6 of History’s Silliest Wars

Nations have gone to war over shellfish, believe it or not.
A crayfish and a lobster facing off
A crayfish and a lobster facing off | Maarten Wouters via Getty

When we think of war, we usually think of big casualties and brave soldiers risking life and limb for their cause. Then there are the wars that end when someone’s kettle gets broken.

Here’s a question for you: Do lobsters swim, or do they crawl? An argument over the answer led to what became known as the Lobster War between Brazil and France. 

From lobsters to kettles to severed ears, people have gone to war for pretty ridiculous reasons.

On this episode of The List Show, host and editor-in-chief of Mental Floss Erin McCarthy will be taking a look at wars and conflicts that were ignited for some fairly silly reasons.

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