[ClearCase_guy]

The Russian ultimatum was outrageous, so much so that it is clear that it was designed to be rejected, giving Russia a pretext for war.

IIRC, that happened at the opening of WWI. Austro-Hungary's Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in Serbia and Serbia wanted very much to avoid a war. Austro-Hungary sent them some sort of ultimatum detailing how Serbia could avoid war. It was so totally unreasonable that it was clear to everyone that the war was going to happen. And it just got bigger and bigger.

[Fiji Hill]

Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, by a Bosnian Serb, but Serbia was suspected of involvement. Vienna sent Serbia an ultimatum in hopes that it would be rejected and then Austria-Hungary could invade and conquer Serbia. However, Serbia accepted all of the provisions except one--that Austro-Hungarian inspectors be allowed to enter the country to search for the conspirators. Vienna saw this as a suitable casus belli, and the rest is history.