[SoCal Pubbie]

Whether you agree with it or not, a “war of aggression” would be a conflict in which a nation engages in combat without a legitimate national interest or reason of self defense. Saddam Hussein invading Kuwait would be such a war, as of course was the German invasion of Poland, Russia , and Western Europe in WWII.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

War has always happened. Usually, one side is primarily responsible for the war starting, and the only wrong war is a war that you lose.

They made up a definition in 1945 (I know various forms of "war of aggression" were bandied about in the '30s, which amounted to nothing) to use at the trials. The only wrong war is a war that you lose...And Germany lost. That alone was enough for the allies to do what they wished to punish Germany. But it was nonsense to cook up a wishy-washy definition practically on the spot in order to lend a veneer of international legitimacy to the proceedings.