Introduction
In June 1812, Napoleon’s army invaded Russia, and the United States declared war on Great Britain, an ally of the Russian Empire. In Russia and the United States, the wars of 1812 have long been considered events that seriously influenced the development trajectories of both states. Russia declared itself as the arbiter of the fate of Europe, and the United States began to expand to the West. Using the facts in this analysis, one can conclude the essence and outcome of the war between the United States and Great Britain.
Reasons of War
There were many reasons for the clash between the United States by that time; it had only existed as an independent state for 20 years and the former metropolis – the British Empire. The Americans then had an extremely negative attitude towards Great Britain, and the British looked with contempt at their former fellow citizens. The latter had betrayed the king and did not take the new state seriously. Great Britain, which actively participated in a series of military campaigns in different parts of the world called the Napoleonic Wars, tried to block the foreign trade of France (Berkin et al., 2014). Only a part of them had anything to do with European events. Napoleon pursued a similar policy to England (Berkin et al., 2014). The United States, which then remained neutral, also became a victim of this policy.
War
The conflict escalated when British ships searched American merchant ships and forcibly arrested British-born American sailors whom the British believed were still His Majesty’s subjects to include them in their crews. British agents, operating from Canadian territory, supported with money and weapons the Indian tribes united in a confederation led by Tecumseh, who attacked American settlers (Berkin et al., 2014). Such an alliance could, in theory, bring an end to the newborn United States. Part of the American establishment also hoped to annex British Canada to the United States, a significant part of the population of which were refugees from the United States who remained loyal to the British crown (Berkin et al., 2014). Ironically, communication problems led to the declaration of war after London decided to lift its ban on US trade with France.
Neither Great Britain, whose main forces were occupied in Europe nor the United States, which had a dwarf and poorly equipped army and navy, were de facto ready for war. Poorly prepared attacks by American troops and militias on Canada were repulsed; moreover, the British, with the support of Tecumseh’s soldiers, occupied American Detroit (Berkin et al., 2014). The turning point in the campaign in this direction occurred after the Americans built a squadron of warships that established control over the Great Lakes and cut off the British army from its bases.
Results of the War
This armed conflict led to the fact that various groups of the US population began to perceive themselves as a single entity, and the United States loudly declared itself on the world stage, entering the war with a superpower. During the years of this war, the last powerful alliances of Indian tribes were defeated, which theoretically could resist the expansion of the United States. This expansion was no longer prevented by the powers of Europe, which had colonies in America. After the War of 1812, the United States relied on strengthening the navy and the army: the war demonstrated that the militias could not conduct serious long-term campaigns and professionally manage artillery.
Conclusion
Given all the above facts, the United States benefited from the war with Britain, which was busy with the war in Europe at that time. Based on the war results, one can conclude that the United States has strengthened on the world stage. Although the decision to go to war with such a hegemon as Great Britain can be questioned, it is worth considering that the war in Europe weakened the British. Such a strategic decision largely influenced the emergence of the United States as a world power in the future.
Reference
Berkin, C., Miller, C., & Cherny, R. (2014). Making America: A History of the United States,
Volume I: To 1877 (7th ed.). Cengage Limited. Web.