Why did Hitler declare war on US ?

Originally posted by Maju I've read that actually a big deal of the US Pacfic Fleet, with base in Pearl Harbour, was out of port in some sort of maneouvres precisely when the Japanese attacked. There were some ships in port, many if you wish, but a good deal of the Western Fleet was doing something else.

The three aircraft carriers with the fleet at Hawaii were on exercise along with their escorts, I think north and east of Oahu (not sure how far).  They were engaged in intensive training of air crew for dive bombers and torpedo bombers and had minimal live munitions aboard.  Of the 9 battleships, 8 were docked in Pearl, and one was refitting in the U.S.

When the first wave of Japanese planes returned to their carriers after attacking the battleships, and it was reported that the American carriers were not at Pearl Harbor, it was debated whether the Japanese should return again as planned to strike the oil storage facilities and further damage the air fields.  Admiral Nagumo as fleet commander decided that since they did not know the whereabouts of the American carriers, it was too risky to remain longer, and that the main objective of the operation had been successfully met.  Part of their orders I believe included not engaging American forces "unnecessarily."  Preserving the major units of the fleet was crucial as Japan did not have the industrial capacity to replace losses as fast as the U.S.

 

I think that Germans were irrated by the fact that USA was sending convoys with help for Britain and that together with these convoys were american escort ships. This and the fact that USA and its ships were neutral was a pain in ass for u-boats crews. Hitler belived that without help from USA and Canada, Britain would be unnable to continue the war against Germany.

Edited by Mosquito

Originally posted by prsn41ife wait, werent the germans and the americans alraedy fighting an undeclared naval war prior to 1942 (for example, USA ships would try to sink U-boats, U-boats would try to sink USA ships and cargo ships)? or was that WWI?

Yes, pretty much it was true of both wars.  In World War II, as stated, it was one of the reasons Hitler declared war, to a large extent we already were at war and if it became official he could really let our convoys to Britain have it.

�After Pearl Harbour, Us declared war on Japan, but not Germany. Many american did not want to declare war on germany. But Hitler declared war on US. This was strange.Since Hitler had known that Germany was no match with US.He once reminded those officiers the lesson of WW1, that Us entered the war due to the sinking of her ships,and let to the final downfall of the Germany Empire. so he asked the submarine officiers to handle the Us ships carefully. But after Pearl Harbour, why didi he declare war on US, founding trouble for himself, since he had already have great trouble-- the giant of the East Russia. This did not make sense.He did not need to fulfill the alliance with Japan, since Japan did not declare war on Russia. He knew that the mighty industrial power of Us could handle two enemies at the same time, but German could not co-operate with japan effectively.Then why. Did the medicine he take creat illusion to him,letv him thought that he was so great, that mean he totally lost his mind when he made such decision.�

Actually, Germany was in one to one, but they were fighting to many countries. As for the German Empire, it was the same, but the US were just tie barkers. Germany did not want to go War with the US because they can not sack it like they did with the other countries�

Edited by Praetorian

I'm pretty sure Hitler was prodding the Japanese to honour their (admittedly vague) obligations under the Anti-Comintern Pact and declare war on the USSR, by way of making an example about how allies are supposed to act ... I think he felt declaring war on the US made little difference to Germany's situation, since the worst thing about the US was its industrial output, which was already headed to Britain. I don't think he really believed American industry would be mobilized a whole lot more, he probably felt America would be distracted with Japan and unwilling to really mobilize its economy and lifestyle and go to rationing etc. That's why the "Sleeping Giant" was such a surprise, it was unexpected. Judging by the general disposition of German forces and the small number of mostly garbage units they had on the Atlantic Wall, he really didn't seem to feel the West was much more than a nuisance whose worst was to tie down alot of the Luftwaffe and divert some of Germany's limited resources to the production of submarines.

Edited by edgewaters

Originally posted by QueenCleopatra For man so oppsessed with righting the wrongs done in WW1 he doesn't seem to have done much research does he? If he had he'd have seen that it was the USA entering the war in 1917 that was responible for Germany's defeat. So it was almost a given that the same would happen second time round especially since the US was more advanced militarily than it had it been back then.

According to the Nazis the Jews and Commies were the only reason Germany lost World War II.

Originally posted by tommy He once reminded those officiers the lesson of WW1, that Us entered the war due to the sinking of her ships,and let to the final downfall  of the Germany Empire. so he asked the submarine officiers to handle the Us ships carefully. But after Pearl Harbour, why didi he declare war on US, founding trouble for himself, since he had already have great trouble-- the giant of the East Russia. This did not make sense.

In 's declaration of war it said that he declared because America was giving too much help to Britain and attacking German ships. Really, I think wanted to conquer Ameria because it was the world's most powerful and famous democracy.

Why? Because Hitler believed it would ultimately be to his advantage. By declaring war on the U.S., he was forcing the U.S. into a two-front war. Remember, at this point, Germany had taken over Europe and Northern Africa, and was preparing to take control of Britain. I don't think Hitler ever fully realized the power that the U.S. would be able to put against him and he also knew that the U.S. public didn't support a war against Germany at that time (it was Roosevelt who could use the excuse that Germany was allied with Japan and therefore a direct threat to the U.S.). Hitler was simply being egotistical. By splitting American forces, he thought the Japanese navy would be able to defeat the Americans. I don't think he ever thought the U.S. would be able to reassemble such a powerful navy as fast as it did following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Therefore, Hitler thought that the Japanese could defeat the Americans in the Pacific and he would easily be able to defeat any American forces sent his way.

I believe it even looked as if Hitler may have been on to something in 1942. The U.S. military strategy was initially to lose as little lives as possible, and therefore they suffered some terrible struggles in the beginning of the war.


Edited by tekmonkey

Genghis (and anyone else):

Dennis Showalter's essay, in a volume on grand strategy (Paul Kennedy, ed.), makes the following points:

Prussia from the 18th century had always understood war making as having to remain within Prussia's limited resources.  The Silesian Wars were relatively short, and ended with negotiated settlements.  Efficient army - quick victory - gains solidified by negotiation.

In the Seven Years War, Prussia barely escaped defeat and dismemberment when the war became far beyond her resources.

In an era of nationalistic war, with the concept of the nation-in-arms, after the debacle of Jena (1806), the aristocratic officer corps and the royals feared the social dilution of the army with middle class attitudes, and also revolutionary activity that was dangerous to the monarchy, and to the position and status of the officer corps.  The longer armies were under arms in these conditions, the more likely revolutionary unrest.

Showalter makes two points here: (1) The armies must end future wars as quickly as possible; (2) As Clausewitz maintained that no war plan survives the "first contact," or early engagements, that contact had to be made to count.  Both of these points made sense to the aristos in the officer corps.

The wars of 1864, 1866 and 1870-71 were wars of this type.  The war plan of 1914 had similar objectives.  Swift, efficient strikes, decisive punishing victories and negotiated settlements consolidating Prussian (German) gains.

Showalter maintains that despite conventional wisdom, Germany sought pre-eminence, not hegemony in Europe.  You might disagree.

Because of unforseen results of technological advances, and also because other armies by 1914 were as large, well equipped and about the same in training (if not doctrine), Germany could not hope to match French-Russian manpower, and had to achieve a decisive end to the war quickly.  The inability to win the war in August and September resulted in a two front war of attrition in which Germany's relatively scarce resources were insufficient.

Similarly, in 1939-41, the inability to drive home decisive victory against enemies resulted in a multi-front war of annihilation and unconditional surrender.

In both of these 20th century wars, the ARMY sought to achieve success within limited resources, and for negotiated gains.  The NAZIS who were basically anti-aristocratic, and anti-army, were possessed by fantasy goals that could not reconcile ends and means.

Thus, because of deadlock in 1915-16, and Nazi megalomania in WW II, Germany found herself fighting total war for limited objectives, because those were all she was capable of.

Showalter blames the officer corps heavily, particularly in WW II.  The army in the East acted as a Nazi goon squad in far too many cases, and that behavior corrupted the officers of the Wehrmacht and destroyed the credibility and morale of the officer corps.  They were reduced to doing their best in retreat, and just postponing disaster and the inevitable defeat.

Hope this makes some sense.

 

Edited by pikeshot1600