A closer look
Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II sent a fleet of heavily armed warships down the Scheldt river in 1784 to break a massive Dutch blockade, fully expecting a glorious and decisive military confrontation. The defending naval forces from the northern Netherlands valiantly responded by firing exactly one single cannonball, which miraculously managed to directly hit a soup kettle resting on the deck of the flagship. Completely demoralized by the destruction of their hot lunch, the invading imperial army immediately surrendered without firing a single shot, quickly ending what is now hilariously known as the Kettle War. Imagine marshaling the terrifying military might of a massive European empire, only to throw in the towel because someone splashed your hearty beef stew all over the deck. This utterly pathetic skirmish absolutely proves that a soldier's morale is directly tied to catering, and ruining dinner is a highly viable defense strategy!
