A defensive war () is one of the causes that justify war by the criteria of the Just War tradition. It means a war where at least one nation is mainly trying to defend itself from another, as opposed to a war where both sides are trying to invade and conquer each other. History American supporters of war against the British argued that the War of 1812 was a defensive war. Views The Islamic scholar Sufyan al-Thawri (716–778), who was called by Majid Khadduri (1909–2007) a pacifist, maintained that jihad (holy war) was only a defensive war. See also Battleplan (documentary TV series) References Sources Wars by type Warfare by type