Totally unexpected wars

I am pretty sure the Achaean League, for example, didn't expect the Romans to press the issue of Sparta's secession, especially considering the help they had been giving against Andriscus in Macedonia.

Morten said:

How about the Cod Wars? I mean, obviously both nations take their fishing very seriously, but I doubt many would have foreseen so much heavy ramming.

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Not to mention the Pig Wars.

sydhe said:

Not to mention the Pig Wars.

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Those I've never heard of.

Sharwood said:

Those I've never heard of.

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Pig War was part of the Anglo-American contention over the Oregon Territory. An American farmer shot a pig that belonged to an Irish settler on disputed territory in the San Juan islands, leading to an escalation between the Royal Navy and a detachment of the American army. Eventually Winfield Scott, veteran of the negotiations surrounding the Aroostook 'War', was sent over, and hashed out an agreement that allowed the two sides to maintain token military garrisons on the islands. Eventually, the matter was referred to Kaiser Wilhelm I's arbitration, and he decided in favor of the United States.

There's also the tariff war over pork between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, which the Habsburgs started because they wanted to punish Serbia (which had recently ditched the compliant Obrenovices) for buying French-made weapons. Eventually they realized that the tariff war only distanced Serbia from Austria-Hungary economically, reducing their clout in Belgrade, so they stopped.

Sweet. Any wars over other food animals? Or prostitutes? Biggest war in Greek history was over prostitutes, apparently, according to some propaganda I read. Not to mention that whole 'Helen' thing...

There was also a Pig War between France and the Republic of Texas. Now that's an unexpected matchup! Plotinus described this one in one of the trivia forums (replying to one of my quizzes):

1841 – the Pig War between Texas and France (what a potential punch-up!). This was all to do with the Comte de Saligny, the French Charge d’Affaires in Austin. Because Austin was still being built, he had to live in quarters owned by Richard Bullock. Bullock was a bluff frontiersman from Tennessee, and Saligny was an effete Frenchman. They hated each other. It came to a head when Bullock’s pigs started destroying Saligny’s garden: Saligny ordered his men to kill the pigs. Bullock was not happy and whipped Saligny’s servant. The French complained, and Saligny left Texas, which meant that Texas and France had no diplomatic relations. This lasted for a year. No fighting ever occurred, of course, and the pigs remained local celebrities for the rest of their unnaturally long lives.

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Then there is the Toledo War between Ohio and Michigan Territory, which mostly consisted of their militias chastising each other severely from opposite banks of the Maumee River. Probably something to do with hamsters and elderberries. Actually kept Michigan from becoming a state for a while.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo_War

Dachs said:

Pig War was part of the Anglo-American contention over the Oregon Territory. An American farmer shot a pig that belonged to an Irish settler on disputed territory in the San Juan islands, leading to an escalation between the Royal Navy and a detachment of the American army. Eventually Winfield Scott, veteran of the negotiations surrounding the Aroostook 'War', was sent over, and hashed out an agreement that allowed the two sides to maintain token military garrisons on the islands. Eventually, the matter was referred to Kaiser Wilhelm I's arbitration, and he decided in favor of the United States.

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I've been to the place where the pig war was many times!!! (I live extremely close to the san juans)

Fifty said:

I've been to the place where the pig war was many times!!! (I live extremely close to the san juans)

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In order to do any sort of shopping, I have to drive through the Manassas Battlefield (so about once a week). The outcome of that was kinda unexpected.

I don't think Mahmoud of Khwarazem expected the Mongols to come after him when he slaughtered a bunch of their traders who were also acting as spies. In fact, he thought the opposite would happen, that the Mongols would see that he means business and leave him alone (he had previously tried to broker an agreement with Genghis Khan about him being ruler of the West and Genghis of the East, and that they should be at peace etc etc).