The Stray Dog That Started A War
Wikimedia CommonsThe League of Nations. 1920.
Dogs have a habit of creating rifts between neighbors. Late-night barking and defecating on a neighbor’s lawn are the usual disturbances. But when the neighbors are rivaling nations, the rifts can be far more severe.
Greece and Bulgaria had strained relations in 1925. Both countries laid claim to Macedonia and had clashed over the territory. With tensions already high, on October 18, 1925, a Greek soldier stationed on the border failed to keep a watchful eye on his dog and it ran into Bulgarian territory. Being a loyal owner, the soldier ran after his dog, only to be promptly shot and killed by Bulgarian sentries.
Greece was greatly angered by this killing and invaded Bulgaria, seizing the town of Petrich, ultimately leaving more than 100 dead, by some estimates. Thus one soldier not keeping his dog on a leash spurred a military conflict that the League of Nations had to step in and settle.
