carrying out the 9/11 attacks. The Iraq Survey Group, after 1991, also concluded that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction. So, why did so many lives get lost in the Iraq War, which began in 2003? Why such a monumental cost?
6. The Foundation of Israel
In the aftermath of World War II, many Jews relocated to Palestine and helped establish the new state of Israel. This action led to significant tension with the Muslim community, which today represents about one-fifth of the global population. Before this, Muslims had largely been hostile toward Jews, but after Zionist forces massacred villages and forced the native population to flee, the Muslim opposition to Jews intensified. It may have been far more beneficial for Jews to migrate to any of the English-speaking nations.
5. The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was sheer madness. What is truly shocking is that Admiral Yamamoto, who orchestrated the assault, knew full well that Japan had no chance of winning a prolonged war against the United States. The U.S. had a significantly larger population and far greater industrial power. While his staff celebrated on December 8th, Yamamoto himself was overwhelmed with despair.
4. Mao Remained in Power
Had the decision been made to remove Chairman Mao from power, the Chinese population would have avoided the devastation of the Great Leap Forward, the Great Famine of 1958-1962, and the Cultural Revolution. One disastrous decision Mao made during the Great Leap Forward was his plan to eliminate sparrows. Believing they were primarily grain-eaters, he overlooked the fact that they actually consumed many insects. Without sparrows, the locusts thrived, causing immense ecological damage.
3. British Involvement in World War I
In 1914, Prime Minister Asquith and Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey made the decision to involve Britain in World War I, despite the fact that it was France and Russia – not Germany – that posed a direct threat to the British Empire. British foreign policy aimed at forming alliances against the most dangerous continental power, but in the long term, was Germany alone far superior to both France and Russia? Had Britain refrained from sending troops, the war might have concluded within a year. Europe could have been spared the immense devastation that followed, with millions perishing from machine guns, artillery, disease, poison gas, and starvation. The rise of the Bolsheviks in Russia, along with their associated horrors, and the atrocities of World War II would likely have been averted. Instead of the Great War, we might have seen a relatively minor War of 1914, and Europe would not have fallen into the depths of despair and decay that it still hasn't fully emerged from.
2. The Treaty of Versailles
Prime Minister Clemenceau arguably bears the greatest responsibility for the harsh Versailles Treaty (signed in 1919), although some of his fellow countrymen believed he had been too lenient. Despite previous promises made to the Central Powers, the victors divided territories without regard for the desires of the local populations. Germany was burdened with enormous reparations payments that were impossible to meet. Economist John Maynard Keynes commented on this decision, stating: 'I believe that the campaign for securing out of Germany the general costs of the war was one of the most serious acts of political unwisdom for which our statesmen have ever been responsible.' The Central Powers were unjustly forced to accept sole responsibility for the war. Keynes referred to the Versailles treaty as a 'Carthaginian peace.' The vengeful nature of Versailles set the stage for World War II.
1. British Guarantee to Poland
Winston Churchill should never have made the guarantee to Poland in 1939, a promise that directly led to war when Germany invaded Poland. As noted by the respected American diplomat and historian George Kennan: 'the British guarantee to Poland … was neither necessary nor wise.' The British and French lacked the power to protect Poland from German aggression. Churchill’s rash guarantee primarily benefited Stalin, who was pleased to watch Germany, France, and Britain engage in mutual destruction. Stalin had already caused the deaths of millions of his own citizens through his vast network of prison camps and the engineered famine of 1932-1933 (the Holodomor). Churchill, in my view, should be recognized as the worst decision-maker of the century. As First Lord of the Admiralty, he fervently advocated for Britain’s involvement in World War I. Churchill also deserves significant criticism for the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign. Furthermore, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he oversaw the disastrous return of Britain to the gold standard, a move that contributed to the onset of the Great Depression.
