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Aufz. Fue 66/41 gRs
Reception of the Japanese Ambassador, General Oshima, by the Fuehrer on 14 December 1941, from 1300 to 1400 o'clock, in the presence of the Reich Foreign Minister.
First the Fuehrer presents Ambassador Oshima with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the German Eagle in gold. With cordial words he acknowledges his services in the achievement of German-Japanese cooperation, which has now obtained its culmination in a close brotherhood of arms.
General Oshima expresses his thanks for the great honor and emphasizes how glad he is that this brotherhood of arms has now come about between Germany and Japan.
The Fuehrer continues: "You gave the right declaration of war!" This method is the only proper one. Japan pursued it formerly and it corresponds with his own system, that it, to negotiate as long as possible. But if one sees that the other is interested only in putting one off, in shaming and humiliating one, and is not willing to come to an agreement, then one should strike—as hard as possible, indeed—and not waste time declaring war. It was heartwarming to him to hear of the first operations of the Japanese. He himself negotiated with infinite patience at times, for example, with Poland and also with Russia. When he then realized that the other did not want to come to an agreement, he struck suddenly and without formalities. He would continue to go this way in the future.
603
Notes on a meeting between Hitler and Japanese ambassador Oshima on the German-Japanese alliance, including Hitler's approval that Japan attacked before declaring war
Authors
Adolf Hitler (Fuehrer, Reich Chancellor, Supeme Commander of Wehrmacht)
Adolf Hitler
Austrian nationalized German politician, leader of the National Socialist party and dictator of Germany (1889-1945)
- Born: 1889-01-01 1889-04-20 (Braunau am Inn) (country: Austria-Hungary; located in the administrative territorial entity: Archduchy of Austria above the Enns; statement is subject of: Adolf-Hitler-Geburtshaus)
- Died: 1945-04-30 (Berlin Führerbunker) (country: Nazi Germany; located in the administrative territorial entity: Berlin; statement is subject of: death of Adolf Hitler)
- Country of citizenship: Cisleithania (period: 1889-04-20 through 1918-11-11); First Republic of Austria (period: 1919-01-01 through 1925-04-30); Nazi Germany (end cause: death of Adolf Hitler; period: 1933-01-30 through 1945-04-30); Republic of German-Austria (period: 1918-01-01 through 1919-01-01)
- Occupation: painter (statement is subject of: paintings by Adolf Hitler); political writer; politician (reason for preferred rank: generally used form); soldier
- Member of political party: German Workers' Party (period: 1919-09-12 through 1921-07-11); Nazi Party (series ordinal: 556)
- Member of: Nazi Party
- Participant in: Aktion T4; Beer Hall Putsch; The Holocaust; ethnic cleansing
- Significant person: Albert Speer; Benito Mussolini; Eva Braun; Joseph Stalin
Oshima (general, ambassador; Japan (1939-43))
Hiroshi ?shima
Japanese general (1886-1975)
- Born: 1886-04-19 (Iwamura)
- Died: 1975-06-06 (Tokyo)
- Country of citizenship: Japan
- Occupation: diplomat; military personnel; politician
- Military rank: lieutenant general
- Military branch: Imperial Japanese Army
- Position held: ambassador
- VIAF ID: https://viaf.org/viaf/30840654
Date: 14 December 1941
Total Pages: 1
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-2932
Citation: IMT (page 1260)
HLSL Item No.: 450952
Document Summary
PS-2932: Photostatic copy of minutes of meeting between Hitler, Oshima and Ribbentrop
PS-2932: Hitler’s discussion with the Japanese ambassador Oshi-ma, 14 December 1941: Hitler approves Japanese attack on the united states; plans the annihilation of Russia, intensification of the U-boat war, development of the air torpedo; Oshima reports on the war situation in the Pacific and Japanese war methods
PS-2932: Memorandum on the reception of the Japanese Ambassador, General Oshima, by Hitler on December 14, 1941, in the presence of Ribbentrop. Handwritten signature of Ambassador Hewel, liaison man between Ribbentrop and Hitler.