Why did Hitler betray the Japanese in 1941?

Hitler's actual reaction to Pearl Harbor was of course ecstatic: We can't lose now, we have an ally that has never been conquered in 3,000 years, the Americans are going to be too tied up in the Pacific to give meaningful help to the UK or USSR, Great Britain will be weakened through the loss of its Far East colonies, etc. https://books.google.com/books?id=KZVrCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT290 It's hard for me to see him thinking otherwise (Goebbels shared this belief: there had been a "complete shift in the general world picture has taken place. The United States will scarcely now be in a position to transport worthwhile material to England, let alone the Soviet Union.")

As for the business about "Hitler's decision was driven by the desire to revenge Japan's failure to attack the Soviet Union earlier in 1941," as I noted in a post here a few years ago:

***

During the summer of 1941 he did hold out hopes for Japan joining the attack on the USSR, but these had faded by the autumn, as the Japanese steadily resisted Ribbentrop's pressure. In November, Japan's Imperial Conference had already drafted a proposal for Germany and Italy to enter the forthcoming US-Japan war on Japan's side *without* Japan's entering the war with the Soviets, and providing that there would be no separate peace. http://books.google.com/books?id=abwrzwDPU28C&pg=PA83 A few days before Pearl Harbor, "The German and Italian new draft of the Japanese proposal did not quite meet all of Japan's wishes, but both nations pledged to join Japan against the United States in case of war. This proposal wound up in Oshima's hands on December 5..." http://books.google.com/books?id=abwrzwDPU28C&pg=PA84

Thus, Hitler had already committed himself to take Japan's side against the United States *before* Pearl Harbor and *without* any Japanese commitment to attack the Soviet Union. In fact, he must have known that a Japan busy with a war against the US and UK would be most unlikely to attack the USSR unless the Soviets were already on the point of collapse. His miscalculation was not that Japan would attack the USSR but that the war against Japan would divert US resources so much that it could not give sufficient help to the UK or the USSR., even if it was nominally their ally. https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...after-pearl-harbor.330815/page-4#post-9805389

**

One final note: I suppose what makes this scenario plausible to some people is Hitler's racism. But as John Lukacs has noted, "The real racial differences among white, black, and yellow-skinned people did not much interest Hitler.[1] What interested him was 'the struggle *within* the white race, between the 'Aryans' and the Jews.' Only about Jews did he remain consistent, to the very end of his life..."

https://books.google.com/books?id=oRwJs6qCMvIC&pg=PA12

[1] Yes, like many Germans he was outraged by the French use of African troops for occupying the Rhineland, but this was mostly a stick with which to beat the hated French. And whatever Hitler's animus against blacks, he had very little against the "yellow-skinned" races, being willing at first to side with China and then Japan.
 
I love this POD. I sketched it out myself once on an other thread and got replies as abve. There is nothing to indicate it was around the corner IOTL, but on the other hand hand, it would only take some thoughts:
Were is this going to go. War against Britain, USSR and the US.......Going to war with Japan, would have made it very difficult to muster an anti-german opposition and would not hurt Germany at all. It would really reinforce Hitler's claim, that he was the bulwark against communism. Just the best possible move at the time, but he didnt see the opportunity IOTL. ITTL he does. Lets see where it goes.
The declaration of war on the United States was part of a treaty that Hitler had was Japan. Ironically it's one of the few treaties he ever kept. If I remember right Hitler did not want to go to war with the us at that time and was pissed at the Japanese for attacking the United States. Allies you can't live with them can't live without them.
 
The declaration of war on the United States was part of a treaty that Hitler had was Japan. Ironically it's one of the few treaties he ever kept. If I remember right Hitler did not want to go to war with the us at that time and was pissed at the Japanese for attacking the United States. Allies you can't live with them can't live without them.

This is totally wrong. As I noted above: Hitler's actual reaction to Pearl Harbor was of course ecstatic: We can't lose now, we have an ally that has never been conquered in 3,000 years, the Americans are going to be too tied up in the Pacific to give meaningful help to the UK or USSR, Great Britain will be weakened through the loss of its Far East colonies, etc. https://books.google.com/books?id=KZVrCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT290 It's hard for me to see him thinking otherwise (Goebbels shared this belief: there had been a "complete shift in the general world picture has taken place. The United States will scarcely now be in a position to transport worthwhile material to England, let alone the Soviet Union.")
 
This is totally wrong. As I noted above: Hitler's actual reaction to Pearl Harbor was of course ecstatic: We can't lose now, we have an ally that has never been conquered in 3,000 years, the Americans are going to be too tied up in the Pacific to give meaningful help to the UK or USSR, Great Britain will be weakened through the loss of its Far East colonies, etc. https://books.google.com/books?id=KZVrCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT290 It's hard for me to see him thinking otherwise (Goebbels shared this belief: there had been a "complete shift in the general world picture has taken place. The United States will scarcely now be in a position to transport worthwhile material to England, let alone the Soviet Union.")
I'm on my phone when I get back to a computer I'll look up try to find the source of that and there is a possibility I remember wrong I'm old
 
... One final note: I suppose what makes this scenario plausible to some people is Hitler's racism. But as John Lukacs has noted, "The real racial differences among white, black, and yellow-skinned people did not much interest Hitler.[1] What interested him was 'the struggle *within* the white race, between the 'Aryans' and the Jews.' Only about Jews did he remain consistent, to the very end of his life..."

https://books.google.com/books?id=oRwJs6qCMvIC&pg=PA12

[1] Yes, like many Germans he was outraged by the French use of African troops for occupying the Rhineland, but this was mostly a stick with which to beat the hated French. And whatever Hitler's animus against blacks, he had very little against the "yellow-skinned" races, being willing at first to side with China and then Japan.

In 1935, Abyssinia appealed to every government they could reach for help against Italy. Hitler was impressed by the patriotic spirit of the Abyssinians and their already demonstrated bravery in battle. He directed that they be given a dozen 37mm anti-tank guns, and a few million Reichsmarks credit for other German arms.

Of course this was trivial in comparison to what Abyssinia needed to have a chance against Italy - but it shows that for Hitler, character could trump race.

One should also note that at the same time that Japan attacked the US, Japan also attacked the British Empire, which was at war with Germany. The Japanese conquest of SE Asia cost the British a lot of resources (tin, rubber, oil), and diverted a lot of British assets to the Far East.

The notion that Hitler would respond to this by denouncing Japan is ridiculous.
 
Top