Question

which of the following sentences from the article shows that germany was weakened by the decision to declare war against the u.s.?

○ such a japanese strike against the soviets would have divided soviet resources and probably resulted in a victory for hitler over the ussr.

○ when he heard of the pearl harbor disaster, he actually breathed a sigh of relief, noting in his wartime diary: \so we have won after all.\

○ and the president knew how to funnel national anger at japan into a much more critical war against germany.

○ as early as 1942, american factories were already churning out 48,000 airplanes, more than germany and japan combined.

Explanation:

To determine which sentence shows Germany was weakened by declaring war on the U.S., we analyze each option:

• First option: Discusses Japanese strike on Soviets, not Germany - U.S. war impact.
• Second option: About Hitler's reaction to Pearl Harbor, not Germany's weakening.
• Third option: Focuses on U.S. directing anger at Japan to war with Germany, not Germany's weakening.
• Fourth option: In 1942, U.S. factories produced more planes than Germany and Japan combined. This shows U.S. industrial strength (a result of Germany declaring war, bringing U.S. fully into the war) overwhelmed Germany, weakening it.

Answer:

D. As early as 1942, American factories were already churning out 48,000 airplanes, more than Germany and Japan combined.