re: Who takes the decision?
It's not just one person who can decide about the opportunity for war. It's far too important a decision not to let time for all sides in a parliament to voice their opinion.
In all the European coutries, a few bribed individuals had no means to weigh on the decision on their own.
I find it insulting that americans would not understand that bribed or not, the very idea of going to war without clear reason is so repulsive that most of the members of parliaments or governments would reject it on its own merit.
Raoul