Human decisions ranging from the drinking of gin to the surrender of Scottish sovereignty have hinged on the behavior of a particular animal. No, not humans. Mosquitoes.
That is the argument historian and political scientist Timothy Winegard advances in his book The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator. The book goes through a surprising list of key historical events and shows how the little bloodsuckers have played major roles in the outcomes. The author visits with a partial list.