Who truly caused the war?

[The King Of Cooked Steak]

Here are a few candidates:

Cersei & Jaime Lannister for being caught by Bran having sex at Winterfell, and pushing him off a window leading to him being a cripple and his mother going to KL to find out about it.

Catelyn Stark for capturing Tyrion for Jon Arryn's murder and Bran's attempted murder, thus giving Tywin a reason to begin a war against the Starks.

Petyr Baelish for telling Lysa to kill Jon Arryn and lying to Catelyn about the true owner of the Valyrian steel dagger used to assassinate Bran.

Lysa Arryn for listening to LF and poisoning Jon Arryn and writing a letter to Catelyn, blaming the Lannisters for his death.

Joffrey Baratheon for attempting to kill Bran and executing Ned Stark.

Lancel Lannister for giving Robert strongwine, thus making him drunk, in result of the boar killing him.

Eddard Stark for accepting the position as Hand Of The King and discovering the truth about Jaime & Cersei.

IMO, it has to be LF. He started this whole thing by persuading Lysa to kill Jon Arryn and telling Catelyn that the VS dagger was Tyrion's instead of Robert's. It must have been unwilligly I suppose but still it was him who I believe started it all.

[iliasb]

IMO, it has to be LF. He started this whole thing by persuading Lysa to kill Jon Arryn

:agree:

But I think that Robert inviting Ned to be the new HoTK was the 'finishing blow'. Remember the stag/dire wolf? Of course you remember...

[Myrddin]

I agree.

Littlefinger tipped the first domino. While others helped the chain continue falling (Joffery), he's the root of all the conflict.

[Caerl Targaryen]

I think the war was going to happen regardless of all of the events mentioned. Things had been building up ever since the Targaryens fell from power. All it really took was a few little pushes and the realm exploded. Littlefinger was certainly involved in helping to make the right nudges but we know that Varys has been doing the same thing.

[Michael Herman]

Littlefinger and Varys, ultimately as long as these two arseholes had power there was bound to be war sooner or later.

May I suggest a few more candidates? Your original list was rather limited.

Varys, not directly responsible, sure but he manipulated everyone against one another and everything he has done so far has been to ensure that war weakens westeros for Aegon.

Stannis, strange, but think about it; as soon as Jon Arryn dies he suspects he was poisoned, he should have taken that opportunity to tell Robert everything he believed, and got Arryn to support his claims, even if he couldn't do that he could have stayed in kings landing to try and keep investigating or help Ned.

Tywin Lannister, he did after all start the fighting.

Robert, more a crime of negligence, but men like Varys and Littlefinger were allowed to infest his court, and he allowed the Lannisters huge leverage over the crown.

[KING-OF-WINTERFELL]

When LF poisoned jon Arryn he indirectly started the war.

However it can be argued that Catelyn who directly started the war when she kidnaped tyrion.

However it can also be argued that if cersei did her damn duty and kept her legs to Jaime and opened them for Robert sprouting li bobby's then there would be no reason to kill jon arryn

However it can be argued that if there was no rebellion then jon arryn wouldn't be hand and thus wouldn't have given LF a job.

It could be argued that if the Targaryans hadn't invaded then the baratheons wouldn't have existed and if they haven't existed then Jon still wouldn't be hand.

[Maester2chainz]

TBH it can't be Lysa or Littlefinger because if Jon found the truth about Cersei and Jaime then war would have broke out Between IT and the west. If anything they delayed the inevitable.. Cersei and Jaime could have kept their mouths shut about Bran. He doesn't really remember what he saw anyways. My vote is for Joff

[Ferocious Veldt Roarer]

Truly? Tywin Lannister. All along the way there were numerous possible scenarios. But as soon as one actually leads an army to kill people... Yeah.

Others contributed, but it was Tywin who actually started the war.

[Lord Lyman]

My vote is Bran. If he had just listened to mommy and refrained from climbing, he wouldn't have been pushed out the window, no attempt would have been made on his life, and Tyrion would have returned to Kig's Landing.

[The King Of Cooked Steak]

Littlefinger and Varys, ultimately as long as these two arseholes had power there was bound to be war sooner or later.

May I suggest a few more candidates? Your original list was rather limited.

Varys, not directly responsible, sure but he manipulated everyone against one another and everything he has done so far has been to ensure that war weakens westeros for Aegon.

Stannis, strange, but think about it; as soon as Jon Arryn dies he suspects he was poisoned, he should have taken that opportunity to tell Robert everything he believed, and got Arryn to support his claims, even if he couldn't do that he could have stayed in kings landing to try and keep investigating or help Ned.

Tywin Lannister, he did after all start the fighting.

Robert, more a crime of negligence, but men like Varys and Littlefinger were allowed to infest his court, and he allowed the Lannisters huge leverage over the crown.

I don't see how Varys caused really anything. Yeah he did manipulate a lot of people into doing stupid decisions. He might have wanted a war, but not this war

As for Stannis, I think he was right to leave KL, because he thought that sooner or later, someone would murder him too. Don't get me wrong, Stannis is a smart man, but with LF and Varys in court he would've died because of some supposed conspiracy the same way Arryn and Ned died.

Robert though letting the Lannisters take a big part in his court was a big mistake, Jon Arryn tended to keep it all stable, which then leads to LF and Lysa.

Truly? Tywin Lannister. All along the way there were numerous possible scenarios. But as soon as one actually leads an army to kill people... Yeah.

Others contributed, but it was Tywin who actually started the war.

Tywin did his duty, the way I see it. His son was wrongfully arrested for a crime he did not commit and had to go to war to take him back. He did not even know he was in trial, he thought that Cat had straight up killed him. Even though he doesn't like Tyrion, he had to do it. If he didn't and Tyrion died, then people would start indirectly calling him kinslayer and traitor to his own family.

[Fat Mac]

A multitude of people helped cause it

LF, Lysa, Cersei, Jaime, Tywin, Catelyn, Ned, Joffrey and Robert were all directly or indirectly responsible. Renly, Balon, Robb and Stannis can all be blamed for the war escalating.

[coatzin]

Catelyn Stark for capturing Tyrion for Jon Arryn's murder and Bran's attempted murder, thus giving Tywin a reason to begin a war against the Starks.

open agression against house lannister...

[LyrnaSnowBunnyAvenger]

I think the war was going to happen regardless of all of the events mentioned. Things had been building up ever since the Targaryens fell from power. All it really took was a few little pushes and the realm exploded. Littlefinger was certainly involved in helping to make the right nudges but we know that Varys has been doing the same thing.

:agree:

I think it is too simplistic to say one certain person started it all. That's like saying the black hand assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand started WWI. Yes, it was a catalyst and probably the tipping point, but things were in motion long before. This war was going to happen before Littlefinger had Lysa poison Jon.

That said - how about if Jaime and Cersei hadn't gotten their sex on, no incest kids would be around for Jon to be suspicious of?

[Lady Blizzardborn]

TBH it can't be Lysa or Littlefinger because if Jon found the truth about Cersei and Jaime then war would have broke out Between IT and the west. If anything they delayed the inevitable.. Cersei and Jaime could have kept their mouths shut about Bran. He doesn't really remember what he saw anyways. My vote is for Joff

This. The war doesn't really start until Ned loses his head. Up until then Robb isn't planning war. Afterwards, the whole game changes.

ETA: Then again, that was probably Littlefinger's doing as well. So yeah, let's blame him for the whole ball of wax.

"I've hired you to help me start a war. It's a prestigious line of work with a long and glorious tradition."

[The Wolves]

Jaime and Cersei started it.

Without twincest kids than non of those actions that triggered the war would have happened.

Even without the Starks involvement like Ned dying, Catelyn kidnapping Tyrion, Stannis was going to go to war for that throne either way.

Littlefinger wouldn't have had Arryn poisoned if he didn't find out about the twincest and inbred bastards.

Jaime wouldn't have pushed Bran if he and Cersei wasn't involved in the twincest.

Robert wouldn't have died if Cersei was afraid about finding out about the twincest.

Everything can be traced back to the twincest that started the war.

[Drogon'sWrath]

My vote is Bran. If he had just listened to mommy and refrained from climbing, he wouldn't have been pushed out the window, no attempt would have been made on his life, and Tyrion would have returned to Kig's Landing.

The problem with that claim is that Ned still would have discovered the twincest, thus still getting beheaded, thus starting a war. Besides, this is too complex of a topic to say that one person caused it.

[Good Guy Garlan]

Littlefinger.

I think he was the one who told Stannis and Jon Arryn about the incest. Why? Because he was leaving a trail of bread crumbs leading to the Lannisters. He wanted to frame them for Jon's murder. He planned a war with Casterly Rock all along

Yes, Cersei and Jaime were the perfect fall-guys, but LF set the whole thing in motion

[Twenty of House Goodmen]

1)Jaime and Cersei

2)Littlefinger

Then everybody else.

[Lointain]

The wannabe kings that defied the Iron Throne: Robb, Renly, Stannis and Balon.

Without their pride, ambition, sense of entitlement or will of vengeance, would be perfectly possible to the Seven Kingdoms remaining in peace, saving the lifes of thousands of men and women.

[Sullen]

The wannabe kings that defied the Iron Throne: Robb, Renly, Stannis and Balon.

Without their pride, ambition, sense of entitlement or will of vengeance, would be perfectly possible to the Seven Kingdoms remaining in peace, saving the lifes of thousands of men and women.

I'd either agree with this, or with Littlefinger.