[escalation] any pretext will do

Everyone knows about Swift's big-enders/little-enders controversy leading to the Lilliputian war against Blefuscu, a lengthy conflict that arose between the big-enders and little-enders (depending upon which side of a boiled egg one must crack in order to eat it).

Here's another from the vaults:

David Pacifico was a Portuguese Jew born at Gibraltar but in Athens in 1849 as the Portuguese consul. His house was burned down by the mob during some religious commotion n he promptly claimed from the Greek government £26,618 compensation, which, of course, they had no intention of paying. However, he was on a British passport so Palmerston sent the Mediterranean Fleet in.

The French Ambassador then got into the act and France and Britain then fell out and the French Ambassador to Queen Victoria was recalled. The Lords censured Palmerston but in the Commons, he made that speech about a British passport protecting its holder anywhere in the world. Pacifico ended up with £5000 for his troubles.

Makes one wonder about the human race.