In the first days of August of that particular year, one of the largest and most powerful empires in the world – albeit one with an equally large inferiority complex – issued an ultimatum to one of its small, but not insignificant neighbors. “Do what we want, or we will ‘by force of arms’ do it anyway.”

It was not a declaration of war, certainly not in the legal sense. It was, however, a act of aggression that set the world on a course that to this day is still be sailed. The newspapers of the day carried stories, rumors, analysis, commentary and discussion of the note and its potential to draw then entire world into conflict.

Oddly, most “experts” considered it a bluff. Why? Because – and I am not making this up – nobody could be that crazy. It’s such an insane threat that it has to be a bluff.

Narrator: It wasn’t a bluff.

This morning, another emperor of one of the great but inferiority complex crippled empires issued another ultimatum. “Do as I demand, or else…”

This time, the reaction is notably different. But what will the result be?

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