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1. USA vs Japan (WWII)

The world was in a global Great Depression.

2. Germany vs France (Franco-Prussian War)

Check out this article written 20 days before the start of that war.

3. USA vs UK (War of 1812)

"Failing in peaceful efforts and facing an economic depression, some Americans began to argue for a declaration of war to redeem the national honor." source

4. France vs UK (Napoleonic Wars)

"It has been estimated that in France and Britain by the end of the [18th] century 10 percent of the people were dependent on charity or begging for food." source

5. France vs UK (Seven Years War)

See rebuke of number 4.

I probably could have named five just between UK and France. Seriously, they must hate each other.

Or they are just near each other and fight every time economic conditions drop.

As a Dutchie I think part of New Orleans' problem lies in still using pomps from 1928. I also recommend building (higher) dikes. It's not rocket science really...

Of course, here in the US we learn it as the British burning of the White House in 1812. While I'm certain the Canadians defended their country admirably, the offensive force that invaded the US was, I believe, composed of red coats that the British shipped over after defeating Napolean (so this source indicates anyway).

As for the second burning of the White House, I'm not really sure what you mean. I'm only aware of the one time (but I'm certain some Canadians will educate me now) and Google didn't turn up anything else.

In any case, don't take this all too seriously. Like I said, I really like Canadians, and I often wish more people in America had your attitude (and can we have more of your beer too, please?).

>> An anonymous coward, so sure about the strength of his opinions that he did not dare sign said:

or it could be that he forgot his password... or didn't care to log in... or was on someone else's machine and did't care to post usder their name.

Please don't damn the poor guy for not having a UID.

>>The biggest obstacle to this is the stupid belief americans have that everything that the government does is bad.

Good Point! We must never forget the Louisiana Purchase.

There was no country per se. Troops came from both Upper (southern Ontario) and Lower (southern Quebec) Canada, although many of them were imported from Europe. Here is a fairly comprehensive and realtively unbiased link.

As long as we don't get routed near Detroit this time...

Alex

In war, it is said, the first casualty is truth. The article linked to above by Caleb Carr draws a comparison between the War of 1812 and the terrorist attack on American symbols:

In short, the British gratuitously destroyed important structures in Washington (and killed many innocent people) because those buildings were obnoxious symbols of American values whose spread and propagation the London government feared would spell the disempowerment of their own.

I hesitate to disagree with so imminent an historian, but he cites none of the usual evidence for this assertion, like orders, documents, speeches. In their absence, one does not need to know much history of the period to doubt his thesis.

England was itself a democracy and the model for America's institutions. England's parliament was at the time as potent a symbol as any they might destroy 3,000 miles across the ocean.

The causes of the war had nothing to with such concerns. They involved England's control of the seas during its war with France and impressment of sailors on American ships.

America invaded Canada during the war with some of the same ravages as Carr describes in the British counterattack. In that context, the British actions can be seen more as conventional reprisals.

After the war, American relations with England were fairly cozy, including England's failure to support the South in the Civil War despite some strong economic reasons to do so.

One would hate to think that Carr was deliberately distorting history to bolster America's policies today, but if he did, he wouldn't be the first.