How many wars did America start?

Answer 1

A difficult question to answer, it depends largely upon whom you ask. This is not the easiest question to answer; there are a number of complex issues to consider. But, let's take a shot at it: America's first war was the American Revolution (or the Colonial Rebellion depends upon which side of the pond the question is asked). The Colonials maintain that King George and the British started the war, but it would be foolish to say we Colonials had nothing to do with it. Next, we fought some battles with natives. While we did not accept the sovereignty of the various tribes and nations, it would be pointless denial for us to claim we did not predicate hostilities. We exchanged bullets in 1812 with the British. America declared the war, so for the record we started it. But, the foreplay was really the result of the two biggest kids on the block fighting over what was left of the block. For the next thirty years or so we mixed it up with one native tribe or another, or flexed our new found muscle to squash piracy or aggression in other parts of the world. Play it safe and say we started many of the incidents, and managed to finish nearly all on top. Thirty years after we gave the British the boot, we stirred it up with the Mexicans. Same motivation, small block and we wanted a bigger part of it. After taking Texas, California, and pretty much the rest of our current Southwest Region, we went after our favorite whipping boys (women and children included) a variety of other native tribes. Mixing it up with China, a couple Pacific island nations, and a couple South American countries, we marked time, filling the gaps by beating down one Native American culture after another until we decided to go after each other, enter the American Civil War. Several million casualties later, and we were convinced we'd had enough. Well, until we noticed the few remaining tribes we had not decimated in the American West. Round about the end of the 19th century, we set our sights on Spain, and intervened on the part of Cuba and the Philippines. While we did not start it, we put a fork in it, at least temporarily. For about another decade, perhaps a bit more, we continued to beat down Native Americans, as well as act as the world police on nearly every other continent. Then along came the first war to end all wars. We didn't start the fire (thank you Billy Joel), we did do a great deal to end it; influenza just beat us to it. The finger can be pointed at a number of instigators, we are not in that line up; we were late-comers. Immediately after WW1, we dragged ourselves around Siberia, offering largely moral support to one side of the Russian Civil War. For another twenty years, we collectively hung out watching and waiting. Somewhere around the end of the 1930's, we started playing arms dealer and commisary for the early allies of WW2. When the Japanese interpreted the eventual involvement of this sleeping giant in the conflict that was burning up the rest of the world. With the end of WW2, we kept marching across Southeast Asia, landing first in Korea. Not of our own choice, we were part of the multinational force put there by the infant United Nations. We're not to blame for that one, but we did little to stay out of it. Continuing the trend with the Armistice on the Korean Peninsula (that's right boys and girls, the Korean War never ended, only the fighting did). We kept marching, and found ourselves buried in the French-Indochina War, many people think of our act in that play in simpler terms, Vietnam. Long story short, we didn't start that one; the French did;they just left us holding the bag. We remained quiet for the most part, with the tiniest exception of the Cold War, and the Soviet Union and us are equally to blame. Come to the stage the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (pardon the skipped landscape between). Be very careful how you tread here, far too many lives have been lost on both sides. There is the very large matter of over 2000 lives lost in the largest terrorist attack on American soil. No philosophical chatter will be wasted here, we were attacked. Remember that sleeping giant that was poked in 1941? That same giant when poked so hard as on 11 September 2001 woke to a blind rage. We struck out at old enemies and new. We responded to the pain that was caused us by hitting back any we perceived to have been involved. While those we struck at may not have played as direct a role as was sold to us of the public, we did not start these. We may not end them as cleanly as would be preferred, the conflicts, the wars will end. The important lesson here is not so much who lit it up, but what happens to those who attempt to take down the giant, and what price they are willing to pay. Thus concludes as objective a brief view of American war history as is possible for a child of this nation.

Answer 2

It is likely that the United States started two wars that did not involve provocation. Those wars would be Vietnam and the second Gulf War in Iraq.