Prussian Prisoners

In the late 1700s, a letter appeared in major London newspaper complaining that England was being forced to take deported Prussian prisoners. The British were furious and wanted it stopped. The Prussians became upset because the uproar implied that England was too good for Prussian prisoners. Both governments became involved, and they were on the brink of war before it all unraveled as a hoax. The original letter, it was learned years later, had been written by Benjamin Franklin, who was spending six months in England as an ambassador and was simply bored, just stirring up trouble and sitting back and watching.