Has the US ever 'not' started a war?

Question

My friend and I were having a discussion at school about wars and stuff, and the subject of the States came up. Not knowing much besides the more recent wars they were in, I didn't want to talk about **** I know nothing about.

To the Americans here, are there any wars in history where you weren't the aggressors who initially attacked somebody else but were instead attacked first? The War of 1812, Vietnam, and the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts were the only wars I could come up with at the top of my head that you guys were in (besides of course World Wars 1 and 2 which didn't directly concern you), but in all of these wars you guys started it.

drixnot, concerning WWI+II, that's what I already said. You guys didn't want to get involved but were rather dragged into it. So by that I meant that you weren't directly involved. Though now that I think about it more, Pearl Harbor could be considered you guys getting attacked first when it comes to WWII.

tttplttttt, I'd not accuse me of being bigoted if I were you. Most of the other "non American school kids" around me here in Canada are pretty anti-American but personally I'd rather look at foreign countries from a neutral perspective and not judge them on stereotypes. That's why during the conversation I actively tried to come up with wars that you guys didn't start to help argue for you. Not being American, I don't know much about wars you've participated in except for ones commonly talked about in the modern media. Thanks to the answers here, I now do.

Yaktivistdotcom, thanks for catching me on a lot of key info I missed out on. I guess I should have looked into this more first. :P

This question is closed to answering. Thanks for the answers provided, guys.

Answer 1

well lets see right off the top of my head i count 0. war of 1812 Brits instigated,Vietnam France started we picked up there garbage for them, like in WWI,and WWII,Afghanistan instigated by the Taliban, and Asama bin laden, Iraq the first instigated by Saddam invading Kuwait, now a continuation of the first one because Saddam didn't follow the peace deal.

any others you want to talk about? civil war the southern states seceding instigated that one, Barbary coast? pirates taking our ships and sailors.,Mexican American war? they sent raiding parties into Texas, we sent raiding parties in to Mexico to retaliate. Spanish American war? sinking of the Maine. reread your history books and learn something this time.

Answer 2

Read your history... the US has NEVER initiated a conflict (except perhaps in the case of the Revolutionary War). In each war, we were the targets of an act of war... only then did we get involved.

For example:

War of 1812- American declared war on Britain due to British sailors impressing American sailors without warrant (an act of war).

WWI- German U-boat sank the Lusitania, killing American passengers. The American people demanded we get involved in the European conflict at that point.

WWII- The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, killing American military personnel as well as innocent civilians. Again, the American people demanded recourse. (You say it didn't directly concern us???)

Vietnam- That conflict started without us there... we just got involved, but it isn't like we weren't asked for help.

Afghanistan- We never went to war with the government, just the regime harboring the terrorists who attacked us first (9/11/01).

Iraq- This one should have been taken care of a LONG time ago. How many acts of war shall I list, because they've been committing acts of terrorism on OUR soil against us for several decades, way before 9/11/01.

Check your history... these are facts.

Answer 3

Before the war of 1812 The British Navy had been kidnapping American sailors who had been born in England and forcing them to join the British Navy. No country can allow another country to kidnap people form its ships.

While we may have attacked Afghanistan, The Taliban's ally who they allowed to train in Afghanistan attacked us first, and The Taliban were given an opportunity to turn the attackers over to us to avoid the attack on them.

The war in Vietnam was already in progress when we mistakenly responded to a request for help from the government of the southern section of that country. We shouldn't have gone in perhaps, but we did not start the war.

WW2 directly concerned us when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese military.

WW1 may or may not have been an overreaction to a message from German Foreign Minister, Zimmerman, to Mexico. Zimmerman offered Mexico help in recapturing territory it lost to the US in the 1840's if Mexico entered the war on Germany's side and The US entered the war on the side of England. The message was worded to seem contingent on The US going to war against Germany first, but I don't know what other intelligence information President Wilson might have received that convinced him and congress that we had to enter the war.

The attack on Iraq could be seen as you suggest, but it could also be seen as a continuation of the war that started when Iraq attacked Kuwait and then failed to live up to the terms of a cease fire that allowed Saddam to remain in power.

I'm not sure you chose the best examples to make your point. Maybe you should look into The Spanish American War and The Mexican War and see if they better fit the charge you seem to want to support.

Answer 4

Americans greatly opposed getting into WW1 and 2. In fact the outcry against WW2 was so horrific there was talk of impeachment. (my mother and father were both involved in the ww2).
We did not want involvement in what was called "hitlers war" But when the Japenese hit us and then 2 days later Germany declared war on us, we had no choice. That's the way it was and regardless of what you believe. I'm a child of that War and saw the aftermath of it.
Blessings

I'm so sick of this Anti American stuff. Really. America should just pull it's aid from every county it helps. Declare itself self supporting and watch as the world collapses. You may hate us but we are here and NOT going away..

Answer 5

I had a feeling that's what nonAmerican schoolkids did for a past time, practiced talking points so they can hate Americans.

The bigotry shows in the young of other countries. Countries of better class would be embarrassed by that.

:::Canadian kids are *starting* to get anti-American? Yeah, maybe in 1978. I've lived in Canada. It's a past time there (and before Bush). Thank *you* for wanting to be neutral, but don't try to sell me on Canada not being straight out bigoted, because - and you mentioned it - why don't you discuss if Switzerland is a 'bad' country, or Indonesia? It's about intolerance to another culture, Americans.

I'd have to assume the amount of our kids discussing how bad Canada is, or any other country for that matter, on recess is about .000875%. We don't have that indoctrination in our country.

Answer 6

You must be the dumbest person in your country? The War of 1812 was not started by the USA. It was started by Great Britain's pressing of US Citizens into the Royal Navy by force. This was deemed an act of PIRACY. In addition the Royal Navy did not grant Nuetral rights to USA ships on the high seas during "their" Napoleonic War.

By a freakin book and actually read it. Stupid MF!

Ret. USAF SNCO

Answer 7

You better stay in school if you say WWII didn't concern us. Ever heard of Pearl Harbor? We didn't start this latest one either, It started on 9/11/2001 in New York, when over 10,000 innocent men women and children were murdered by a bunch of butchering bastard terrorists from the Middle East.

Answer 8

I wish with all my heart people would read up on their history before mouthing off ridiculous stuff with no basis in fact. I agree with the other answerer; the US should pull out its overly generous aid to every crappin' nation in the world and let 'em take care of themselves. Talk about turn the other cheek. We go around saving people and getting slapped for giving them aid and money and...you name it. I'm so sick of it.

Answer 9

The British bullied us into the Revolutionary War... they knew we wanted to become a Soverign Nation rather than a British Colony... So I suppose we fired the first shot... but wasn't that because their troops were actually invading our shores with guns, expecting a fight??

Answer 10

How could you miss WW1 & WW2? I mean come on WORLD WAR 1 & 2.

WW1
http://plato.acadiau.ca/courses/engl/young/e1106ce/findley/ww1/ww1.htm

WW2
Hitler, need I say more?

The US didn't want to get involved with either of them and did not participate at first.