JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.0.7/angular.min.js"></script>
<p>Demonstrates a bug with routing and no template/templateUrl</p> 

<ul>
    <li><a href="#/rt1">execute route 1</a></li>
    <li><a href="#/rt2">execute route 2</a></li>
</ul>

<div style="width:275px;height:175px;border:1px black solid" ng-show="modal">
    <p><strong>Modal</strong></p>    
    {{message}}
</div>

<div ng-view></div>

JavaScript

angular
.module("demo", [])
.config(function ($routeProvider) {
    $routeProvider
        .when("/rt1",{ controller: 'route1Ctl' , template: '&nbsp;'})
    .when("/rt2", {controller: 'route2Ctl'});
})
.run(function ($rootScope) {
    $rootScope.message = "module is running";
    
    $rootScope.launchModal = function(msg) {
        $rootScope.modal = true;
        $rootScope.message = msg;
    }
})
.controller('route1Ctl', function ($scope) {       
    $scope.launchModal("route1 executing @ " + new Date().getTime()); // you can deep link to this message
})
.controller('route2Ctl', function($scope) {
    $scope.launchModal("route2 executing @ " + new Date().getTime()); //this doesn't get called so no deep linking
});