Why did Germany declare war on America during WW2 (Short Animated Documentary)
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Date: 2024-10-26
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Comments and reviews: 20
dennisenright9347
Japan probably didn't regard Germany as a dependable ally. When Manchuria went to war with Mongolia, the Mongols' side was mostly Soviet troops, and actually led in battle by a general named Zhukov, and Manchuria was a puppet state of the Japanese army. At the very time when Ribbentrop and Molotov were signing a non aggression pact, Zhukov was slaughtering Japanese soldiers at a place called Khalkan Gol. A second point is that at no point during the war was less than seventy percent of the Japanese army deployed outside of China. China's number one supplier of weapons was! Germany, and German soldiers were training the Chinese army. Thus, the Soviets had already delivered a serious beating to Japan, and German weapons and tactics were killing Japanese soldiers in China. The Japanese were VERY UNLIKELY to go to war with the Soviets even when the Germans were approaching Moscow, because they WOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED THE GERMANS NOT TO ACCEPT A SEPARATE PEACE, therefore enabling Stalin to send the entire Red Army against the Japanese in Siberia or Manchuria. The Germans declared war for two reasons: America was already helping the British, and the japanese were already committed to naval war against the US rather than land combat in Siberia.
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Japan probably didn't regard Germany as a dependable ally. When Manchuria went to war with Mongolia, the Mongols' side was mostly Soviet troops, and actually led in battle by a general named Zhukov, and Manchuria was a puppet state of the Japanese army. At the very time when Ribbentrop and Molotov were signing a non aggression pact, Zhukov was slaughtering Japanese soldiers at a place called Khalkan Gol. A second point is that at no point during the war was less than seventy percent of the Japanese army deployed outside of China. China's number one supplier of weapons was! Germany, and German soldiers were training the Chinese army. Thus, the Soviets had already delivered a serious beating to Japan, and German weapons and tactics were killing Japanese soldiers in China. The Japanese were VERY UNLIKELY to go to war with the Soviets even when the Germans were approaching Moscow, because they WOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED THE GERMANS NOT TO ACCEPT A SEPARATE PEACE, therefore enabling Stalin to send the entire Red Army against the Japanese in Siberia or Manchuria. The Germans declared war for two reasons: America was already helping the British, and the japanese were already committed to naval war against the US rather than land combat in Siberia.
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toddvogel8887
I do think the Germans had a couple of things right, in a sense. Mainly that America was Going to join the war sooner or later, and that declaring war on the Americans would allow them to attack transport ships more freely. The problem is that those are only logical in a vacuum, as there was no way German U-Boats could completely cut off the Americans at sea, and also Germany had no real way to deal with an angry and prepared American army, not while fighting another war on the other side of the continent.
If they had waited until they (MAYBE) defeated the Soviets (If that would even be possible) before declaring war, then yes, they would (maybe) have had some chance and it may have been a (possibly) good idea, since waiting for the Americans to strike the first blow was likely not going to be seen as a good idea by anyone.
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I do think the Germans had a couple of things right, in a sense. Mainly that America was Going to join the war sooner or later, and that declaring war on the Americans would allow them to attack transport ships more freely. The problem is that those are only logical in a vacuum, as there was no way German U-Boats could completely cut off the Americans at sea, and also Germany had no real way to deal with an angry and prepared American army, not while fighting another war on the other side of the continent.
If they had waited until they (MAYBE) defeated the Soviets (If that would even be possible) before declaring war, then yes, they would (maybe) have had some chance and it may have been a (possibly) good idea, since waiting for the Americans to strike the first blow was likely not going to be seen as a good idea by anyone.
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yorktown99
There was also the issue of the Battle of the Atlantic. By declaring war on the United States, Germany could now send the U-Boats farther west, even targeting ships on the US coast. There was a partial expectation that the submarine warfare could disrupt American efforts to deploy a large army to Britain (which it didn't yet have. While it was acknowledged that the United States was a large nation of vast industrial potential, the Germans did not take into consideration that American shipyards could literally build ships faster than the Germans could sink them, at which point they even developed small escort carriers that could destroy U-Boats at a moment's notice.
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There was also the issue of the Battle of the Atlantic. By declaring war on the United States, Germany could now send the U-Boats farther west, even targeting ships on the US coast. There was a partial expectation that the submarine warfare could disrupt American efforts to deploy a large army to Britain (which it didn't yet have. While it was acknowledged that the United States was a large nation of vast industrial potential, the Germans did not take into consideration that American shipyards could literally build ships faster than the Germans could sink them, at which point they even developed small escort carriers that could destroy U-Boats at a moment's notice.
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stefanj1610
Short answer Because not so funny Little Moustache Austrian Man and his cronies and henchmen were megalomaniac genocidal nutters who were trying so very hard to have it coming to them In spite of past experience Because they so fell for their own propaganda after the first time around (undefeated on the field of battle - LOL) that the really went for seconds, big time So totally delusional that they went all in for Ze Total Defeat Which they got, except for at least 6 years too late.
P. S.: Anthony Mc Auliffe had an even shorter answer.
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Short answer Because not so funny Little Moustache Austrian Man and his cronies and henchmen were megalomaniac genocidal nutters who were trying so very hard to have it coming to them In spite of past experience Because they so fell for their own propaganda after the first time around (undefeated on the field of battle - LOL) that the really went for seconds, big time So totally delusional that they went all in for Ze Total Defeat Which they got, except for at least 6 years too late.
P. S.: Anthony Mc Auliffe had an even shorter answer.
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Pikkabuu
You missed couple of key points.
1. US and Germany were already fighting an undeclared war on the Atlantic, and the Kriegsmarine had asked already multiple times for a declaration of war as the US Navy was hindering their operations.
2. As per the idea that US was eventually going to declare war Germany should be the one to declare war as A great nation declares war, it doesn't have war declared onto it. Supposedly some German official pointed this out before German declaration of war.
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You missed couple of key points.
1. US and Germany were already fighting an undeclared war on the Atlantic, and the Kriegsmarine had asked already multiple times for a declaration of war as the US Navy was hindering their operations.
2. As per the idea that US was eventually going to declare war Germany should be the one to declare war as A great nation declares war, it doesn't have war declared onto it. Supposedly some German official pointed this out before German declaration of war.
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history_matters
This video raises great points but fails, as so many, to mention that the US and Germany were already fighting over the course of 1941, before the declaration of war. American warships were escorting convoys to Britain in the Atlantic, which led to American ships attacking German subs and vice versa (see USS Greer and the following shoot on sight order by Roosevelt. Therefore Germany's conviction for why they thought war was inevitable is a bit more understandable.
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This video raises great points but fails, as so many, to mention that the US and Germany were already fighting over the course of 1941, before the declaration of war. American warships were escorting convoys to Britain in the Atlantic, which led to American ships attacking German subs and vice versa (see USS Greer and the following shoot on sight order by Roosevelt. Therefore Germany's conviction for why they thought war was inevitable is a bit more understandable.
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education
A lot of information could be better.
Japan DID have interest in fighting the soviets. They had no interest in fighting both the United States and Soviet Union at the same time because they acknowledged that it was outside of their capability.
A certain Zoomer that is also a Historian also goes really into depth on the actual specifics and translating the actual German Speeches to English to better understand the painter's rational.
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A lot of information could be better.
Japan DID have interest in fighting the soviets. They had no interest in fighting both the United States and Soviet Union at the same time because they acknowledged that it was outside of their capability.
A certain Zoomer that is also a Historian also goes really into depth on the actual specifics and translating the actual German Speeches to English to better understand the painter's rational.
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anderskorsback4104
All true, and to add, the US had spent the last year gradually moving towards more and more active support of the UK, and public opinion was shifting towards entering the war. So it was hardly unwarranted to expect it to join the war in Europe soon anyway. Declaring war first enabled Germany to start raiding US shipping, which it was well positioned to do as much of the US Navy was expected to have to deal with Japan.
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All true, and to add, the US had spent the last year gradually moving towards more and more active support of the UK, and public opinion was shifting towards entering the war. So it was hardly unwarranted to expect it to join the war in Europe soon anyway. Declaring war first enabled Germany to start raiding US shipping, which it was well positioned to do as much of the US Navy was expected to have to deal with Japan.
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LazarusLong10
This applies to WW1 as well. After the discovery of the Zimmerman telegram MANY Americans thought it was a fake. Britain lied about how they got it because they didn’t want the USA to know its transatlantic communications were being tapped, and Zimmerman just comes out a few days later and is like Oh yeah thats totally real! We offered Mexico US territory if they declared war. Very odd decision I’ve never understood.
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This applies to WW1 as well. After the discovery of the Zimmerman telegram MANY Americans thought it was a fake. Britain lied about how they got it because they didn’t want the USA to know its transatlantic communications were being tapped, and Zimmerman just comes out a few days later and is like Oh yeah thats totally real! We offered Mexico US territory if they declared war. Very odd decision I’ve never understood.
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cjimmersive6955
Better to declare war and keep the initiative: this doesn’t make sense to me. Initiative is when you’re surprise landing in Canada, not announcing your intentions to the newspaper and radio. But the other part about causing countries to pick a side makes sense. And maybe it’s better PR to counter-declare war than to declare a surprise war. At least that’s how it works in Civ 6.
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Better to declare war and keep the initiative: this doesn’t make sense to me. Initiative is when you’re surprise landing in Canada, not announcing your intentions to the newspaper and radio. But the other part about causing countries to pick a side makes sense. And maybe it’s better PR to counter-declare war than to declare a surprise war. At least that’s how it works in Civ 6.
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wittylibrarian
Admiral Yamamoto had no illusions about going to war against the U. S. I can run wild for a year, after that no promises, he told the Japanese military leaders. He didn't even get six months, by June 1942 they suffered heavy losses at Midway and were in a losing defensive battle against more manpower, more machinery, more fuel, more focus.
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Admiral Yamamoto had no illusions about going to war against the U. S. I can run wild for a year, after that no promises, he told the Japanese military leaders. He didn't even get six months, by June 1942 they suffered heavy losses at Midway and were in a losing defensive battle against more manpower, more machinery, more fuel, more focus.
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WWFanatic0
Although the leaked war plans weren't that impactful. Countries make war plan all the time. Staff officers routinely do so as a sort of exercise. Also considering the war plan system had ideas for everything from invading Canada in a hypothetical two front war with Japan and the UK it's not like they were that notable.
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Although the leaked war plans weren't that impactful. Countries make war plan all the time. Staff officers routinely do so as a sort of exercise. Also considering the war plan system had ideas for everything from invading Canada in a hypothetical two front war with Japan and the UK it's not like they were that notable.
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michiganpride389
Because Germany knew that if they didn't declare war on The USA. The USA would have to receive a war plan and training from James Bisonette and Financial back from Kelly MoneyMaker. And with those people being given time to take their rightful places in the military. The war in Europe was as good as over
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Because Germany knew that if they didn't declare war on The USA. The USA would have to receive a war plan and training from James Bisonette and Financial back from Kelly MoneyMaker. And with those people being given time to take their rightful places in the military. The war in Europe was as good as over
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girlbuu9403
You left out that US destroyers were already subhunting in the mid Atlantic in early 1940 well outside of their territorial waters. They were already sinking German U-boats no where near their coast, combined with what you did say about volunteers and supplies they were seen as already pretty much at war
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You left out that US destroyers were already subhunting in the mid Atlantic in early 1940 well outside of their territorial waters. They were already sinking German U-boats no where near their coast, combined with what you did say about volunteers and supplies they were seen as already pretty much at war
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PancakeBoi
Thing was Both Japan and Germany saw American citizens as mot willing to fight a war and that if you could deal a major blow to them the country would sue for an early peace. They underestimated the American will to fight (especially when it was attacked first)
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Thing was Both Japan and Germany saw American citizens as mot willing to fight a war and that if you could deal a major blow to them the country would sue for an early peace. They underestimated the American will to fight (especially when it was attacked first)
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Eboreg2
Because after what happened with the Reuben James, it became rather apparent that American Neutrality was a farce. Also, U-203's meeting with the USS Texas could have ended _very_ poorly for the Germans if U-203's captain had been slightly more trigger-happy.
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Because after what happened with the Reuben James, it became rather apparent that American Neutrality was a farce. Also, U-203's meeting with the USS Texas could have ended _very_ poorly for the Germans if U-203's captain had been slightly more trigger-happy.
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xmaniac99
Italy did not declare war to the USA, Germany declared war to the US on behalve of itself AND Italy. This is also one of the reasons why the US was so extremely lenient towards Italy during the surreal negotiations to great anger of the French and British.
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Italy did not declare war to the USA, Germany declared war to the US on behalve of itself AND Italy. This is also one of the reasons why the US was so extremely lenient towards Italy during the surreal negotiations to great anger of the French and British.
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Dan-TheOracle
Nope. america had already been fighting both directly and indirectly long before Germany made it legal. They were also well aware of what america had done to Japan in the hopes of provoking its reaction while Japan were fighting against the commies.
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Nope. america had already been fighting both directly and indirectly long before Germany made it legal. They were also well aware of what america had done to Japan in the hopes of provoking its reaction while Japan were fighting against the commies.
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archieames1968
The irony is if the Nzi s really stood by their racial supremacy ideals they would have not so readily believed Japan would be a formidable match capable of dividing the US's attention and be much less likely to join the war with them.
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The irony is if the Nzi s really stood by their racial supremacy ideals they would have not so readily believed Japan would be a formidable match capable of dividing the US's attention and be much less likely to join the war with them.
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poptart2nd
Fun fact: the major soviet counteroffensive around Moscow, turning the tide of the battle there, happened _the very same week_ as the attack on Pearl Harbor. Up until that point, germany had seen a nearly unbroken streak of victories
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Fun fact: the major soviet counteroffensive around Moscow, turning the tide of the battle there, happened _the very same week_ as the attack on Pearl Harbor. Up until that point, germany had seen a nearly unbroken streak of victories
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