Indeed, Hitler was rash, did things on impulse, like declaring war on the USA, for instance. What a dumb move.
EVERY time I read a WWII book, I find something that is as sure as the sun rising in the East (a prisoner escape) that “infuriates” pussy boy, making him do something terrible. Just finished a book on the Great Escape. Sure enough, pussy boy was so “infuriated” by escaping prisoners (did he realize the WORLD was at WAR because of him, and prisoners occasionally escape?) that he ordered the gestapo to murder 50 of the escapees. What a douche fag.
I think it was his dumbest move, other than invading the USSR when he did. He lost all opportunity to consolidate his gains and the chance to defeat the UK at the same time. If we’d gone after the Japs first, he would have had years to prep for dealing with us. He probably wouldn’t have had to.
Actually, it was neither dumb nor rash. A gamble, yes, but not dumb.
Americans had already been shipping millions of tons of supplies to the UK under Lend Lease. By declaring war on the USA, Hitler’s sub captains could now send that materiel to the bottom of the sea. His U-boat captains had been begging for that approval for a year.
Hitler also calculated that, because of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USA would focus 90% of its war on Japan and only a small fraction on Europe, beyond just the provision of supplies. In that calculation he was wrong. 90% of the US war effort was centered on Europe. The alliance among the English-speaking peoples was too strong. Roosevelt decided that saving England and Europe took priority over saving the peoples in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and China. About the only serious concern in the Pacific Theater was protecting Australia — which was not peopled by Asians but Caucasians.