The late and great Oxford University historian, Prof AJP Taylor, argued that by the end of 1940, the British could defy Hitler but could not undo his work. ‘It was Hitler himself who came to their aid’ Taylor argued, ‘by attacking the two great powers who only wished to be left alone – the Soviet Union and the United States – Hitler transformed a European war he could win into a world war he could not’.
Hitler’s decision to attack those two great powers was highly controversial in Germany and was opposed by many, especially in the military, who favoured concentrating on defeating the still resisting British.
In the Far East, Japanese aggression has often been regarded as inevitably leading to the Pearl Harbour attack but diplomatic archives indicate that Japan’s long-term ambitions were at the expense of the Soviet Union, rather than America. Pearl Harbour was a botched and improvised strike rather than a carefully planned strategic operation.
This lecture is part of the 'From Versailles to Potsdam: Diplomacy and Conflict in Europe 1919-1945' lecture series, taking place on Fridays from the 17th of October to the 21st of November. You may either register for individual lectures or the entire lecture series at a reduced price.
Please note: this lecture will close to enrolments at 23:59 on 11 November 2025.