How Two Rulers Sank a WarshipA simple mix-up caused a national catastrophe.

It really happened

From the show

It really happened

The smallest details can doom the grandest plans. The story of the Swedish warship Vasa is a terrifying example. In 1628, the pride of the Swedish navy capsized less than a mile into its maiden voyage. It wasn't a storm or battle that brought it down, but a simple error made during construction. Builders used two different systems of measurement, creating a fatally unstable ship that a single gust of wind could topple.

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