The World at War (1942) Reel 1: Pearl Harbor & Japan’s Aggression

Reel 1 of The World at War (1942) opens with the devastating aftermath of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, showing the destruction of ships, aircraft, and facilities in the immediate aftermath. The reel also features President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous “date which will live in infamy” address to Congress, rallying the American people to war. Looking back before U.S. entry into the conflict, the film depicts Wendell Willkie’s call for global unity, labor unrest, and German Bundist rallies in Madison Square Garden. It further traces Japan’s 1931 invasion of Manchuria and expansion into China, foreshadowing the broader conflict to come. As the opening chapter of the series, Reel 1 provides a compelling introduction to the events that propelled the United States into World War II.

• Devastating aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor – wrecked U.S. battleships, burning aircraft, destroyed hangars and facilities at Hickam Field and other Hawaii bases
• President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivering his historic “a date which will live in infamy” speech to Congress on December 8, 1941
• Wendell Willkie speaking at rally urging American involvement against Axis aggression
• Labor strikes and industrial disputes in pre-war America
• German-American Bund pro-Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden with Nazi salutes and banners
• Japan’s 1931 invasion of Manchuria – Japanese troops marching, tanks, military takeover
• Japanese military aggression in China – advances, bombing of Chinese cities, refugees, war footage