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14 Of the Strangest Wars Ever Fought (That Sound Completely Made Up)

Trista July 7, 2025 8 min

9. The War of the Golden Stool (Britain vs. Ashanti Empire, 1900)

general sir james willcocks, kcmg, dso, and staff, at the entrance to the fort at kumasi — General Sir James Willcocks, KCMG, DSO, and staff, at the entrance to the fort at Kumasi (Anglo-Ashanti War, 1900). Source: Wikipedia

When the British colonial governor demanded to sit on the Golden Stool—an object sacred to the Ashanti people of Ghana—he unknowingly provoked a fierce revolt. The stool represented the very soul of the Ashanti nation, and its sanctity was nonnegotiable. Though the British crushed the uprising, they never succeeded in claiming the stool itself. Learn more about this extraordinary cultural clash at The Guardian.

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9. The War of the Golden Stool (Britain vs. Ashanti Empire, 1900)

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