There have been many betrayals in history that have impacted the course of the world. From Judas to Mir Jafar, we have compiled a list of the 10 biggest betrayals in the history of humankind.
Let us take a look at The 10 Biggest Betrayals In History.
1) Doña Marina and the Aztec Empire
Doña Marina, popularly known as La Malinche was a Nahua woman who was enslaved by the Spanish. She subsequently became the courtesan of the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. As she was brought up by an Aztec family, she was fluent in Nahuatl, the Aztec language. And when she was sold as a slave in the Yucatan peninsular, she picked up on the Mayan dialect. As a result, she was able to translate the Nahuatl of the Aztec people into the Mayan language, which was understood by Cortés’ Spanish interpreter.
According to legends, it was her language gift that allowed Cortés to conquer the Aztec Empire. However, due to her betrayal, she is condemned even today and in Mexico, the term malinchista refers to a disloyal compatriot.
2) Judas Iscariot and Jesus of Nazareth- The oldest betrayal in history
One of the 12 apostles, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus of Nazareth after the Last Supper by kissing him and thus revealing his identity to the men who had come to arrest him. Jesus was subsequently tried and crucified. Although the kiss of Judas proved fatal for Jesus, it was his betrayal that set in motion the events that led to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Ultimately, these became the central tenets of a faith that has spread across the globe. Additionally, Judas who was paid 30 pieces of silver for his collaboration would atone for his deed. According to some biblical accounts, he would throw away all that money and repent by committing suicide. Today, in the Western civilisation his name is synonymous with betrayal.
3) Benedict Arnold and the United States
Arguably the most famous traitor in American history is Benedict Arnold. Arnold was an American soldier who served during the Revolutionary War. At the start of the war, he was an American hero who was even admired by George Washington. However, by the end of the war, his name became synonymous in the United States for treason and betrayal.
Arnold was essentially angered by the fact that he wasn’t getting enough recognition for his military genius. Hence he offered to surrender West Point to the British in exchange for £20,000. He secretly communicated with British Major John André and prepared to systematical weaken the defences of the fort. But his plot quickly unravelled when the Patriot militia captured André with the documents exposing Arnold’s scheme. The American forces hanged André but Arnold managed to escape to the British. Subsequently, the British gave him the command of their forces and Arnold fought the very same men he once commanded. Ultimately this act of his went down as one of the most famous betrayals in American history.
4) Marcus Brutus and Julius Caesar- One of the most famous betrayals in history
Et Tu, Brute? (You Too, Brutus?) has become one of the most easily recognisable phrases in the world. Plus it is associated with one of the most famous betrayals in history. According to historians, Roman general Julius Caesar uttered those words as his beloved friend stabbed him and brought his life to an end. Marcus Brutus, a Roman senator was part of the plot to oust Caesar from power. He was a dear friend of Caesar however he believed that Caesar desired to be king and by becoming such, would destroy the Roman Republic. His opposition was further fuelled by other Roman senators who made him believe that Caesar had to be killed for the republic to survive. Ultimately, the Roman Republic was dearer to Brutus and he betrayed Caesar.
5) Wang Jingwei and China
In the 1920s, pre-communist China was under constant threat of a Japanese invasion. Wang Jingwei was a Chinese politician who was initially a member of the Kuomintang (KMT). However, the KMT was growing increasingly communist and Jingwei was against communism. Additionally, he was engaged in a political struggle with famous Chinese leader Chiang Kai Shek for control over the KMT and how to deal with the Japanese threat.
Subsequently, his political orientation turned to an extreme right and he collaborated with the Japanese. The Japanese Empire offered Jingwei an opportunity to make a puppet government in Nanking in exchange for conceding it. Jingwei agreed and in a radio address, he declared the concession which shocked the Chinese people. Jingwei then went on to serve as the head of state for this Japanese puppet government. He died shortly before the end of World War II. The Chinese ultimately regained Nanking but did not forget Jingwei’s betrayal. They destroyed his tomb and even burnt his remains. For them, his was the biggest betrayal in Chinese history.
6) Mir Jafar and India- A betrayal that changed history
Mir Jafar was a man whose ambitions knew no bounds and to achieve what he wanted he was even ready to betray his own country. In the mid-18th century, he was the head of the Bengal military. However, he hungered for more power. As a result, he conspired with British forces in the Battle of Plassey; a battle between Robert Clive and Siraj ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal. However, Siraj was unaware of Jafar’s betrayal and ultimately lost the battle. Siraj was executed shortly and Jafar was immediately appointed the Nawab in his place. As Nawab, Jafar fulfilled his financial promises to Clive and issued free passes for the private trade of the English merchants. These policies led Bengal into financial ruin and marked the early years of British rule over India. Ultimately Jafar’s betrayal was what helped the British eventually gain complete control of the Indian subcontinent.
7) The Rosenbergs and the United States
The Rosenbergs were a married couple who were convicted and executed for committing espionage during the height of the Cold War. The couple were accused of selling top-secret information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. Additionally, they also had a hand in recruiting spies for the Russians. Although the Rosenbergs protested their innocence they were convicted of the crimes and were sentenced to death in 1953. Today their trial and execution garners mixed reactions and remains controversial to date.
8) Harold ‘Paul’ Cole and Great Britain
Harold Cole was a British soldier who betrayed the French Resistance to the Gestapo during World War II. Consequently, he acquired the title of ‘the worst traitor of the war’. In 1939, he enlisted himself in the British Army and subsequently became a Prisoner of War after the Fall of France. However, he soon escaped to Marseille and took up a new identity. During that time he helped the French Resistance establish escape route networks with safe houses, couriers and document forgers.
At the same time, he was working as a spy and was selling sensitive information to the Germans. In addition to that, he gave up information about the locations of the French Resistance leaders to the Axis alliance. Ultimately, his betrayal resulted in the deaths of at least 150 people. In 1946, Cole was shot and killed by the French police.
9) Vidkun Quisling and Norway
Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian politician who subsequently became a Nazi collaborator. During the German occupation of Norway, Quisling attempted to seize power in the first radio-broadcasted coup d’état in history. However, he failed as the Germans refused to support his government. In 1945, he was instead appointed as the ‘Minister-President’ of the Quisling Regime, the Nazi’s puppet government in Norway. He was ultimately condemned for his actions and was arrested and executed for high treason against the Norweigian state. His name Quisling itself became synonymous with traitor, in both Norwegian and English.
10) Alfred Redl and Austria
Alfred Redl was an Austrian military officer. Redl was instrumental in selling top-secret and sensitive information about the Austrian army to Czarist Russia. In fact, he divulged the Austrian military’s plan to invade Serbia, which in turn Russia sold to Serbia. In addition to that, he double-crossed his countrymen by supplying the wrong information about Russia’s military strength. Alfred Redl’s betrayal contributed to Austria-Hungary’s catastrophic military defeats and devastating combat losses during the First World War. In the end, Redl was exposed as a spy and consequently committed suicide.
