The Stupidest War in History?

[Daistallia 2104]

America "took the plunge" after a much more pragmatic entrance (keeping France able to help fend of the USSR in Europe by helping them with their goal of maintaining their colonial empire). The "ideological basis" was scrapped together more as a cover.

The plunge was took after the domino theory became a facet of American foreign policy. The domino theory was just as much ideological as pragmatic.

Domino theory wasn't even articulated until the mid-50s. The US was already involved by 1950.

[OMGeverynameistaken]

EDIT:
Also, I'd point out that the "Spanish" war on the Aztecs was mostly prosecuted by natives, such as the Tlaxclala, who hated the Aztecs guts.

Hm.

If we allow hindsight, that actually might count as stupid after all.

Ally with the Spanish, defeat the Aztecs, get enslaved and driven to near-extinction like everyone else a few decades later.

But, of course, that's allowing for hindsight. When Cortez first showed up, it was the chance of a lifetime.

Actually, the Tlaxclala and groups who joined with the Spanish immediately were fairly well off for some time. I can't recall the exact dates, but the Tlaxcala kingdom existed up until the 18th century or so as a Spanish ally.

There's a neat little book out called "Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest" which deals with the idea that the Spanish came in and immediately conquered everything ever. In fact, even now there are rebellious native groups in Mexico.

[Daistallia 2104]

Uh, no. Most of them were the US making stupid assumptions/taking accidents as attacks in order to gain an excuse to senselessly steal land.

The others are "I DONT LIEK UR GOVERNMENT SO I MAEK UR PPL SUFFAR HAHAHA".

You need to go back to school and pay attention in class this time, so that you actually learn some history, if you think the Spanish-American War was an accident, the ARW was about tea stamps, and the Quasi-War was a raspberry to France.

[Nazis in Space]

Hm.

If we allow hindsight, that actually might count as stupid after all.

Ally with the Spanish, defeat the Aztecs, get enslaved and driven to near-extinction like everyone else a few decades later.

But, of course, that's allowing for hindsight. When Cortez first showed up, it was the chance of a lifetime.

Actually, the Tlaxclala and groups who joined with the Spanish immediately were fairly well off for some time. I can't recall the exact dates, but the Tlaxcala kingdom existed up until the 18th century or so as a Spanish ally.

There's a neat little book out called "Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest" which deals with the idea that the Spanish came in and immediately conquered everything ever. In fact, even now there are rebellious native groups in Mexico.

I seem to recall that the Tlaxcala & co were relatively well off for several decades, but essentially ended up Like Everyone Else by the time the 17th century came along - I'll be poking around for sources. Difficult to find for anything Not Aztec, though.

[Wewtlandem]

The Emu War

[Khodoristan]

Either the Football War or the Children's Crusade.

[Joshuahood]

In terms of complete stupidity that don't even make sense, probably the Children's Crusade. In terms of stupidity in that they could have been prevented but who knows what happened, I'd say World War I.

[The Grand World Order]

The War of Jenkin's Ear.

[Desperate Measures]

The Emu War

Vive la Résistance!

[Nordereich]

The Anglo-Zanzibar War, hands down. British casualties (one wounded) v. Zanzibar casualties (500 killed or wounded). Also, it lasted for 38 minute.

[Hell of Azazel]

The "Cold" War. Enough said.

[Demphor]

The Hundred Years War, waste of lives.

[Caninope]

The plunge was took after the domino theory became a facet of American foreign policy. The domino theory was just as much ideological as pragmatic.

Domino theory wasn't even articulated until the mid-50s. The US was already involved by 1950.

And the domino theory was a direct growth of the containment theory.

[Wanderjar]

While Vietnam makes no sense from a pragmatic view, it made some sense (ideologically) for Eisenhower, Kennedy, and LBJ.

I'm going to say WWI, or the Football War.

The football war wasn't really fought over the football game mate. I honestly don't remember its cause, but I do recall that it was something of a coincidence which inflamed the populations of both Honduras and El Salvador. Also, if I'm not mistaken there was something to do with immigrant problems from El Salvador to Honduras and land reform contentions with said immigrants that led to the fighting.

[Qazox]

War of Jenkins' Ear.

I agree.

Also include:

The Grenada invasion by the US- Seriously, i've read about and I still don't know what the hell caused it.
Anglo-Zanzibar War- If a war lasted just 38 minutes, was it really a war?
The Pig War between the US and UK in 1859. Seriously, a war beacuse of a freaking pig.

[Free Irish Lands]

All wars are stupid

[Caninope]

War of Jenkins' Ear.

I agree.

Also include:

The Grenada invasion by the US- Seriously, i've read about and I still don't know what the hell caused it.
Anglo-Zanzibar War- If a war lasted just 38 minutes, was it really a war?
The Pig War between the US and UK in 1859. Seriously, a war beacuse of a freaking pig.

There was a military coup. We did not like the new people in charge. Therefore, we ousted the coup's leaders. And the Pig War wasn't actually over a pig, and it wasn't really that much of a war.

[Delator]

The war on drugs

Seconded.

[Jari Head]

what about the war that lasted 45 minutes.

That is also in the book of records as the world's shortest war

[Wanderjar]

The Hundred Years War, waste of lives.

I wouldn't quite go that far. One of the major causes of the Hundred Years War was the issue of state sovereignty. By that I mean technically Edward III was both King of England as well as Duke of Normandy, and thus Vassal of Philip IV. Basically the war was both an attempt to gain English legitimacy from France, as well as the more popularly acknowledged objective to assert the Plantagenet claim to the throne of France.

[OMGeverynameistaken]

Actually, the Tlaxclala and groups who joined with the Spanish immediately were fairly well off for some time. I can't recall the exact dates, but the Tlaxcala kingdom existed up until the 18th century or so as a Spanish ally.

There's a neat little book out called "Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest" which deals with the idea that the Spanish came in and immediately conquered everything ever. In fact, even now there are rebellious native groups in Mexico.

I seem to recall that the Tlaxcala & co were relatively well off for several decades, but essentially ended up Like Everyone Else by the time the 17th century came along - I'll be poking around for sources. Difficult to find for anything Not Aztec, though.

Native Conquistadors got the shaft at the same time as everybody else, really. The Spanish crown took away EVERYBODY's goodies at the same time.

The rest of the natives...Well, their treatment really varied by location. Some of them probably didn't even know they had been 'conquered', while others suffered terribly. In a rather amusing twist of history, the Catholic church frequently advocated for the natives (although it was subject to the same corruption as the governors.)

[Wanderjar]

I agree.

Also include:

The Grenada invasion by the US- Seriously, i've read about and I still don't know what the hell caused it.
Anglo-Zanzibar War- If a war lasted just 38 minutes, was it really a war?
The Pig War between the US and UK in 1859. Seriously, a war beacuse of a freaking pig.

There was a military coup. We did not like the new people in charge. Therefore, we ousted the coup's leaders. And the Pig War wasn't actually over a pig, and it wasn't really that much of a war.

Thats not quite entirely true. We were more pissed that Cuba/USSR was building an airstrip capable of launching strategic bombers, and rather than allow them to do this, we invaded. Some also say it was to direct attention away from the Beirut bombing, a point I personally believe as well.

[Caninope]

There was a military coup. We did not like the new people in charge. Therefore, we ousted the coup's leaders. And the Pig War wasn't actually over a pig, and it wasn't really that much of a war.

Thats not quite entirely true. We were more pissed that Cuba/USSR was building an airstrip capable of launching strategic bombers, and rather than allow them to do this, we invaded. Some also say it was to direct attention away from the Beirut bombing, a point I personally believe as well.

Either way, there was a bad thing happening in our hemisphere, and we didn't like it.

[Shejop]

Every single war in history is stupid. The deaths of thousands and in later wars, millions of people is stupid.

[Wanderjar]

Thats not quite entirely true. We were more pissed that Cuba/USSR was building an airstrip capable of launching strategic bombers, and rather than allow them to do this, we invaded. Some also say it was to direct attention away from the Beirut bombing, a point I personally believe as well.

Either way, there was a bad thing happening in our hemisphere, and we didn't like it.

Point conceeded