My Amazon Review of Brendan Simms' and Charlie Laderman's "Hitler's American Gamble"

 

Five Days in December

 

Cambridge history professor Brendan Simms and King’s College lecturer Charlie Laderman have offered up a revisionist history on why Hitler declared war on the United States and why it was not self-evident that the United States would enter the war absent Hitler’s declaration. The five days between the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 and Hitler’s declaration of war on December 11, 1941, were truly momentous. Two days before the Soviets launched a massive counterattack on German forces deep inside of Russia and broke through on a broad front throughout the month. In Egypt the British were pushing the Germans out of Libya creating great tension in Vichy France.

 

Meanwhile the Japanese were running riot throughout southeast Asia by occupying Thailand, invading Malaya, and attacking the Philippines. On December 10^th land based Japanese aircraft sunk the prides of the British Navy, the battleships HMS Prince of Wales and the Repulse thereby breaking British sea power in region and paving the way for the taking of Singapore. It also marked the end of the battleship era in naval power. Henceforth aircraft and submarines would rule the waves.

 

After Pearl Harbor America declares war on Japan, but it does nothing with respect to Germany. This is despite the fact that there were ongoing military coordination talks between Britain and the United States. Popular history has it that America left isolationism after Pearl Harbor, not true according to Simms and Laderman. To them the isolationist lobby was still strong enough to cause hesitancy on the part of Roosevelt to delay declaring war on Germany. Further much to Churchill’s consternation lend lease aid to Britain and Russia was suspended to reallocate the supplies to the Pacific war. Thus, it is Germany’s declaration of war that brings America into the European conflict making the war truly global.

 

Strategically Hitler’s move was a disaster. Why did he do it? He did not have to act under Germany’s defensive treaty with Japan. Japan attacked the U.S., not the other way around. According to Simms and Laderman Hitler believe that war with the United States was inevitable, and he would rather have it on his terms than Roosevelt’s. He viewed America as the ultimate “have” power while his Germany was the ultimate “have not” power. He also believed that the United States could not fight a two-front war with the Axis and that, at least initially, lend lease aid to Britain and Russia would wane. It was American and British arms that turned the tide at the Battle of Moscow.

 

With the U.S. in the war Hitler had no need to delay his final solution in western Europe. To him the Jews of western Europe were hostages to keep America out, but with his declaration the roundup of western European Jewry was rapidly accelerated.  In the east Jews were treated as enemy and treated accordingly. The infamous Wannsee Conference to plan the destruction of European Jewry would take place in January.

 

This is a book of microhistory that delves into great detail on the high politics of a few days that changed the world along with a series of (wo)man on the street comments on the fast-moving events which gives the book great texture. Simms and Laderman have written a history at its best.   

For the complete Amazon URL see: Five Days in December (amazon.com)