Pearl Harbor Naval Base (04:45)

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Capt. Mitsuo Fuchida gives a toast before leading the surprise attack on December 7, 1941. The Japanese invade Hong Kong, bomb air bases in the Philippines, and land on the Bataan Peninsula. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares war on Japan. (Credits)

Japanese Stronghold in China (03:57)

Japan has a powerful naval fleet and a fanatically devoted military; Emperor Hirohito as a living god. The Japanese Imperial Army carries out massacres. Hideki Tojo announces war on the United States. Japanese pilots sink two British battleships.

Prisoners of War (06:14)

Adolf Hitler declares war on the United States. Japan takes control of Hong Kong and Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita captures Singapore; prisoners suffer harsh conditions. In the Philippines, Japanese soldiers force 60,000 prisoners to march to an internment camp.

Targeting Germany (04:07)

Japanese citizens celebrate victories. The 615th RAF squadron protects London. Winston Churchill and Roosevelt focus on Germany; Arthur Harris commands the air fleet. The Nazi regime implements the Final Solution.

German Occupation (02:28)

Poverty strikes and everything is rationed. Menfolk become prisoners in Germany; Henri Giraud's escape infuriates Hitler. Charles de Gaulle embodies the French resistance.

Global Conflict (03:02)

The Free French Forces fight alongside British troops in Africa. The Axis powers dominate all fronts. German U-boats are a threat in the Atlantic Ocean; Stefan Zweig records his thoughts before committing suicide.

American Anxiety (02:36)

New York residents fear German air raids. The U.S. government fears a West Coast attack from Japan and becomes suspicious of those with Japanese ancestry.

Battle of Midway (08:41)

In 1942, 11 million American men enlist and 6 million women work in armament factories. American opinion wanes and U.S. forces bomb Japan. Japan targets Midway and Pearl Harbor but the Americans learn of their plan and set-up an ambush.

Guadalcanal Campaign (05:38)

Darwin residents prepare for an invasion. The Japanese invade New Guinea and build an airfield on Guadalcanal. The Americans capture the airfield and expand the runway. Japanese forces regularly shell the airfield and engage in a naval battle; fighting lasts six months.

Black Summer of 1942 (04:06)

The Germans continue marching eastward and capture prisoners. Hitler's goals are southern Russia and Stalingrad; he plans a large-scale pincer movement. The Russians use dogs to attack German tanks.

Battle of Stalingrad (05:19)

Churchill declines to help Stalin; Nikita Khrushchev leads the defense of Stalingrad. The Nazis attack the city and reach the Volga River by October 1942; Hitler celebrates.

Credits: Episode 4: The World Ablaze (01:12)

Credits: Episode 4: The World Ablaze