provocation (as in event that causes or provokes (literally) war or (figuratively) conflict) n.: casus belli
[Latin; occasion of war. An example of both a figurative usage and a literal usage is provided.]
Time now to suggest a new concept of “fought-over words,” words that adversaries in national debate try to capture. . . . Notice that, for a majority of Americans, “equal opportunity” is in, “preferences” are out, and “affirmative action” is still a casus belli. (Daniel Schorr, “Good Words, Bad Words,” Christian Science Monitor, 12/26/1997.)
[T]he virtue [of] having a casus belli before going to war is so universally acknowledged that even Hitler paid homage to it. Immediately before Hitler attacked Poland, the SS staged a provocation—a “Polish” attack on a German radio station near Poland’s border, a sham that included corpses of German “victims”—actually, concentration camp inmates shot by the SS. (George F. Will, “Improvised War Etiquette,” Washington Post, 8/29/2002.)
