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In 21 short case studies, this short book examines the distinctive coincidental history of America, Britain, and various Asian countries during the twentieth century. It covers a wide range of historical events, from American expansion into the Pacific to the creation of the Soviet gulags in Siberia to the end of the Vietnam War. Its main goal is to show how watershed historical events can often become layered or overlap each other, sometimes by intent but often merely by happenstance. As Ian Fleming once famously opined about actions in war: “Once is happenstance. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is enemy action.”
“This engaging collection of historical vignettes offers thought-provoking insights and unique perspectives on some of the major historical events of the twentieth century while also showing how some truly obscure and seemingly minor incidents may be more significant than one might imagine.” — Harold Tanner, Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Introduction: The Unintentional Role of Coincidence in History; 1) Secret U.S. Plans to Absorb Hawaii and Guam (1897); 2) Alfred Thayer Mahan Invents Island-hopping (1911); 3) Yuan Shikai Preapproves Japan’s “21 Demands”(1915); 4) Gallipoli’s Unexpected Connection to the Arme; ian Genocide (1915); 5) The Historical Importance of 7 December 1902/1917/1941; 6) The Halifax Explosion and Unification of the U.S. and British Navies (1917); 7) Woodrow Wilson’s Clerical Error and the May Fourth Movement in China (1919); 8) Soviet Gold Mining and the Sudden End to the Mongolian Gold Rush (1924); 9) The Soviet Great Purges and Gulags as a Reaction to Japan’s Immigration Policies in Manchukuo (1937); 10) Secret Western Manipulations behind Japan’s Pearl Harbor Attack (1941); 11) The True Origin of the Kamikazes (1944); 12) Why the Kurile Islands Were Disputed After World War II (1945); 13) How Secret Yalta Talks Resulted in Post-War Soviet Colonization (1945); 14) Secret Negotiations of the Sino-Soviet Border (1945); 15) The CIA Argument for Why China Should be Allowed to Become Communist (1948); 16) Both North Vietnamese Tonkin Gulf Attacks Were Perhaps Real (1964); 17) The U.S. Anti-Soviet Blockade during the Vietnam War (1965); 18) The Secret U.S. Anti-SAM Strategy in the Vietnam War (1966); 19) The 3 March 1969 Creation of the Top Gun School (1969); 20) The Real “Signaling” History of the 4 May 1970 Kent State Massacre (1970); 21) The Secret Agreement that May Have Really Ended the Vietnam War (1975); Conclusions: The Profound Influence of Coincidental History on Twentieth-Century History; Selected Bibliography; About the Author; Index