A stronger American battle fleet cannot be said with certainty to have prevented the War of 1812. Serious antagonism and fault lay on both sides, yet causal blame differs from responsibility for declaring and beginning hostilities. In this interpretation, the American attack was a war of aggression in that limited sense. The comparison with Japan's 1941 attack on the United States clarifies responsibility for initiation without equating the two conflicts in scale or purpose. The distinction separates structural causes from agency in explanations of war.
Notable Point · 1:13:20-1:15:03
Causes, blame, and who starts a war
The grievances made war possible, but the United States made the decision to initiate hostilities in 1812.