World War II Documents: German Declaration of War with the United States (Illustrated Edition‪)‬

All Americans are familiar with the “day that will live in infamy.” On December 7, 1941, the Japanese conducted a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor (called Hawaii Operation or Operation AI by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters (Operation Z in planning), carried out by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base. The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States.

The timeless speech of President Roosevelt urging Congress for a Declaration of War against Japan is unforgettable, but the declarations of war against the other Axis powers were just as important, particularly against the Nazis. And for their part, the Germans wasted no time declaring war on the United States, doing so on December 11, 1941. 

This edition of the historic German Declaration of War with the United States on December 11, 1941 is illustrated with pictures of the war’s important leaders and the attack on Pearl Harbor.