This past season of flashback, we covered stories about unintended consequences in history.

And we asked you, our loyal listeners, to send in some of your own stories on that theme.

And you responded. So we wanted to devote a special bonus episode in order to share some of your

wonderful submissions.

One of the landmark historical events that came up in several of our stories this season,

from tales of Hitler's drug habits to the dangerous effects of phosphorus, was World War II.

And several of you pointed to some other interesting, unintended consequences tied to that war.

Alicia Downs, a history and anthropology major, wrote in to say she was in fact working on a scholarly paper on two of the biggest.

The first, a major strategic blunder on the part of the Nazis.

At midday on June 22nd, the peoples of the USSR heard the news that they were at war with

Germany.

As Alicia writes, Germany made a vital error in invading Russia. As strong as Britain was, it

wouldn't have survived a full-scale invasion from Germany. Instead, Alicia says that by attacking

one of the most populated countries, Germany allowed

Britain to regain its strength.

The second was another big strategic blunder, this time by Germany's ally, Japan.

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy.

United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and

air forces of the Empire of Japan.

Before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,

the United States had resisted getting involved in the war.

Japan provoked a sleeping tiger.

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