Normally wars are no laughing matter. There’s no sane individual that finds any joy in the pain and suffering that normally results from war. Some wars, however, probably do not meet the standard of an actual war, and may even end without any casualties. Some of these conflicts were started for such ridiculous reasons that they are laughable when one simply considers the cause. Other stories from the history of war are so astounding that they are truly hard to believe.

1. The Football War

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The name that was given to this brief conflict may seem strange, but it’s actually quite fitting. In July 1969, El Salvador and Honduras were set to face off in the qualifying rounds for the World Cup. When El Salvador lost, tensions between the two counties escalated and one 18-year-old Salvadoran women even killed herself, reportedly because of her disappointment over the loss. Two more games ended with El Salvador on top and the two countries severed diplomatic relations. Four days of fighting ended with El Salvador winning some concessions from Honduras, but their team wasn’t able to replicate those wins on the field and lost all three of their games at the World Cup without scoring a single goal.