Conspiracy theories create lively conversations and debates. There are many sides to a story, and these political myths are always around to inform, or at least, to entertain. Political conspiracies are never proven for a fact. There are many documentaries and movies on the death of politicians and the conspiracies around them. There are lots of theories behind a political uprising and the real motives behind it. Some conspiracies are results of a massive investigation (often journalistic investigations), while others are mere speculations and rumors. In the end, it is up to you to decide to believe it or not. Here are the top ten political conspiracies of all time:
10. July 20 Plot (1944)
There are many assassination plots against Adolf Hitler, but the July 20 plot stands out the most. Hitler seems to escape all plans to kill him during the World War II. In 1944, the closest attack was weeks after the D-Day invasion. Top colonels and generals all conspired to bring down Hitler and masterminded Operation Valkyrie, which was the plot to kill Hitler in order to spark a coup against the Nazi command. On July 20, Von Stauffernberg attended one of the conferences with Hitler and brought with him a bomb in a briefcase. He left the briefcase beside Hitler and went out to take a phone call. The bomb detonated, four people were killed, but Hitler escaped. The mastermind behind Valkyrie was executed and 5,000 other conspirators were captured.
9. Watergate Scandal (1974)
The Watergate Scandal is one of the biggest political scandals in the United States, which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The controversy sparked when the Democratic National Committee headquarters located in the Watergate complex in DC was wiretapped. Nixon’s administration was thought to be the mastermind of the break-in but then, the administration covered up its tracks and involvements in the controversy.
8. Princess Diana’s Death (1997)
Princess Diana was killed in a car crash accident during a paparazzi pursuit. It was a shock to the world as Princess D is loved by everyone. Not later after her death, speculations arose that it was not a mere accident. Some people say that she was pregnant with her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed, and she planned to marry him and convert to Muslim. There was also a rumor that Prince Charles is planning to remarry. Her faked death is one of the conspiracies that came out, so she can escape the limelight and live a more normal life.
7. October Surprise (1980)
A term coined during elections, ‘October Surprise’, relates to any grand event that happened after the elections. It is like a grand scheme that makes people think that voting for a candidate is the right thing. One of the most popular instances of this event was during the Reagan-Carter election. Reagan was thought to have closed a deal with the Iranians to keep the 52 American hostages in the kidnapper’s custody for a bit longer. In return, Reagan will unfreeze their bank accounts and financial assets, and he will also give them guns and weapons. After Reagan won, the hostages were released and the new president took the credit. However, Reagan denied all the charges related to the said conspiracy.
6. Iraq War (2003)
When George W. Bush went all out on Iraq, the people thought it was for national security. However, some economists will tell you it’s all about oil. America wanted to conquer a part of Iraq’s land so it can buy and dominate the oil resource that is abundant in the country. After spending $700 billion on Iraq war, it was later discovered that the oil supply in the area was not that abundant and wasn’t enough to compensate for the lost lives and money spent on the war.
5. Pearl Harbour ( 1941)
The infamous Pearl Harbour that took place in Hawaii in 1941 started World War II. The surprise attack of the Japanese killed more than 2,000 Americans. Conspiracy theories will tell you that President Roosevelt has known about the ‘surprise’ attack, and he was indeed complicit about it. He kept the information a secret in order to put some people in the Congress in the heat of the spotlight.
4. 9/11 (2001)
The world is shocked and saddened when American Airlines Flight 77 and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into New York’s World Trade Center. The terrorist attack that shocked the whole world is now known as 9-11. The massive destruction was carried out by the Al-Qaeda group headed by Osama bin Laden. The conspiracy behind the event was that most of it were an inside job. Corrupt government officials, double agents, and a plot against the Jews were thrown into the mix. It was speculated that the government knew of the attack all along, and the incident was used to justify the attacks against Iraq and Afghanistan. Another theory states that it was a controlled demolition of the buildings.
3. Lincoln’s Assassination (1865)
People are pointing a finger at a lot of groups that were involved in masterminding the assassination of Lincoln. The Confederates is in the spotlight on this one. Even religious organizations were dragged to the mess. The Jesuits and the Catholic Church were thought to have a hand in the untimely death of Lincoln. The list of accused people goes on, including Vice President Andre Johnson, Rothschilds (British Banker) and Edward Stanton (Secretary of War).
2. Soviet Union and the CIA (1990)
During the Cold War, it was said that CIA Chief Allen Dulles sent out double agents and locals to spy on the Soviet society. The agents then created a massive community disruption by promoting vices like prostitution, drugs and other debaucheries. They also planted people in the government to persuade Russia’s top political people to get friendly with the USA. Although there is no hard evidence to prove this, people still talk about this as the cause of the fall of the Soviet Union.
1. JFK Assassination (1963)
The shocking ambush of JFK was one of the most tragic deaths in America’s political history. Lee Harvey Oswald was convicted as the gunman behind the assassination. There were many conspiracies as to who really masterminded the attack and for what reason. Oswald declared in an oath that he acted alone. The court sided with this story. But questions arose. Working alone to kill the most powerful man in the world at that time? A lot of people didn’t buy it. The assassination was thought to be a conspiracy that is connected with Fidel Castro, the Mafia, or even the CIA.
Amber is passionate about health and lifestyle and loves to write and share her knowledge. Amber has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and she loves to travel, read and watch movies.