At some point in our lives, each of us enters into conflict for a cause we believe in. If the enemy is weak, we win. If the enemy is strong, we lose. But we fight even for lost causes simply for the sake of fighting, to prove our case, and sometimes to salvage lost honor. History is replete with examples of empires entering into conflict with each other either for honor or over trivial matters. And this despite the fact that they know they lack the necessary resources to win the war. Below is a list of ten such examples from history.
1. In 1867-68, the Abyssinian Emperor Tewodros II imprisoned four missionaries and two British envoys when his requests for military aid from the British Empire went unanswered for too long. The British responded by deploying over 40,000 animals and 36,000 men to defeat his army of only 8,000 and free the hostages.
Historian Harold G. Marcus described the battle as "one of the most costly battles of honor in history." It was a punitive expedition by British Imperial forces against the Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros II, also known in the West as "Theodore." The battle was a response to Theodore's imprisonment of several missionaries and two British government officials in an attempt to attract their attention.
Theodore was a Coptic Christian ruler who established his authority through war. However, he continued to face internal rebellions. In 1862, he appealed to the British government for military assistance for his wars against his Muslim neighbors. When his request went unanswered, he took the extreme step of arresting British missionaries. The expedition organized by the British in response required the movement of a significant military force hundreds of miles through mountainous terrain devoid of any road network.
Almost all of these serious obstacles were overcome by the expedition's commander, General Robert Napier, who emerged victorious in all engagements with Tewodros's forces. He captured the Ethiopian capital and freed all hostages. Upon its return, the expedition received widespread recognition for achieving all its objectives. (source)
2. In the Paraguayan War of 1864–1870, the country suffered such heavy losses that it lost almost 701,000 of its entire male population. Paraguay declared war on the combined forces of the Triple Alliance—Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil—over territorial disputes.
This war is also known in Paraguay as the "Great War" and as "the deadliest and bloodiest interstate war" in Latin American history. Many believed that the Paraguayan president's expansionist ambitions alarmed the two regional hegemons in South America: Brazil and Argentina. This was due to both countries seeking to exert influence over their smaller neighbors, such as Uruguay and Paraguay.
Paraguay's rapid industrialization and military development aroused suspicion in both countries. Recurring border disputes and customs issues had already soured relations between Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. When Brazil and Argentina began interfering in Uruguay's internal affairs, Paraguay came to the aid of its Uruguayan allies, triggering the war.
The war devastated Paraguay so much that its pre-war population of 525,000 dropped to 221,000, of whom only 28,000 were men. The country was also forced to cede territory to Argentina and Brazil. When Paraguay failed in conventional warfare, it turned to a guerrilla strategy to defeat its enemies. This also proved disastrous, leading to increased casualties among civilians and soldiers.
The guerrilla war lasted 14 months and ended with the death of Paraguayan President Francisco Solano López, who died in battle at Cerro Corá. Argentine and Brazilian troops remained in Paraguay's occupied territory until 1876. (source)
3. The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 lasted just 38 minutes. The war began after the death of the Sultan of Zanzibar, a British colony, when his cousin declared himself ruler. This angered the powerful British Empire, which already had a successor in Zanzibar.
The one-sided war began after the death of Hamad bin Thuwaini, the pro-British Sultan of the East African island nation of Zanzibar. Since Zanzibar was a British colony, Britain declared another pro-British Sultan, Hamad bin Mohammed, his successor. Ignoring the wishes of the British, the late Sultan's cousin, Khalid bin Barghash, proclaimed himself Sultan. He was not considered friendly toward the British.
Britain warned him to resign and negotiate, but he refused. A fleet of warships under Rear Admiral Harry Rawson was dispatched to renew the warning. When the Sultan ignored it, the British fleet bombarded the wooden palace. After nearly 40 minutes, the war was over, with the British losing only one man and the Zanzibaris 500. That same day, the British-elected Hamad bin Mohammed was proclaimed Sultan. (source)
4. As a result of the Mongol conquest of the Khorezm Empire in 1219-1221, the entire empire ceased to exist in just two years. The war began when the Shah of the Khorezm Empire humiliated and killed the Khan's diplomatic envoys, who, it is claimed, were initially pursuing trade rather than war.
Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire bordered the Khwarezm Empire, then ruled by Shah Ala ad-Din Muhammad. The Shah was a new ruler and was at the time in conflict with the Caliph in Baghdad, An-Nasir. By the time the Mongol ruler approached him with a trade proposal, the Shah had become deeply suspicious of Genghis Khan's expansionist ambitions.
However, historians claimed that Genghis Khan had no such plans, as he was busy defeating the Jin Dynasty in northern China and was already reaping significant wealth from his empire's trade relations with Khwarezm. He sent a caravan of 500 people to establish formal trade relations with the Shah. However, the governor of the Khwarezm Empire's Otrar province arrested the caravan members, claiming they were plotting against the empire.
Upon hearing this, Genghis Khan again sent three ambassadors to the Shah, but the Shah humiliated and killed one of them. This enraged the Khan, who considered ambassadors "sacred and inviolable," and led to a final attack. The entire empire vanished as a result of the brutal massacre perpetrated by Genghis Khan's troops. (source)
5. Mithridates VI's conflict with Rome in the first century BC led to three wars that unsuccessfully attempted to counter Rome's expanding influence in the Greek world. Despite Rome's warnings, Mithridates VI continued the war against it and suffered enormous losses. To save face, he was forced to hire a servant to stab him.
This conflict is known in history as the Mithridatic Wars. There were three wars between Rome and Mithridates VI. Mithridates VI was the King of Pontus, a Greek and a descendant of Alexander the Great. He, along with other Greek cities, rebelled against the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Bithynium. The first war took place between 88 and 84 BC and ended in victory for Rome.
The King of Pontus was forced to abandon all his conquests and return to his kingdom. The second war (83-81 BC) ended inconclusively with Rome's defeat. In the third and final Mithridatic War (75-63 BC), Rome sent Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as "Pompey the Great," to finish the job. Mithridates VI suffered enormous losses in this war and fled with a small army to Crimea. He again unsuccessfully attempted to wage war against the Romans, but both his sons rebelled against him. This betrayal after the defeat so deeply wounded Mithridates VI that he asked his servant and friend, Bituitus, to kill him with the sword. (source)