Hitler's plan?

Some good answers here, particularly the explanation about the link between the embargo on Japan and the Japanese decision to attack the US in order to get the US to reconsider the embargo (a massive miscalculation).

A little extra background though.. Germany and Japan had seen the other European powers divide the entire world (except for the US and South America) into colonies or 'spheres of influence'. Germany's worldwide colonies had been stripped from her at the end of WW1. Japan which was attempting to do in China what the Russians, French, British and even the Germans had done 'before' in China was being told by the US that this was not permitted. Both the Germans and the Japanese then had a view that the US and the other European powers were applying a double standard, and freezing them out of the benefits of a colonial empire.

Hitler explicitly talked about creating 'room' for the German people to expand (and also about depopulating Russia in order to make that 'room'); the Japanese talked about a 'co-prosperity sphere' - which was double speak for a 'Japanese prosperity sphere'. Ultimately these were the 'ambitions' that fired not just Hitler and Tojo, but the bulk of the German and Japanese people who supported them.

Hitler and Tojo had (initially) fairly limited territorial ambitions. Hitler as best one can tell certainly intended to conquer the Middle East, while the Japanese certainly intended India to become a 'client state'. The fact that Hitler tolerated the Vichy French State (and its colonies) suggests that he was being truthful when he said that he could co-exist with France and Britain as a co-equal world power (if only the British would come to their senses and call a truce and let the Nazis get on with the business of exterminating the entire Russian population.).

As for the German declaration of war on the US; it was an act of complete and utter folly by Hitler. The only explanation could be that Hitler was convinced that he would shortly be sharing the world with only one remaining power - Japan, and wanted to keep their relations on a good footing. Strategically it was an incredible mistake, because it closed off the possibility that the US would have devoted 100% of its efforts to defeating the Japanese while the Germans (in the meantime) knocked the British and the Soviets out of the War.

One last point. Hitler and Tojo basically 'called the tune' about where and how the War proceeded, up until December 1941. From the beginning of 1942 however Alan Brooke (Head of the British 'Chiefs of Staff') had laid a plan for the defeat of Germany, and MacArthur and King had designed a plan to defeat Japan. All these plans were based around the British and the US intention (if not immediately the ability) to take control of the seas and threaten Japan and Germany 'everywhere' so that the Axis powers had to spread their forces out and diminish their capacity to attack (and defend their gains). From that point on Germany and Japan basically reacted to the allied moves - which meant that from 1942 both Germany and Japan were fighting for their existence, rather than for their concept of a 'new world order'.

I hate it when people answer a question with a full-length novel that no one will ever read and hog up the entire screen.

1) Hitler's plan was World domination starting with Russia to create living space for Germans, Germany would control all of Europe, South America and Russia, Italy would control Africa and Japan the Pacific= there were multiple variations of this before and during the war.

2) Japan bombed the US after escalated diplomatic, territorial and trade disputes, whihc came to a head when the US put an embargo on Oil and steel exports to them- Japan was going to slowly be strangled, so it stuck quickly to negate US strength in the Pacific

3) Germany was under treaty with Japan, and though not required to, Hitler decided it was important to validate it by declaring War on the US- whihc was well known to be actively working against Germany already.

2)

This is an excellent question. On the pretense of breaking the Versailles Treaty that put severe restrictions on Germany, he wanted to lift these and give the country "living space." That was his pretense for breaking the Treaty, and first taking The Rhineland, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. The invasion of Poland demonstrated that Hitler's thirst for power knew no limits, and finally other opponents stood up to him. He probably would have invaded one of those opponents, Great Britain, but he could not devise a plan that overcome Britain's geographical obstacles.

Hitler's irrationality was shown by his invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. His pact with the Soviets made just about two years earlier had allowed him, free from their possible opposition, to takeover most of Western Europe. He considered the Soviets a barbaric people that needed extermination. His actually wrote that about the Russian people in his autobiography "My Struggle."

So Hitler did want to takeover Western Europe. He believed that the Aryan race, German Teutonic people were the ideal. The Ayrans should control the world, because of their natural superority.

Thankfully, this was stopped. Hitler's plans to do this were bascially stated in his book "My Struggle." Unfortunately, few people read it or believed he meant it, but Hitler did. In closing, he wanted to take over the planet, but probably for logistical limits would have taken Europe, and then expanded as much as he could.

Hitler's plan had three faces: 1) short -term:to take over Central Europe preferably without war, so to have raw material and industial capacity for the realisation of the other two phases or accoding to Napoleonic dictum to make one conquest to pay for the next, 2) medium- term: to take over most of Europe expect (Great Britain) especially the Eastern up to Ural Mountains which considered as Lebenstraum (vital space)for Germany, and to became master of Europe having crushed millitarily its peceived enemies, Soviet Union in particular,3)long- term: to create a strong Navy (in fact his Navy was by far the weakest of his Armed Services) to take out Great Britain and its Empire, preferably with Japanease help; and then to take on his final enemy: United States of America, and so to became more or less the most powerful leader on Earth. (of course goes without saying, that by then the Jews would have been extreminated up to the last one )

Yer he needed the 'aryan' race to exist. that definitely ability blue eyes, blonde hair and a powerful masculine parent. for women, he needed them to the the housewife to enhance as many little ones as possible (medals have been given out to those women who raised a minimum of four, i heard of one german female who raised 17!) 'Lebensraum' replaced into additionally yet another coverage which in simple terms ability residing area, he definitely had to triumph over. you ought to undergo in strategies Hitler fought in WW1 and Germany have been given an extremely poor deal after the loss, turning out to be the stab-interior the back concept. it incredibly is in simple terms too between the climate stimulating his racial hate of the jews. together with his mass extermination of the jews, you're magnificent in asserting he had to banish imperfections. Shamefully, hundreds of those with disabilities have been 'dealt' with or maybe little ones have been scientifically examined on, in brutal procedures. If his one thousand year plan worked, then this website i will assure does not be right here! i will think of we'd be studying in our faculties suitable to the large father Hitler founding Nazism and being a god like parent. Germany could be considered as a results of fact the flagship u . s . of the international and the international be run in a Nazi puppet gadget below dictorial leaderships. Germany could have by no ability won the war, no longer with the united statesa.in touch. besides the incontrovertible fact that, for each a million german solider that died, a minimum of 10 allied infantrymen died...i chanced on thats a fascinating certainty. ask your self this, what could have got here approximately if Nazi Germany created the atom bomb?

Jonny, you seem to really want to understand WW II....so, try the sites I'm giving you. In a nutshell, he wanted Germany to dominate in the world. Someone can explain and paraphrase, but there's nothing close to understanding fully unless you read it for yourself....

http://www.dac.neu.edu/holocaust/Hitlers_Plans.htm

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/proc/judnazi...

http://www.prisonplanet.com/the_rise_of_hitler_the...

http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/nazi/adolf-hitle...

(scroll down a bit and you will find links to a lot of his policies)

Now, as to Japan?

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because the U.S. enacted an embargo on all oil supplies to Japan. The reason for the embargo is because Japan was invading China. The U.S. embargo cut-off 90% of Japans resources, which crippled their economy. They didn't want to go to war, they just wanted to cripple the United States so they could bring them to the bargaining table to negotiate expansion into Asia. The plan backfired, with awful consequences for Japan.

Besides all the good answers you got to your question there is one thing that explains why the german people followed Hitler and that is the outcome of WWI and how it affected the German economy.

some call him a cruel man, some call him a man of justice which brought sacrifice. Either way he did waht was right for germany, although JUST germany. I suggest you google this, there isnt just one answer to this question

Like any megalomaniac he wanted the world to bow to him. And his Master Race lording it and bowing to him, and 'cleaning' the human race. But the whole of Europe would have made a good start.

Plan what Plan? Hitler was an idiot with no strategic sense. Hitler could hardly comprehend a map and the globe baffled him. (One reason why Chaplin's 'Great Dictator' image of 'Hitler' playing with a balloon globe was so funny). Hitler's stated goal was 'lebensraum' , Living Room for the Germanic People. Hitler clearly stated that that land was 'free for the taking,' the vast expanse of the lands of Russia, because those lands were held by 'Asiatic Hordes' and currently enslaved by Bolsheviks/Commies.

Hitler had a chance to 'quietly' consume the Soviet Union. After Hitler attacked and conquered Poland in 1939 he paused to regroup while Great Britain and France issued ultimatums and finally declared war. There were incidents at sea involving elements of the German Navy and Great Britain but no actual fighting.

Hitler had no strategic sense. He had risen to power by reminding his Germanic audience of 'the shame of Versailles' and the harsh treatment that France insisted upon. France bashing was a popular sport. But it made no strategic sence to attack France. France could have attacked Germany while Germany was fighting Poland but France failed to do so. France hunkered down behind the Maginot Line.

Hitler attacked France out of anger. Great Britain was Franes ally and since Great Britain was an Empire the whole World, or rather a big chunk of it, was at War with Hitler. If Hitler had ignored France and attacked Soviet Russia despite or in spite of the Non Agression Pact, in 1940, Hitler may have succeeded in taking large chunks of Russian territory, possibly all of it, while the West sat behind their defenses and grumbled. They too disliked Bolsheviks. In fact if France had stood idly by while Hitler had a go at Russia, then communist inside France may have rioted and it is possible that France would have invited Hitler to help quell the disturbances, seriously this is not as far fetched as it sounds. There were groups inside France well before the war that liked what Hitler had to say which is why it was so easy to take France in 1940.

Anyhow - - - - Hitler was an opportunist. If by some weird stretch of fate Hitler had subdued Soviet Russia he may have attacked America. As it was when Hitler did declare war on America it was another strategic blunder. Hitler did not have to declare war on America in spite of a treaty with Japan. Hitler had demonstrated the value of treaties with his early agressions. Ignoring Japan would have made sence. Isolationist in America didn't want war with Hitler and would have been quite happy concentrating their efforts against Japan.

Hitler would take the World if he could but he had no coherent plan for doing so. Hitler didn't have a coherent plan for anything. Fuzzy ideas, loft ambitions but Hitler was a definite Attention Deficit Disorder type.

Whew getting winded here.

Japan's motivation has been well documented. US oil embargoes, perceived rudeness toward Japan, America's inability to 'understand' the Japanese all played their part. BUT - - - Japan's actions were one of the stupiest blunders in history. Japan's goals were simple. Seize territory in Southeast Asia from France and Malaysia from the British and Indonesia which was Dutch territory at the time, and maybe just maybe seize The Philipines. Japan assumed America would get involved. Japan had a simple plan for dealing with America. Ignore America as long as possible, when no longer possible manuever in for a big fleet action in the deep waters of the South East Pacific. Japan's nine carriers an experienced pilots against three maybe four American carriers and their novice pilots (as far as war was concerned, American training was excellent byt battle experience counts).

Enter Admiral Yamamoto who once attended Harvard University. Yamamoto managed to sell the idea of a preemptive strike against America on a sleepy SUnday morning. An attack on mostly obsolete ships with no plans to destroy the dockyard facilities or more important to destroy the fuel farm / petroleum storage. Ships sunk in shallow water can be and were mostly raised and since the dockyard itself received minimal damage (example the Pennsylvania was sunk in her drydock but the drydock itself was not bombed and destroyed), well you are smart. What was really stupid was attacking America on a Sunday. A sneak attack, America got angry. Angry enough to kick Japanese b@tt all the way back to the home island before bombing them into submission. ANgry enough to answer President Roosevelt's call to war. If Japan had stuck to her original plan it is hard to imagine Americans getting all that worked up over an attack on Singapore and Hong Kong. Maybe the Philipines since those held American bases but of all the places to hit. Pearl Harbor. Well Americans scarcely knew where that was but when they heard the names of Hawai'i and Honolulu and Waikiki!!

In conclusion// There is no sane reason for either Japan's attack or for Hitler rushing to Declare War on America. Both rank as the most bone headed decisions of the 20th Century.

Peace///