US Declaration of War on Germany

[Tim the Tank Nut]

I am looking for details on the US declaration of War on Germany for WW2. General history records that the US declared war on Dec 11, 1941.

 

Now the question is Germany actually declared war on the US, right?

 

Some text from a google search:

German Declaration of War with the United States : December 11, 1941

 

 

December 11, 1941

 

(Including the circumstances of the delivery of the note as released to the press by the Department of State, December 11, 1941.)

 

The German Charge d'Affaires, Dr. Hans Thomsen, and the First Secretary of the German Embassy, Mr. von Strempel, called at the State Department at 8:00 A.M. on December 11, 1941. The Secretary, otherwise engaged, directed that they be received by the Chief of the European Division of the State Department, Mr. Ray Atherton. Mr. Atherton received the German representatives at 9:30 A.M.

 

The German representatives handed to Mr. Atherton a copy of a note that is being delivered this morning, December 11, to the American Charge d'Affaires in Berlin. Dr. Thomsen said that Germany considers herself in a state of war with the United States. He asked that the appropriate measures be taken for the departure of himself, the members of the German Embassy, and his staff in this country. He reminded Mr. Atherton that the German Government had previously expressed its willingness to grant the same treatment to American press correspondents in Germany as that accorded the American official staff on a reciprocal basis and added that he assumed that the departure of other American citizens from Germany would be permitted on the same basis of German citizens desiring to leave this country. He referred to the exchange of civilians that had been arranged at the time Great Britain and Germany broke off diplomatic relations.

 

The German Charge d'Affaires then stated that the Swiss Government would take over German interests in this country and that Dr. Bruggmann had already received appropriate instructions from his Government.

 

He then handed Mr. Atherton a note from the German Government. Mr. Atherton stated that in accepting this note from the German Charge d'Affaires he was merely formalizing the realization that the Government and people of this country had faced since the outbreak of the war in 1939 of the threat and purposes of the German Government and the Nazi regime toward this hemisphere and our free American civilization.

 

Mr. Atherton then said that this Government would arrange for the delivery of Dr. Thomsen's passports and that he assumed that we would very shortly be in communication with the Swiss Minister. He added that Dr. Thomsen must realize, however, that the physical difficulties of the situation would demand a certain amount of time in working out this reciprocal arrangement for the departure of the missions of the two countries. The German representatives then took their leave.

 

The text of the note which the German representatives handed to Mr. Ray Atherton, Chief of the European Division of the State Department, at 9:30 A.M., December 11, the original of which had been delivered the morning of December 11 to the American Charge d'Affaires in Berlin, follows:

 

MR. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES:

 

The Government of the United States having violated in the most flagrant manner and in ever increasing measure all rules of neutrality in favor of the adversaries of Germany and having continually been guilty of the most severe provocations toward Germany ever since the outbreak of the European war, provoked by the British declaration of war against Germany on September 3, 1939, has finally resorted to open military acts of aggression.

 

On September 11, 1941, the President of the United States publicly declared that he had ordered the American Navy and Air Force to shoot on sight at any German war vessel. In his speech of October 27, 1941, he once more expressly affirmed that this order was in force. Acting under this order, vessels of the American Navy, since early September 1941, have systematically attacked German naval forces. Thus, American destroyers, as for instance the Greer, the Kearney and the Reuben James, have opened fire on German sub-marines according to plan. The Secretary of the American Navy, Mr. Knox, himself confirmed that-American destroyers attacked German submarines.

 

Furthermore, the naval forces of the United States, under order of their Government and contrary to international law have treated and seized German merchant vessels on the high seas as enemy ships.

 

The German Government therefore establishes the following facts:

 

Although Germany on her part has strictly adhered to the rules of international law in her relations with the United States during every period of the present war, the Government of the United States from initial violations of neutrality has finally proceeded to open acts of war against Germany. The Government of the United States has thereby virtually created a state of war.

 

The German Government, consequently, discontinues diplomatic relations with the United States of America and declares that under these circumstances brought about by President Roosevelt Germany too, as from today, considers herself as being in a state of war with the United States of America.

 

Accept, Mr. Charge d'Affaires, the expression of my high consideration.

 

December 11, 1941.

 

RIBBENTROP.

[Tim the Tank Nut]

so then the President goes to Congress and gets a counter-declaration?

I'm sure there is a technical term

[JWB]

From Oklahoma U> http://www.law.ou.edu/ushistory/germwar.shtml

 

US Declaration of War against Germany

December 11, 1941

 

The President's Message

To the Congress of the United States:

 

On the morning of Dec. 11 the Government of Germany, pursuing its course of world conquest, declared war against the United States. The long-known and the long-expected has thus taken place. The forces endeavoring to enslave the entire world now are moving toward this hemisphere. Never before has there been a greater challenge to life, liberty and civilization. Delay invites great danger. Rapid and united effort by all of the peoples of the world who are determined to remain free will insure a world victory of the forces of justice and of righteousness over the forces of savagery and of barbarism. Italy also has declared war against the United States.

 

I therefore request the Congress to recognize a state of war between the United States and Germany, and between the United States and Italy.

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

The War Resolution

Declaring that a state of war exists between the Government of Germany and the government and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same.

 

Whereas the Government of Germany has formally declared war against the government and the people of the United States of America:

 

Therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the Government of Germany which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the government to carry on war against the Government of Germany; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States

[Tim the Tank Nut]

So it is technically a "declaration of war" by the United States as opposed to some obscure term that may mean something along the lines of a "counter-declaration".

[konev]

Tim,

 

Correct. It was the same thing with the surrender of Japan.

 

On August 14/15 Japan agrees to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

 

On September 2, representatives sign the documents of unconditional surrender and the ending of hostilities. BUT....

 

On September 8th, 1951, representatives sign the Treaty of San Francisco officially ending the war in the Pacific. The Republic of China )Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China sign with Japan in 1952. (Also, the Second World War in Europe wasn't offically declared over until September 12, 1990 with the signing of the "Two Plus Four" Agreement)

 

NOTE: as of this day, not all countries that did declare war on Japan have signed the San Francisco treaty, most notably the USSR/RF.

 

konev

[Jim Martin]

That war declaration makes no mention of declaring war on Italy. Did we in fact declare on Italy as well?

[konev]

Jim,

 

Try this link. The declaration of war against Germany and Italy were in the same resolution.

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/77-1-148/77-1-148.html

 

konev