Germans → several critical mistakes → due to inefficient command structure
- German commanders → had to constantly report back to Hitler. (He regularly intervened in military decisions)
- Hitler → shrewd politician → never was senior military commander
- Had little military exp. → at highest level
- Lack of experience → shown → when he ordered to halt advance towards Dunkirk → May 1940.
Another critical error → Hitler made → during Siege of Stalingrad
- German forces → attacked Stalingrad → met with stubborn resistance → from Soviet Troops.
- Most German commanders → wanted to withdraw
- city was not valuable → from strategic POV
- Hitler overruled them → taking Stalingrad was matter of pride → as city was named after Stalin.
- Committed thousands of soldiers to pointless battle
- which was lost by Feb 1943
Hitler → decided to declare war on US → 4 days after PH attack → despite having no obligation to do so → under terms of Tripartite Pact → signed with Jap and Italy
- essentially brought US (which was ori. neutral) → into European theatre of war
- Germany → would not have to contend with immense amt. of resources + military → by one of the most industrialised countries in world.
I guess you could consider Hitler’s mistakes were due to his huge ego.