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23 Massive Betrayals In Human History That People Still Talk About Today
Loyalty and betrayal are tales as old as time. Ancient and modern history is littered with stories of treachery and deceit. And you could argue that they’re fundamental parts of what it means to be a human being. It’s likely that you’ve felt the sting of someone’s deception, just like your ancestors.
In an enlightening online thread, people shed some light on the biggest betrayals in all of human history that continue to echo to this day. We’ve collected their top educational posts to show you the past from a different perspective.
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#2
Native Americans being hospitable to pilgrims and then eventually pilgrims and their descendants massacring Native Americans and stealing their land.
#3
Gonna put one in for Vidkun Quisling, who handed all of Norway's defense plans over to the Germans in WW2 in exchange for being made governor of the territory.
Aside from the direct consequences of deceit, the negative events that have happened to you can have a lasting impact on your mental and emotional health. Someone whose trust or well-being has been affected by people or institutions can develop betrayal trauma, Verywell Mind stresses.
Someone who suffers from betrayal trauma can develop symptoms like depression, dissociation, emotional dysregulation, difficulty concentrating, and trust and relationship issues.
In some cases, they might even experience physical pain or gastrointestinal issues. They’re also more likely to have issues with eating disorders and substance misuse.
#4
Nestle lying to breastfeeding African mothers that formula is better, once they couldn’t get access to said formula, their babies starved. Thousands and thousands of children passed in the aftermath of this.
#5
The tuskegee syphilis study is one of the worst betrayals imo.
from 1932 to 1972, the u.s. public health service told a group of poor black men they were getting free treatment for “bad blood.” they weren’t. they had syphilis, and the whole point was to watch what happened if it went untreated.
penicillin became a cure in the 40s. they still didn’t treat them. they even stopped some of them from getting it elsewhere.
these men trusted doctors and the government, kept showing up thinking they were being helped, while they were literally being studied as they got sicker.
went on for 40 years. only stopped bc it got exposed.
#6
Russia telling Ukraine to hand over all their atomic bombs to Russia in exchange to never attack Ukraine.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 10 hours ago
Do not worry, should Russia ever invade Ukraine then President Trump will end the conflict in just one day!
Betrayal trauma can occur in practically any relationship, for example, with your parents, friends, coworkers, romantic partners, etc.
You can also experience what’s known as institutional betrayal. In this case, the institution that you trust fails to either prevent or appropriately respond to wrongdoings by other people.
Healing and moving on from betrayal can be a difficult, time-intensive process that might require a mental health specialist’s support.
#7
The betrayal of Anne Frank’s hiding place is one of the most heartbreaking in modern history.
#8
The insulin patent being sold for $1 so it would be accessible and today greedy pharmaceutical companies charge hundreds.
#9
Alan Turing. Genius who helped crack The Enigma Code. Treated poorly for the rest of his life.
In a nutshell, healing from betrayal begins with acknowledging that it has happened. You have to be honest with yourself about what happened and how it has impacted you.
“Confronting the trauma you experienced in the past can bring up a lot of emotions, including grief, fear, anger, regret, loss, and anxiety. It’s important to process these emotions so you can start healing,” Verywell Mind advises.
It’s important that you don’t isolate yourself after being betrayed. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, whether from a friend or a therapist.
Later, begin to set stronger boundaries with the people who have broken your trust. That way, you’ll be in a better place to protect yourself. What’s more, it’s vital that you recognize negative patterns of behavior.
“If you have experienced betrayal trauma in the past, it’s important to recognize whether it’s affecting your relationships in the present. Understand that you deserve to have relationships that are mutually supportive and beneficial.”
#10
I’d say the US government putting their own Japanese citizens in camps during WW2. What did that accomplish?
John Dilligaf 6 hours ago
well, it enabled a lot of "true Americans" (ie, Whites) to buy up their businesses, homes, possessions, etc for pennies on the dollar. So there's that. /s/
#11
How has no one said when Colonel Henry Bouquet and General Jeffrey Amherst handed over blankets infected with small pox to exterminate natives. This is the worst type of betrayal.
#12
I would say it's the story of "Laika/Лáйка" the world's first space dog.
Astronauts know their job, their mission, and the risks that may lie behind it, but Laika was basically put into a space shuttle and sent into space to wait alone for her end, just to prove that the Soviet Union was superior to the United States.
TotallyNOTAFox 6 hours ago
And it was PR disaster for them after they tried to flex with it. Instead of getting praised for the technology they got a s*******m for doing that to Laika
After you’ve gone through this list, if you feel like sharing your insights and experiences, we’d like to hear from you in the comments.
What do you see as the biggest betrayal in all of history?
What is the worst betrayal that you’ve experienced at work or in your personal life? Have any companies ever tricked you? How did you deal with it, heal from it, and move on?
#13
Internal documents and investigative reporting revealed that Exxon's own scientists conducted sophisticated climate research as far back as the late 1970s and 1980s, producing findings that accurately predicted global warming from fossil fuel emissions.
Rather than making this research public, Exxon pivoted in the 1990s to funding climate denial campaigns, lobbying against climate regulations, and publicly casting doubt on the scientific consensus, even while internally acknowledging the risks their own research had identified.
#14
“Kai su, Teknon?”
Or translating from Greek:
“And you,my child?”
Aka the more actuate last words of Julius Caesar. Shakespeare made up “et tu, Brute”. I had a history professor who explained that Caesar was basically saying “You’re next, kiddo.” And he was right. The Roman people turned against them hard.
Another possible last words were “Why, this is violence!” Or “What is this? Such violence against Caesar!”
Basically, if the historian liked Caesar, Caesar didn’t say anything while he was stabbed because he was a tough cool Roman. If the historian hated Caesar, Caesar was a total drama queen and gave a whole speech.
#15
Mir Jafar at the battle of Plassey(1757)
It was the Nawab of Bengal vs the East India Company.The nawab heavily outnumbered the EIC forces,but his general Jafar betrayed him and many of the nawab's forces switched sides.
This led to the first ever EIC victory on Indian soil.They got Bengal and thus it started the domino effect that led to the colonialisation of India.
#16
"We should give tax breaks for the rich and help them get more money, its totally gonna trickle down to everyone else like, trust me bro"
~Reagan or something, idk.
T'Mar of Vulcan 6 hours ago
Let's not forget ignoring the AIDS crisis in the early to mid Eighties because mostly gay men were dy!ng. And they named an airport and an aircraft carrier after that son of a b!tch.
#17
Benedict Arnold. If you grew up in the US, his name is synonymous with traitor. He was a general under George Washington during the war for independence, then defected to the British army and led several campaigns against the colonies. Calling someone a "Benedict Arnold" is still an expression people use nowadays.
John Dilligaf 6 hours ago
honestly though, if you look into it, you can kind of understand why he did it. TLDR story - he was constantly getting screwed over, partly deliberately by his political enemies, and partly inadvertently by the slowness and incompetency of the Continental Congress
#18
Henrietta Lacks. The way the doctors betrayed her and her family. Her cancer cells created the "HeLa" line and helped medical research. She never gave consent. Only recently was her family acknowledged or compensated. She passed away in 1951.
#19
-What humanity did to Tesla
-Ethiopian PM started a civil war right after winning a noble prize.
#20
When Russians promised help to Poland then waited on the other side of the river until polish and Germans finished each other to then step in and pretend they are „coming
To the rescue”.
TotallyNOTAFox 6 hours ago (edited)
The Molotov-Ríbbentrop Pact, a "non-aggression pact" official but inofficially also a treaty about how Europe would be shared after the 3rd Reich invaded Poland. The baltic countries and Finland were promised to the USSR to take if they don't interrupt Germany. All of the invasions from the soviet side where justified with "security concerns". That's why blaming Hitler soley for starting WW2 is kinda only half the story
#21
The US government using war as an excuse suspend due process and civil liberties of citizens. I’m looking g at you Bush, Lincoln, and FDR!
#22
Judas Iscariot. Was with Jesus three years before betraying him to the Pharisees, who took him to Pontius Pilot.
MeowZedong 9 hours ago
I think it was worse when Lando Calrissian handed Han Solo over to Darth Vader.
#23
During WW2 polish citizents risks their life to save jewish people. When war was over lot of jews get into russian army called NKWD and persecute polish people.
Bailey 7 hours ago
B******t. That is far tight propaganda which has been used to justify persecution of Jews in Poland since the 1940s. In Russia the early NKVD had a high proportion of Jewish officers, however by the late 30s that was no longer the case, and in fact they were another target for Stalin's ethnic purges. After the war, Polish Jewish H*******t survivers returning to Poland were attacked or k****d by Polish populations looking for scapegoats, or unwilling to return property and land which had been confiscated during the occupation (e.g. the Kielce m******e). The vast majority of Polands Jewish population who survived the war chose emigration after the war.
What do you think ?
sofacushionfort 1 hour ago (edited)
1.Shay’s Rebellion: New York farmers left their land to go fight for independence from Great Britain. After the war the new US foreclosed on them for unpaid back taxes when their farms had lain fallow. 2. Abbott & Costello raised millions of dollars in war bonds. A few years later the IRS ruined them for a fraction of that in taxes owed. 3. Any television writer who met Rod Serling at a party and answered the question “so what are you working on these days?” and then saw it stolen on the Twilight Zone shortly thereafter.
sofacushionfort 1 hour ago (edited)
1.Shay’s Rebellion: New York farmers left their land to go fight for independence from Great Britain. After the war the new US foreclosed on them for unpaid back taxes when their farms had lain fallow. 2. Abbott & Costello raised millions of dollars in war bonds. A few years later the IRS ruined them for a fraction of that in taxes owed. 3. Any television writer who met Rod Serling at a party and answered the question “so what are you working on these days?” and then saw it stolen on the Twilight Zone shortly thereafter.
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