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Originally Posted by melkor the first Germany was no more obliged to declare war on the US than Japan was to declare war on the Soviet Union. It is probably likely that since the US had been escorting British convoys and attacking U-boate that Hitler simply believed that this was inevitable and that the timing was appropriate. There may even been a hope that Japan would quickly sew up the Pacific diverting US Naval activity away from the Atlantic at the same time opening larger areas to attack the convoys. |
This is pretty much my understanding as well, Germany had no obligation to declare war on the US however I think that Doppleganger is also correct in that the intent of the treaty was to support the other signatories in the event of a war with a party outside their existing opposition.
However isnt this getting a tad off topic?.