After Japan attacked the USA at Pearl Harbor on 1941-DEC-07  did
Hitler go out of his way to jump in and declare war on the  USA?
I have heard it said that Hitler's two greatest blunders  were to 
invade the S.U. and declare war on the U.S.

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 03 Mar 2004 16:15 PST

Howdy, Humongous.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're looking for here.

Would a few quotes like these be a satisfactory answer, or am I on the wrong track?

"...four days after the Japanese attack ? which apparently came as a
complete surprise to him ? Hitler declared war on the United States!
Absolutely incredible that Hitler would have done such a thing! Many
historians believe that if Hitler had not done that, Roosevelt might
never have persuaded Congress to declare war on Germany. After all, it
was the Japanese who had attacked us. Hitler hadn't. On the other
hand, the vile dictator Hitler had attacked the vile dictator Stalin.
The Third Reich vs. the Soviet Union should have been ? to us ? like
the Iran-Iraq war, where some unnamed high-level administration
official opined that it was too bad that one side or the other would
have to win the war."

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=23063

"When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor FDR found himself warring
with the "wrong" enemy. The US declaration of War against Japan based
upon the attack at Peral Harbor did not include Germany. Given those
sets of facts it could have resulted in the US fighting Japan ( Our
war) while the Brits would be left to fight Germany in "their" war.

In what may well be the most strategic blunder in History Hitler
declared war on the United States on December 11,1941. Under the
tripartite pact Hitler was only obligated to declare war if one of the
signatories was attacked. Clearly Japan could not claim that the
United States Attacked Japan on December 7, 1941."

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1053231/posts

~Pink

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Clarification of Question by grthumongous-ga on 03 Mar 2004 16:29 PST

Greetings and Felicitations Pink,
Yes you are on the right track.  
I had seen older documentaries like the ""The World at War" where an historian
said that Hitler's gratuitous declaration of war on the USA basically
forced FDRs hand/gave FDR the pretext he needed.

So the key point is, did Hitler declare War on the USA first, or in
response to the US Congress's declaration(s)?

Germany declared war on the United States BEFORE the United States
declared war on Germany. Here's the timeline, in a nutshell:

December  7, 1941 Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, and Guam.
December  8, 1941 FDR asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war
against Japan.
December  8, 1941 U. S. Congress declares war on Japan.
December 11, 1941 Germany and Italy declare war on the United States.
December 11, 1941 FDR asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war
against Germany and Italy.
December 11, 1941 United States declares war on Germany and Italy.

"On December 11, 1941 Germany and Italy declared war on the United
States. On that day the Congress passed with no dissenting vote, and
the President approved, resolutions formally declaring the existence
of a state of war between the United States and Germany and between
the United States and Italy."

Ibiblio: Peace and War
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Dip/PaW/PaW-14.html

Here you can listen to FDR's message to Congress requesting a
declaration of war in response to the declarations of Germany and
Italy:

Sounds of History: War with Germany and Italy
http://www.sinberg.com/~history/Misc/WarWithGermanyAndItaly.ram

Here you'll find a detailed description of the events that occurred on
the morning of December 11, 1941:

Yale Law School: German Declaration of War with the United States 
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/wwii/gerdec41.htm

In response to the German declaration of war (which was received by
Ray Atherton, Chief of the European Division of the State Department
at 9:30 am), the President's message to Congress was delivered shortly
after 12:00 noon:

"THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1941 
 
The Senate met at 12 o'clock noon. 
 
*     *      *     *     *    * 
 
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 
 
The VICE PRESIDENT. The Chair lays before the Senate a message from
the President of the United States, which the clerk will read.
 
The Chief Clerk read as follows: 
 
To the Congress of the United States: 
 
On the morning of December 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 greater danger. Rapid and united effort by all 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 WHITE HOUSE, 
December 11, 1941." 

Ibiblio: DECLARATIONS OF A STATE OF WAR WITH JAPAN, GERMANY, AND ITALY
http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/77-1-148/77-1-148.html 

I hope this fully answers your question. If anything further is
needed, please don't hesitate to request clarification.

Best wishes,
pinkfreud

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Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 03 Mar 2004 22:20 PST

Here's some interesting reading: 

"What If Hitler Hadn't Declared War on the US?" 

Dale Cozort's Alternate History Newsletter
http://members.aol.com/althist1/Jan01/hitler.htm

Right on, Pink.

Of course, after being re-elected for a 3rd Term in Novemeber 1940,
Roosevelt had been doing everything possible (short of declaring war)
to make life uncomfortable for Hitler: the Lend-Lease Act; providing
materiel for the Allies; patrolling the Atlantic, etc.

It was a re-run of WW1 except that, instead of settling for an
Armistice and a Peace Treaty, the Allies went in for the kill.

Don't forget the German navy in the North Atlantic had in October
already sunk the U.S.Navy destroyer the Rueban James.

Many thanks for the five stars and the generous tip!

~pinkfreud