Buzz
Throughout both historical and modern times, people have had to face and survive numerous disasters, both natural and man-made. The aftermath of such events doesn't only involve cleanup efforts and memorial services. Often, there are also ongoing battles against misinformation, and notably, conspiracy theories that inevitably emerge.
10. Nuclear bombs were intended to trigger the Cold War
On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over 220,000 individuals died in these bombings, with the majority being civilians. On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito of Japan declared the nation's surrender due to the devastating power of these new, ‘most cruel bombs.’ His radio address marked the conclusion of World War II.
The bombings left Hiroshima and Nagasaki virtually unrecognizable, with bodies buried beneath debris and decaying corpses floating in rivers. Survivors of the initial explosions soon began suffering from radiation poisoning. Many died in excruciating pain, as only two of Hiroshima's 28 hospitals were still standing, with many doctors and nurses killed during the bombings.
In 2005, two nuclear historians proposed a provocative theory, reopening old wounds that many still find painful. They suggested that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not intended to end WWII, but to ignite the Cold War. According to their theory, U.S. President Harry Truman's primary motive was to impress the Soviet Union, and in doing so, he committed a crime against humanity.
Peter Kuznick and Mark Selden further argued that one of Truman’s underlying goals was to curb Soviet expansion in Asia. Kuznick also contended that Japan's surrender was a result of a Soviet invasion following the bombings, rather than the bombs themselves.
9. Israel allegedly tried to instigate a nuclear conflict by bombing Fukushima
On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter scale struck Japan's main island, Honshu. The quake triggered a series of tsunamis, some reaching heights of up to 30 feet, leading to catastrophic nuclear explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant on the coast.
Initially, authorities reported that the plant’s backup generators had been damaged. While all three reactors at Fukushima were shut down successfully, the loss of power caused the cooling systems to fail in the following days. By March 15, three massive explosions had rocked the facility, releasing hazardous levels of radiation.
Residents in the nearby areas were evacuated as plant workers continued their efforts to cool the reactors. Radiation levels in food and water supplies surged, and the surrounding ocean was contaminated with iodine-131.
In 2012, Jim Stone, a self-proclaimed former National Security Agency analyst, publicly stated his belief that the Fukushima disaster was not a natural occurrence, but rather an act of nuclear warfare initiated by the Israeli government. His 9,000-word theory suggested that the earthquake was actually a nuclear explosion set off by Israel to prevent Japan from ‘enriching uranium for Iran.’ Stone also claimed that Israel was upset by rumors of a Japan-Iran nuclear partnership and retaliated by secretly deploying a nuclear weapon off Japan’s coast.
Stone further asserted that additional nuclear devices were concealed in security cameras at the Fukushima plant. When a ‘minor earthquake’ struck Japan on March 11, Israel allegedly detonated one of these weapons hidden in the ocean, triggering the tsunami waves that led to the disaster. The concealed nukes in the security cameras exacerbated the situation.
8. The sinking of the Lusitania was orchestrated
On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed the British steamship Lusitania, resulting in the deaths of 1,195 people. The aftermath of this tragedy played a significant role in the United States’ decision to enter World War I.
The Lusitania was covertly modified for wartime purposes, though it still operated as a passenger ship. By early 1915, German naval commanders discovered that merchant and passenger vessels were carrying weapons from America to Europe. In response, Germany declared the waters around the British Isles a war zone, ultimately violating international naval laws when a German U-boat torpedoed the Lusitania.
In the years following the Lusitania disaster, numerous conspiracy theories began to surface. Among them were claims that Winston Churchill engineered the attack to provoke the United States into joining the war, as well as suspicions of a British cover-up of the event.
Some theories suggest that the Lusitania's name was deliberately obscured, and that the ship was intentionally steered toward the German U-boat. This theory is often linked to the notion that Winston Churchill was behind the incident, as well as the idea that the Cunard company intentionally lowered ticket prices to maximize the death toll.
7. Ukraine is blamed for the MH17 tragedy
Malaysia Airlines was still recovering from the loss of Flight MH370 when another catastrophe occurred on July 17, 2014. Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down while flying over eastern Ukraine. Tragically, all 283 passengers, including 80 children and 15 crew members, lost their lives.
The investigation that followed revealed that the plane had been struck by a Russian Buk missile, which led to its crash. Evidence pointed to the missile being fired from a field controlled by Russian-backed separatists. In June 2019, four individuals were charged with the murder of the passengers and crew.
In 2019, FvD leader Thierry Baudet suggested that Ukraine might have been responsible for downing the plane. He raised concerns about the independence of the Joint Investigation Team and argued that it was up to the judge to determine the culprit, rather than political leaders seeking to assign blame to Russia.
Earlier conspiracy theories claimed that Ukraine mistakenly shot down the plane, believing it was Vladimir Putin’s presidential jet. Another theory suggested, as with many tragedies, that the Illuminati orchestrated the attack, driven by their obsession with the number 7. The theory argued that they ensured a Boeing 777 with the number MH17 was shot down in the 7th month of 2014.
6. The Boxing Day tsunami was an attempt to alter the earth’s rotation
On December 26, 2004, the fault between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate ruptured, triggering the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.1–9.3, generated tsunami waves as high as 30 meters. The waves caused over 227,000 fatalities across fourteen countries. Aftershocks from the earthquake continued for nearly four months. The farthest recorded fatality occurred in Rooi-Els, near Cape Town, South Africa.
Just eleven days after the catastrophe, conspiracy theorists had already begun formulating their own theories. They raised questions such as why the US would deploy a warship if there wasn’t an active war, and why the Boxing Day tsunami struck exactly one year after a massive earthquake in Iran in 2003, suggesting that some hidden forces might be at play.
Other theories suggested the purpose of the event was to correct the earth's rotation, as it was allegedly unstable at the time, or that the tsunami had been triggered by a dormant WWII-era nuclear bomb.
5. The Halifax explosion was a declaration of war
On December 6, 1917, a munitions ship exploded in Halifax harbor, Nova Scotia, killing nearly 2,000 people and injuring around 9,000. The blast obliterated over one square mile of the city.
The explosion happened when the Norwegian steamship Imo, leaving the harbor, collided with the French steamship Mont-Blanc. The Mont-Blanc, carrying 2,925 metric tons of explosives, exploded after catching fire during the crash. The resulting tsunami waves, up to 18 meters high, destroyed more than 1,600 buildings and left the Imo stranded on the shore.
At the time, news reports quickly cast doubt on the idea that the explosion was an accident, suggesting that something more nefarious, such as sabotage, may have occurred. As time went on, conspiracy theories began to emerge, and rumors spread that German spies were involved in the incident. The explosion came to be seen as a declaration of war, and as a result, Germans in Halifax were attacked in the streets in retaliation.
4. The US government orchestrated a massive tornado
The 2013 Moore tornado, an EF5 giant, released more energy than the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Meteorologists were able to gather real-time data during the tornado's 40-minute rampage, estimating that the energy unleashed was as much as 600 times greater than that of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima.
This tornado formed as part of a weather system that had already generated several tornadoes across the Great Plains in the days prior. It touched down northwest of Newcastle and then tore through Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people, injuring 212, and causing damages amounting to $2 billion.
Shortly after, rumors began to circulate, particularly fueled by Alex Jones of InfoWars, who claimed that the American government was behind these 'weather attacks.' On his radio show, Jones admitted that he couldn't be sure if a 'weather weapon' caused the Moore disaster, but he warned his audience that the government had the capability to 'create and steer groups of tornadoes.'
3. Beirut explosion was caused by a nuclear bomb
On August 4, 2020, a devastating explosion rocked the heart of Beirut, killing 190 people, injuring 6,500, and causing an estimated $15 billion in damage. The explosion, heard as far away as Cyprus—over 160 miles away—was initially traced to ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored at the port of Beirut.
Almost immediately, conspiracy theories began to emerge. Some claimed the explosion was far from ordinary, suggesting that an American drone was involved. Others theorized that it was the result of a missile strike intended to ignite a civil war in Lebanon. Another theory pointed to Israeli fighter jets as the culprits. Meanwhile, some viral social media posts proposed that a firework factory had exploded, while others speculated that the event was caused by a nuclear bomb, citing the mushroom-like cloud visible in some footage following the blast.
2. Lasers used to start Australian bushfires
The catastrophic bushfires that ravaged Australia from September 2019 to February 2020 came to a close on March 31, 2020, leaving widespread destruction in their wake. Thousands of homes were destroyed, nearly a billion animals perished, and vast wilderness areas were lost. The fires claimed 33 lives, damaged or destroyed 3,000 homes, and forced many people to seek refuge on beaches. During the fire season, Australia’s capital city recorded the worst air pollution in its history, with an air quality index 23 times higher than the hazardous level.
This disaster didn’t escape the conspiracy theorists, and in January 2020, an unusual theory gained traction. Many Australians reportedly believe that lasers and 'exploding smart meters' are being used deliberately to ignite bushfires. The alleged motive behind these arson attacks is said to be the introduction of a new train network, supposedly the creation of a global elite. It is also believed that these so-called 'weapons' operate using power similar to microwaves.
1. The Obamas and the Boston Marathon bombings
On April 15, 2013, during the Boston Marathon, two homemade bombs exploded just 14 seconds apart near the race's finish line. The blast killed three people, injured hundreds, and left 17 others with amputated limbs. Within three days, the FBI released photos of two suspects, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who were soon identified. The brothers engaged in a shootout with police, leading to Tamerlan’s death after he was run over by Dzhokhar in their stolen getaway car. A manhunt followed, and Dzhokhar was found hiding in a boat. After being shot and wounded, he was arrested.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced to death for his involvement in the bombing, but this sentence was overturned in 2020 after a court determined he had not received a fair trial.
As is common with other terrorist events and school shootings, conspiracy theories surfaced almost immediately. Some claimed the bombings were part of a false flag operation, and this was just the mildest of many such theories.
Other rumors suggest that the bombings were part of a broader scheme to enforce martial law in Boston. Some claim that a naked Tamerlan Tsarnaev was arrested posthumously, while others allege that Michelle Obama visited a mysterious Saudi national in a hospital after an investigation against him was mysteriously dropped. According to these theories, the investigation was called off following a secret meeting between the Saudi ambassador and Barack Obama. It is argued that the visit by Barack and Michelle to the victims in the hospital was merely a cover for carrying out covert and sinister operations with the unidentified Saudi individual.
