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Why did Hitler declare war on the US?

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08-24-2012 , 04:56 PM

jokerthief

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Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 4,765

Most historians that I know of agree that Roosevelt would have had a hard time getting a declaration of war on Germany despite Pearl Harbor. He may have eventually got it but it was not a 100% certainty. He was given a gift when Hitler declared war the US.

So why did Hitler do it? It didn't seem to be in Germany's best interest for the US to enter the war. What was Hitler thinking?

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08-24-2012 , 06:16 PM

StimAbuser

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Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 8,822

Maybe hoping that Japan would then help out with Russia and also put Russia on two fronts.

Wild guesstimation, but the only thing I could think of.

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08-24-2012 , 06:23 PM

Husker

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There are various thoughts on this but a compelling one is that Germany believed that by declaring war on the US that the Japanese would declare war on Russia, at a time when the German advance was faltering, and open up a second front against them. Also, although the US was officially neutral in reality that was far from the case and Hitler may have believed that it was only a matter of time before the US became fully involved in the war against them.

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08-24-2012 , 06:47 PM

jokerthief

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If that was his justification it seems like a bad one. There is no way Japan could handle the US, Britain, and the USSR. I understand that hindsight is 20/20 but it seems to me unlikely that Japan would want to open up another front.

Plus wouldn't Germany try to get a definitive answer from Japan before doing this? Couldn't they talk to Japan's ambassador to Germany and strike out a deal before they actually declared war?

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08-26-2012 , 05:55 PM

Bill Haywood

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I read it was to support the alliance with Japan. There may even have been a treaty requiring it, though that part is foggy.

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08-26-2012 , 07:54 PM

Turn Prophet

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jokerthief

Most historians that I know of agree that Roosevelt would have had a hard time getting a declaration of war on Germany despite Pearl Harbor.

I'm not all that convinced of this point, specifically. Could you name some prominent works/historians that address this? If anything, the US was already more entwined with aiding Britain than in prepping for a Pacific war. I hate to use the word "inevitable," but seems like America was getting drawn into Europe anyway, regardless of Republican stonewalling of FDR.

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Originally Posted by Bill Haywood

I read it was to support the alliance with Japan. There may even have been a treaty requiring it, though that part is foggy.

This is my recollection as well, since it would have been to both Germany's and Japan's advantage to have the US fighting a two-front war.

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08-27-2012 , 05:38 AM

diebitter

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Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 65,711

Some of the reasons above are sounds. There's also the issue that he was getting crazier and crazier at this point.

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09-02-2012 , 03:40 AM

HypersionSD

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Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 167

I assumed it has so Hitler could target ALL US ships supporting U.K./USSR not just the one's on lend-lease.

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