New Books in World Affairs Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman, "Hitler's American Gamble: Pearl Harbor and Germany's March to Global War" (Basic Books, 2021)
Jul 13, 2025
Brendan Simms, a Professor of History at Cambridge, and Charlie Laderman, a Senior Lecturer at King's College, dive deep into the tumultuous days following Pearl Harbor. They reveal how Hitler's declaration of war was not a haphazard decision but rather a calculated gamble that altered global dynamics. The conversation touches on Japan's motivations for attacking Pearl Harbor and the intricate web of wartime strategies. The duo highlights the significance of December 11, 1941, as the turning point that reshaped international relations, challenging conventional narratives around these pivotal moments.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Five Days That Changed History
- The critical global transformation occurred in just five days from December 7 to December 11, 1941.
- Hitler's decision to declare war was the pivotal moment merging separate conflicts into World War II.
Hitler's Dependence on Japan
- Hitler's strategy heavily depended on Japan joining the war against the US and Britain.
- He aimed to fight with Japan to prevent them from defeat and to tie down allied resources in multiple theaters.
Atlantic Charter as De Facto War
- The Atlantic Charter was effectively a de facto declaration of war to Hitler by Roosevelt and Churchill.
- It laid out a post-war world vision before America was even officially at war.