Why did Hitler declare war on the U.S.?

[eagle1462010]

Hitler is often described as a "mad man" whose declaration of war against the U.S. was the worst strategic blunder of WW2. But I am wondering if there may have been a rational basis for his decision.

In December 1941 the German army was at the gates of Moscow, poised for what it seemed to be an imminent defeat of the USSR. In that event, Germany would have established an impregnable Fortress Europe for years to come. In contrast Germany's ally Japan was about to be squashed by the far greater industrial resources of the U.S., possibly creating a new world empire even more threatening to Germany than that of the British.

By quickly declaring war against the U.S. could Hitler have decided that drawing off U.S. resources to fight an unwinnable war in Europe would extend the war with Japan (possibly to a stalemate) and eventually lead to a comprehensive peace treaty?

There is almost no documentation of Hitler's thinking on this matter, but being a monster does not necessarily make one a moron. Any thoughts on this theory?

Because the US declared war on Japan and Germany. After of course pushing Japan into attacking Pearl Harbor and then also allowing it to happen.

We embargoed their oil after they attacked French Indo China..............We didn't fire a shot...........We said we aren't supplying you with oil for your War Machine.........

They picked the wrong Nation to attack..............and Germany was stupid for declaring War Early.........Because we knew we were going to War Anyway.

 

[whitehall]

By declaring war against the U.S. Hitler nullified his treaty with the USSR.

 

[rightwinger]

Hitler is often described as a "mad man" whose declaration of war against the U.S. was the worst strategic blunder of WW2. But I am wondering if there may have been a rational basis for his decision.

In December 1941 the German army was at the gates of Moscow, poised for what it seemed to be an imminent defeat of the USSR. In that event, Germany would have established an impregnable Fortress Europe for years to come. In contrast Germany's ally Japan was about to be squashed by the far greater industrial resources of the U.S., possibly creating a new world empire even more threatening to Germany than that of the British.

By quickly declaring war against the U.S. could Hitler have decided that drawing off U.S. resources to fight an unwinnable war in Europe would extend the war with Japan (possibly to a stalemate) and eventually lead to a comprehensive peace treaty?

There is almost no documentation of Hitler's thinking on this matter, but being a monster does not necessarily make one a moron. Any thoughts on this theory?

Because the US declared war on Japan and Germany. After of course pushing Japan into attacking Pearl Harbor and then also allowing it to happen.

We embargoed their oil after they attacked French Indo China..............We didn't fire a shot...........We said we aren't supplying you with oil for your War Machine.........

They picked the wrong Nation to attack..............and Germany was stupid for declaring War Early.........Because we knew we were going to War Anyway.

It might have been hard for FDR to get a declaration of war against Germany with us facing a war with Japan.

Hitler saved him the trouble

 

[karpenter]

Hitler is often described as a "mad man" whose declaration of war against the U.S. was the worst strategic blunder of WW2. But I am wondering if there may have been a rational basis for his decision.

In December 1941 the German army was at the gates of Moscow, poised for what it seemed to be an imminent defeat of the USSR. In that event, Germany would have established an impregnable Fortress Europe for years to come. In contrast Germany's ally Japan was about to be squashed by the far greater industrial resources of the U.S., possibly creating a new world empire even more threatening to Germany than that of the British.

By quickly declaring war against the U.S. could Hitler have decided that drawing off U.S. resources to fight an unwinnable war in Europe would extend the war with Japan (possibly to a stalemate) and eventually lead to a comprehensive peace treaty?

There is almost no documentation of Hitler's thinking on this matter, but being a monster does not necessarily make one a moron. Any thoughts on this theory?

Nope, Nope, All Nope
Germany Entered Into A Treaty With Japan
If The United States Did Anything To Interfere With Japan's Expansion In Asia
Germany Would Be Bound By Treaty To Declare War On The US

Tripartite Pact | Definition, History, Significance, & Facts

 

[karpenter]

By declaring war against the U.S. Hitler nullified his treaty with the USSR.

HA-HAA !!
Hitler Nullified His Treaty With The USSR
By Invading Russia In June, 1941
Operation Barbarossa | History, Summary, Combatants, Casualties, & Facts

 

[Oddball]

Nope, Nope, All Nope
Germany Entered Into A Treaty With Japan
If The United States Did Anything To Interfere With Japan's Expansion In Asia
Germany Would Be Bound By Treaty To Declare War On The US

Tripartite Pact | Definition, History, Significance, & Facts

One of the most glossed over pacts of the early stages of the war.

Hitler doesn't enter into that pact and have to declare war on the U.S. because of it, and he likely has a free hand to fight Russia with only minimal harassment from the west.

 

[karpenter]

Here's A Question

Britain And France Were Bound By Treaty To Ensure The Sovereignty Of Poland
Germany Invaded Poland, Britain And France Declared War On Germany
USSR Co-Invaded Poland With Germany
Britain And France Didn't Declare War On USSR

 

[Oddball]

Here's A Question

Britain And France Were Bound By Treaty To Ensure The Sovereignty Of Poland
Germany Invaded Poland, Britain And France Declared War On Germany
USSR Co-Invaded Poland With Germany
Britain And France Didn't Declare War On USSR

The west abandoned Poland when it really counted.

Patton was right.

 

[Markle]

Other than being stupid, you believe this why?

You do not believe that Adolph Hitler was hopped up on drugs? WOW!

He had his own quack doctor that juiced Hitler up each morning. The Nazis used crystal meth to hop up their soldiers which is how they managed to fight for days without rest. By the end of the war the common side effects of crystal meth were obvious.

Pervitin was being sold over the counter to citizens and it was handed out like candy to the soldiers. Soldiers were even writing home to have their families send them even more. Pervitin was crystal meth taken orally like mints.

 

[Markle]

By declaring war against the U.S. Hitler nullified his treaty with the USSR.

Operation Barbarossa (Invasion of Russia) started Sunday, June 22, 1941. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.

 

[Oddball]

Here's A Question

Britain And France Were Bound By Treaty To Ensure The Sovereignty Of Poland
Germany Invaded Poland, Britain And France Declared War On Germany
USSR Co-Invaded Poland With Germany
Britain And France Didn't Declare War On USSR

FDR, Churchill, DeGaulle, and Truman sold Poland out to Stalin.

Patton was right.

 

[Markle]

Here's A Question

Britain And France Were Bound By Treaty To Ensure The Sovereignty Of Poland
Germany Invaded Poland, Britain And France Declared War On Germany
USSR Co-Invaded Poland With Germany
Britain And France Didn't Declare War On USSR

Britain and France were obligated to declare war on Germany but, in fact, they did nothing. World War I was still fresh in their minds and they desperately wanted to avoid that carnage again.

 

[Markle]

In my opinion, two things. One, Hitler could have won WW-II IF he had waited just one year before beginning his war. One more year of research and development would have delivered far more efficient rockets, jet fighters, and the atomic bomb.

Second, Hitler was in many ways, like a spoiled child. His plan to choke Britain into submission was not working because the US had developed tactics that protected far more of our cargo ships getting through the Nazi wolf-packs. That had to have aggravated Hitler to no end. Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was the excuse he wanted. Once he declared war on the US, Hitler was able to send submarines to our East Coast where they sank over 600 ships. They even sank ships in the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River.

 

[Picaro]

Hitler had no choice; he wasn't going to win against Britain and the Soviets without taking out the U.S.'s supplying of them with the means to resists him. Britain kept the Soviets in the war, and the U.S. was keeping Britain in the war at the time; sooner or later Hitler was going to have to after the merchant marine. He hoped the Japanese attacks would weaken our resolve, since almost all of the Republicans were isolationist morons, still hiding under their beds crying for FDR to shoot down all those uppity proles during the Depression, and didn't want their taxes raised to fight Hitler or Japan, and we would sue for peace terms, but of course that was just another big error on his part.

 

[Picaro]

In my opinion, two things. One, Hitler could have won WW-II IF he had waited just one year before beginning his war. One more year of research and development would have delivered far more efficient rockets, jet fighters, and the atomic bomb.

Second, Hitler was in many ways, like a spoiled child. His plan to choke Britain into submission was not working because the US had developed tactics that protected far more of our cargo ships getting through the Nazi wolf-packs. That had to have aggravated Hitler to no end. Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was the excuse he wanted. Once he declared war on the US, Hitler was able to send submarines to our East Coast where they sank over 600 ships. They even sank ships in the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Interesting take, re 'one more year', though I doubt he could have won. He basically lost when he failed to take Moscow, imo; he could have taken the Soviets out with a victory there. It's a myth they could have kept on retreating forever, since their rail network and most of the industry was in the western regions of Russia, as well as many of it's mines. Early British aid was all that kept them out of Moscow, and all that kept Stalin in the war and able to launch offensives in 1943, and Britain couldn't have sent that aid without its American supply chain.

 

[Picaro]

Here's A Question

Britain And France Were Bound By Treaty To Ensure The Sovereignty Of Poland
Germany Invaded Poland, Britain And France Declared War On Germany
USSR Co-Invaded Poland With Germany
Britain And France Didn't Declare War On USSR

FDR, Churchill, DeGaulle, and Truman sold Poland out to Stalin.

Patton was right.

Nobody could do anything about Poland, and Patton wasn't right. Most of his early success in the field came from his skill at picking competent staff, like Omar Bradley, and his social clout, which kept him well supplied and rolling. He learned a lot form his staff, and wasn't bashful about giving them credit. He was a good division commander, but not that good as an Army commander; he mostly followed Ike's lead on strategy; he was also good at manipulating the press in his favor, and made lots of gung ho noises, but at the end of the day it was Ike who was right to stick to the original plan. His greatest achievement was getting Eisenhower the top spot in Europe, and blocking MacArthur's campaign to get the appointment. That was a selfless act of patriotism he gets little credit for, and few even are aware of it. There was nothing in eastern Europe we needed, just a lot of former Nazi sympathizers and basket cases.

 

[there4eyeM]

Perhaps he was thinking that, with the U.S. fully involved in the Pacific, they would not be able to react, as they had in WWI, to increased submarine activity in the Atlantic. He was trying to strangle England without opening another war with America, and the opportunity presented itself. It was a gamble, but he seems to have been a gambler militarily. History shows that audacity it sometimes rewarded (Alexander, Hannibal, Napoleon, etc.).
Then, sometimes not...

 

[Likkmee]

LIL Adolf simply wanted to MAGA

 

[karpenter]

Britain and France were obligated to declare war on Germany but...

But...
If The USSR Invaded Poland By Itself
That Would Not Have Invoked The Same Treaty Condition ??

Churchill Knew If He Gave All Of Poland To Russia
Then It Would Have Negated The Point Of Going To War At All

 

[Picaro]

Britain and France were obligated to declare war on Germany but...

But...
If The USSR Invaded Poland By Itself
That Would Not Have Invoked The Same Treaty Condition ??

Churchill Knew If He Gave All Of Poland To Russia
Then It Would Have Negated The Point Of Going To War At All

Well, Britain and Russia were allies at the time; since Hitler had invaded the new situation in Poland made supporting Soviet occupation of the other half the viable option. I don't see the conflict; after the Nazi invasion the point is moot; there is no independent Poland any more.