The speech where Adolf Hitler declared war on the USA, 1941

On December 11, 1941, several days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' declaration of war against the Japanese Empire, Nazi Germany declared war on the United States, in response to what claimed to be a series of provocations. it was done. The United States government when America was formally neutral during World War II.

The decision to declare war was made almost entirely by Adolf Hitler without consultation. Hitler had not received any advance notice from the Japanese about the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Although he and his foreign minister Ribbentrop had verbally indicated their willingness to join Japan in the war against the US, it broke down, with Hitler having no formal treaty obligation to declare war on the United States. was. Such a treaty was actually drawn up and circulated in the weeks before Pearl Harbor, but it remained unsigned.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor surprised even Germany. Although Hitler had made an oral agreement with his axis nation Japan that Germany would engage in a war against the United States, he was unsure how the war would take place.

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor answered this question. On 8 December, the Japanese ambassador Oshima went to the German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop to quell the Germans on a formal declaration of war against the US.

Von Ribbentrop paused for the time being; He knew that Germany was not obliged to do so under the terms of the tripartite treaty, which promised help if Japan was attacked, but not if Japan was the aggressor. Von Ribbentrop feared that another adversary, other than the United States, would affect the German war effort.

Hitler recognized that war with the United States was inevitable. He was absolutely right. America was neutral in name only at that time and would sooner or later join the war on Britain's side.

Hitler therefore decided that the best move would be to declare war on the United States in December 1941, both to show solidarity with the Japanese/strengthen Axis ties and to dispose of the bulk of their Pacific Fleet. To hit America after the (though not significantly crippling) blow.

What Hitler did wrong (which was exactly what the Japanese high command got wrong) was by completely undermining the production power of the United States as well as the country's desire to shift the vast majority of that production to wartime needs. Was judged.

Regardless of Hitler's reasons for the declaration, the decision is generally seen as a major strategic blunder on his part, as it allowed the United States to enter the European War in support of the United Kingdom and the Allies. , while still facing it. Japanese threat in the Pacific.

Some other facts about this speech

The speech to the Reichstag was originally planned for 10 December, but was delayed by a day so the German and Italian embassies in Washington had time to burn their cables.

Hitler's declaration of war came as a major relief to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who feared the prospect of two parallel disconnected wars (the UK and the Soviet Union versus Germany in Europe, the US versus Japan in the Pacific).

With the declaration of Nazi Germany against the United States, American aid to Britain was assured in both theaters of war as a full ally.

The reason Hermann Göring grew up in the chair is because he was the Reichspresident, which means the president of the Reichstag. In this situation it was his duty to keep an eye on the discussions and therefore he is sitting above the others. This is similar to how the US House is set up during the State of the Union, with the president and vice president (who serves as the president of the Senate) sitting behind the president, and whoever is the presiding officer on normal days. Yes, he is sitting there. , It is a standard for parliaments and congresses.

The eagle's background is quite a feat, with its pointed edges and predatory posture imposing power, discipline, order, and fear. Everything Nazi was originally created to impress and specifically scare. It is easier to sell an image than to sell an ideology, especially in the environment where Germany was at the time.