---
title: "5 of the dumbest reasons people went to war"
date: "2022-05-28"
modified: "2022-05-28"
authors:
  - name: "Shannon Corbeil"
    job_title: "Contributor, Air Force Veteran"
    link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/scorbeil/"
url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/dumbest-wars-in-history/"
categories:
  - "History"
  - "War History"
---

# 5 of the dumbest reasons people went to war

![](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/assets.rbl.ms/18117829/origin.jpg>)

"War is a male activity. Organized fighting and killing by groups of women against other groups of women has simply not existed at any point in human history."

That's a powerful observation from evolutionary social psychologist Frank T. McAndrew Ph.D., [whose writings on the psychology of going to war](<https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-ooze/201601/the-psychology-going-war>) propose that men evolved to be more aggressive in order to compete for female mates.

The story of Helen's face launching a thousand ships comes to mind.

---

But for modern combat, nations have bureaucratic conditions that must be met in order to officially declare war on one another (the United States [hasn't officially declared war since 1942](<https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/War-Powers/>)). Whether it's the biologically aggressive nature of males, ideological fundamentalism, or something else that causes diplomatic negotiations to break down can only be theorized. The bottom line is that humans have been fighting and killing each other throughout our entire history.

I'd like to think that there are noble reasons to go to war — for example, defending your homeland or stopping the Nazis from murdering millions of innocent civilians.

And then there are...less noble reasons...

### Also read: How the United States can avoid the next 'dumb war'

In the video below, [The Infographics Show](<https://www.youtube.com/user/TheInfographicsShow/videos>) breaks down five of the dumbest reasons people went to war. I don't want to spoil anything, but one war on the list started over a soccer game. *DUDES DECIDED TO KILL OTHER DUDES BECAUSE OF A GAME.*

Check out the other dumb reasons people went to war right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6_0W3Y2KFQ

## Author
Shannon Corbeil has worked for We Are The Mighty as a digital video producer, writer, and host, as well as a staff writer covering military history, trivia, and valor. Shannon is a fierce veteran advocate, covering the achievements of members of the military community and volunteering in multiple veteran non-profit organizations, including Pin-Ups for Vets and Warriors for Peace Theatre. Her undergraduate degree is in Humanities and Philosophy and her Masters is in Strategic Intelligence. A screenwriter and actor recently seen on SEAL TEAM and THE ROOKIE, Shannon writes about exciting projects in the entertainment industry. She is an alum of the Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Writing Project, a Finalist in the Disney TV Writing Fellowship, an inaugural fellow for the STARZ/VME #TakeTheLead Program, and has performed at the Geffen Playhouse and Kennedy Center as a writer, dancer, singer, and actor. As a U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer, Shannon supported the 25th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, South Korea, and conducted Cyber Threat Analysis at the National Security Agency. Her work has been seen in Business Insider, Task & Purpose, Military.com, and various other publications.

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