See the timeline in the Related Link.

On September 1, 1939, the German Army invaded Poland. Two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked the naval base on Pearl Harbor.

On December 8, 1941, Roosevelt gave the "Day of Infamy" speech and the United States and Britain declared war on Japan.

On December 11, 1941, Germany declared war on the United States.

So we clearly did not go to war with Hitler because he attacked Britain. At least not directly and officially.

In fact the actual politics are pretty complex. There was a great deal of resistence in the United States to becoming involved in another war in Europe after World War I. It is unclear whether or not FDR could have overcome that resistence without the attack on Pearl Harbor.

See http://www.fff.org/comment/ed0801h.asp for one interesting (if somewhat controversial view) on the subject of how we got into World War II.

Even after the attack on Pearl Harbor, FDR recognized that the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. The framers of the Constitution did not want to give that power to the president. Unfortunately, Lyndon Johnson figured out how to get around that restriction and things have gone downhill from there.

Mathesar


-- Modified on 9/13/2004 10:37:41 PM

In fact, invading Nazi Germany after Pearl Harbor made a lot of sense.  It was the correct strategy, as was invading Afghanistan after 9/11.

/Zin

since Hitler declared war against the United States after the attack on Pearl Harbor, based upon an overly generous reading of the Axis pact.

Saddam declared war on civilization in general decades ago.

Kerry's not winning ... but the nation is because he isn't.

Of course, I'm certainly premature, as the only poll that really counts is the one on Election Day.