From German Submarine Warfare to Roosevelt’s Day of Infamy Speech
About This Footage
Reel 7 of War Comes to America (1945) chronicles the final events that ended U.S. neutrality and drew the nation into World War II. German U-boats strike American merchant ships, sinking vessels with torpedoes as headlines report mounting losses. In response, Congress repeals the Neutrality Act, authorizing U.S. ships to arm themselves. Meanwhile, Japan advances into Indochina, escalating tensions further. Japanese envoy Saburo Kurusu arrives in Washington while, in secret, a Japanese naval task force steams toward Hawaii. The climax comes with the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941—Japanese aircraft launching bombs onto Battleship Row, ships exploding, and the harbor engulfed in smoke. As Kurusu and Ambassador Nomura meet U.S. officials at the White House, President Franklin D. Roosevelt prepares his famous “Day of Infamy” speech to Congress, declaring war on Japan. The reel underscores both the devastation at Pearl Harbor and the moment America officially entered the global conflict.