The Great Tragedy: Germany's Declaration of War against the United States of America

The German declaration of war against America marked a decisive turning point in World War II. This speech was is a personally written explanation by Hitler of the background to the outbreak of the war, its subsequent dramatic developments, why he decided to attack the Soviet Union in June 1941, Roosevelt's hostile policies toward Germany, a short overview of the Germany's place in the struggle for Europe, and the German leader's desire for peace at any cost. The day after this speech was delivered, a highly inaccurate an edited version appeared in American newspapers. This is the first complete and accurate English translation. "Just as Rome once made her immortal contribution to the building and defense of the continent, so now have the Germanic peoples taken up the defense and protection of a family of nations which, although they may differ and diverge in their political structure and goals, nevertheless together constitute a racially and culturally unified and complementary whole".