How would you cause the most damage with a single bullet?

[Rowan]

You have one sniper shot (.50 caliber). What do you do to cause the most casualties or change history? BE REALISTIC. Please don't say "shoot an airplane that would then crash into the white house and trigger a nuclear explosion." Damage will be defined as destruction of physical structures as well as human casualties.


Turning the question on its head somewhat! In 1916 the Australian Imperial Force had left Gallipoli and were sent to France, where they fought their first disastrous battle at Fromelles on the Somme. Opposite them on the line were German soldiers from Bavaria. One of these soldiers was one Adolf Hitler! How different might the world have been if one Australian soldier had aimed a little better and finished off Adolf in 1916?

I have an answer from the past. This 1 bullet eventually killed millions:
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

 

[MontyB]

Out of interest what makes you so sure that Hitler wasn't the lesser of two evils?

Lets assume that one Australian was more accurate and killed him during WW1 how do you know that the resulting German resurgence would not have been far worse after all the German military of WW2 was not built by Hitler but rather the likes of Hans von Seeckt, Volckheim and Wilberg in the 1920s and early 30s.

The Wiemar Republic was already breaking the Treaty of Versailles with tank factories and testing grounds in Russia and U-Boat development in Holland long before Hitler wandered onto the scene, so you would still have the conditions that led to WW2 and the Generals that fought it all you would be missing is the meddling of the Nazi Party.

 

[zhaldev]

Only one "Muhammad" before his 'Q' revelations.I know this is far fetching and no sniper guns were at that time but the world would be much happier place minus him.

 

[Contago]

Knowing our luck, someone would kill Hitler during World War I with deadly accuracy, and during the transition years before World War II, an insane, tactical genius would take his place and conquor the world.