I've been searching frantically all over the web for a complete list of declarations of war made during the Second World War. Unfortunately the lists I've found are either incomplete or inaccurate. Is there any source out there that can give me a complete list??
You may find what you are looking for here, I have seen just about every nation involved mentioned in such, both declarations and who by, and upon whom. Documents Related to World War II Good luck, and notice that they come in "flurries", and "swarms" on some days.
I have noticed that on some days I can find what I need and on others I can never find what I'm looking for. Unfortunately many nations are in fact missing from this source such as the various governments-in-exile and well as the bulk of the governments of the Western Hemisphere. I appreciate your efforts and the site is still quite valuable Regards.
Which nations can you not find? France was in "exile" but already at war by declaration, as was Belgium, and Norway. Which ones are missing? Try these two sites: http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/policy/index.html or: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/20th.asp maybe those you are missing are in one of those two?
This is the final paragraph of the infamous "Fourteen Points" memorandum handed to the US Secretary of State on Dec. 7, 1941 MEMORANDUM HANDED BY THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR (NOMURA) TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE at 2:20 PM, 7 December 1941 I confess my illiteracy in "diplomatese" but nowhere do I see in this document a declaration of war by Japan. Forget the fact of when it was delivered, etc.
I'm not even quite sure if the Japanese even formally declared war on the US. I do know that the US declared war on the Japanese on 8 December.
I don't know either, though this document is often cited by many as a declaration. Some Japanese leaders have voiced regrets that this document was given to the US late on Dec. 7th, as if somehow this would have excused what still remains a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. I suppose timely delivery might have put us on some sort of alert.
That document is quoted quite incorrectly, as it only "breaks of negotiations" (as mentioned), and does NOT declare a state of war to exist. And we had broken the Purple code and read the entire thing well before it was delivered to Hull. The few hours of difference would have made no difference since it not only didn't declare war, it didn't hint at one or where it would start. We always (incorrectly) assumed it would be toward the Philippines as those islands were blocking shippment of petroleum from the NEI. However, back in Japan after being held incommunicado in the embassy for the days directly after he delivered FDR's plea for more negotiations, Joeseph Grew was hand delivered the state of war message on Dec. 9th, Japan time and it was communicated to the US on the 10th, Japan time so D.C. received it on Dec. 9th US time. The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State Informing Him that the Japanese had Declared a State of War on the US, 9 December 1941 If you are looking for a compiled list of which nations declared war on which days, you are out of luck unless you are willing to tally them up for yourself. And remember than some of the nations of central and south America declared war on the Axis, both Japan and Germany, some only on one and not the other, and all at different times. I think Argentina was the last to declare war on Germany and Japan, and that was within a month of the end of the war (March?). That was the last of the Pan American Union nations to do so I believe.
I saw a thread somewhere recently on the Greek declaration of war vs Japan. Not sure if it actually happened or not as I haven't read the thread. I'll post it when I find it.
Thanks for the additional info, Clint. It was mighty sporting of them to declare war after the fact. I didn't realise that Hull already knew the contents of the the Fourteen Points Memo before it was hand delivered.
Well, it seems that in any war instigated by the Japanese, since the Meiji Restoration, they always attacked first and declared war later. In the first Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, war was officially declared on August 1, 1894 even though the Japanese had attacked the Chinese in a dispute over control of Korea at least three days before-hand. This was the first time the Japanese (after the Meiji Restoration) went to war on a neighbor. Then ten years later, 1904, they attacked the Tzarist Russian forces in the Far East in the Russo-Japanese War before war was declared. The fighting began on Feb. 8, 1904, when the main Japanese fleet launched a surprise attack and siege on the Russian naval squadron at Port Arthur. This time the delay in declaration of war was by two days; on Feb. 10th. When they went to war against the Central Powers in WW1, they never declared war exactly, they just honored a 1901 mutual assistance treaty they had with Great Britain. They may have filed some forms or declaration somewhere (to be legal), but this wasn't instigated by them. While the aid they sent to Europe (a number of warships) was small, they did occupy a number of German island colonies in the Pacific, those above the equator were what they were awarded post-Great War. Consequently it should have been even less of a surprise to America that they played "true to form" and attacked the US before war was officially declared. They always did so, why should they do differently this time? It was where they attacked that was the big "wowser" to the US. As to Hull having the fourteenth part of the transmissions in hand before the Japanese Ambassador delivered the entire document, that came about because the American cryptographers were reading the coded message in real time, and typing it up for limited distribution faster than the Japanese. That was due to the sad fact that in an attempt at complete inter-office secrecy the Japanese had to use a "hunt and peck" typist with a security clearance for the message. The message and its information was delivered to Hull before the Japanese got done transcribing it.
If you compare the original 51 members of the UN in 1945, to the link below one may be able to figure out exactly when each joined the fight against the Axis. Here is the list: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Syrian Arab Republic,Turkey, Ukraine, USSR, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia. And if you goto this site, you can see when each nation joined the "Allies" against the Axis, and by that time-line find when each formally declared war on the Axis: Allied Powers (World War II) - New World Encyclopedia Hope that helps you compile your list, as it includes the "governments in exile", as well as those which had a unique status such as Newfoundland which didn't join the Canadian Confederacy until 1949 (I think)!
Yes that does help. Thanks again Now the only formal declarations of war I'm missing are Luxembourg's declaration of war on the Axis (which did not declare war on 10 May 1940.), Poland's declaration of war on Italy, and the list of countries that Bolivia declared war against. Once I find those, I'll be set.
I'm certain it's none of my business, but I'm curious just the same. Is there some particular project you are working on or is this just a search you embarked on for erudition's sake?
Actually it's for a paper for one of my college classes. I must admit that erudition does have a lot to do with it however.
Well, I don't need to confess my ignorance of Japanese history, as that much is apparent! I truly appreciate the historical backdrop you provided as it really places Japan's opening salvo in a context I never knew. I suppose the US just made too many assumptions about Pearl Harbor and the Japanese Navy, leading to the surprise it was. There's that word "assume" again . . . That's actually rather humorous, or should I say it would have been except for the ultimate upshot of the exchange. Good luck on your paper, falseprophecy!
