"The War of the Bucket or the War of the Oaken Bucket was fought in 1325, between the rival city-states of Bologna and Modena. It took place in the Emilia district of northern Italy. It was provoked when Modenese soldiers stole the bucket from a city well.
Bologna mustered an army of 32,000 men and marched against Modena in November. 7,000 Modenese under Bonacolsi met them at Zappolino, in Bolognese territory. The Bolognese were routed, fleeing into the walls of their city. About 2,000 men were killed on both sides. Some accounts state that the Modenese took a bucket from a well just outside a city gate as a trophy."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Bucket
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tecuani ago
It is interesting that Modena was outnumbered by about 4.6 to 1 and the battle was on enemy territory, but yet they routed the enemy and the provocation came from their side as well.
By the way, from other articles it appears that the bucket was actually filled with "loot" of some kind and merely resting near the central well, so that makes the makes the provocation more hurtful for sure. And seems like the side of Bologna, true to the pope, was not doing very well, so maybe their troops were just less disciplined and trained and/or had worse equipment than the Modenese ones. Might explain the unlikely victory.