The Second World War started in Europe long before the United States was attacked by Japan. The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Neville Chamberlain, and the French Prime Minister, Edouard Daladier, were determined to keep their countries out of war at any price and embarked on a policy of appeasement (Author's commentary about appeasement: it never works.). In September 1938, the two prime ministers travelled to Munich and met with Adolph Hitler.  Chamberlain, Daladier, and Hitler signed the Munich Pact. This pact allowed Germany to annex Czechoslovakia. France and Britain hoped this latest concession, continuing a pattern of concessions to Germany, would avert war. Edouard Daladier returned to France. His nation hid behind the Maginot Line, a series of bunkers and tank traps, along the French eastern border. Mr. Chamberlain returned from Munich confident he had secured Britain's safety from Germany. He was wrong.  The latest concession to Hitler only emboldened him.

The war for Britain and France started after September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. The Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east on September 17 (and the Finnish and other countries in 1940 and only joined the Allies after Germany attacked her on June 22, 1941). On September 2, 1939 Chamberlain must declare war against Germany after Germany attacked Poland and would not withdraw. Britain and France would not start shooting until France is invaded on May 10, 1940. France surrendered in a month, on June 22, 1940. The United States, in 1939, wanted to stay out of what was considered "Europe's war". Franklin D. Roosevelt (F.D.R.) promised on September 1, 1939 America would stay neutral.  Interestingly enough, on September 21, 1939, Roosevelt urged Congress to repeal the U.S. Neutrality Law (the speech is available on WJSV's recorded broadcast day). In 1940, F.D.R., during the Democratic Party Convention, again pledged the United States would not participate in foreign wars but he signed legislation a year later, in March 11, 1941, enacting the Lend-Lease Program. Lend-Lease provided billions of dollars of war material to the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, China, France, and other Allied nations.

Neville Chamberlain Speech Clips:
Return from Munich
Declares War

Great Britain Fights

Back in the United Kingdom, war was on; Chamberlain was out and the feisty Winston S. Churchill was in as the British Prime Minister. On June 4, 1940 Churchill urged his country to never surrender until the "New World steps forward with its power and might".  Churchill addressed the House of Commons again on June 18, 1940 to prepare the U.K. for all-out war against Germany and for the Battle of Britain. He encouraged the people by stating if they are the victors, their institutions will remain and Europe will be free but if they fail the world will "sink into an abyss of a new dark age" and Churchill expressed his hope this would be Britain's finest hour.  During the Battle of Britain in August 1940, Mr. Churchill addressed the House of Commons and stated never before had so much been owed to so few, referring to the heroic defense provided by the Royal Air Force. On February 9, 1941, Mr. Churchill appealed to the U.S. to give Britain the tools to finish the job.

Winston Churchill
Speech Clips
Never Surrender
Finest Hour
So Much Owed to So Few
Give Us the Tools
V.E. Day
Iron Curtain
Soviet Expansion
Eyewitness report:
German attack on
a British shipping convoy, July, 14, 1940
Windows Media
RealPlayer

U.S.A. Enters World War 2

The scope of the war changed when Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, and other American assets in the Pacific on December 7, 1941. Reports of the attacks only dribbled in at first with news announcements breaking into regular programming.

Pearl Harbor Attacked C.B.S. newsflash: Windows Media   RealPlayer B.B.C. announcement: Windows Media   RealPlayer C.B.S. analysis of Hawaiian and Philippines bombings: Windows Media   RealPlayer KGU, Honolulu call to N.B.C., New York: Windows Media   RealPlayer

Avenge December 7th video shows the destruction inflicted by the Japanese on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor.
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In the evening of December 7, Eleanor Roosevelt was on the radio rallying the unconquerable people.  At that time there was fear the Japanese were preparing to invade California.  On December 7, 1941 striking back at Tokyo was on every American's mind.

On December 8, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked the joint session of Congress to declare war against the Empire of Japan and referred to December 7 as a "date that will live in infamy". Soon the United States, along with the other Allies, would be fighting the Axis Powers (Germany, Japan, Italy, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria) in what is called World War II.

Newsreels would later show the destruction of the Pearl Harbor attack and you can watch a video.  (F.Y.I.:  About six minutes into this motion picture, the news reel reports the fire and sinking of the French luxury liner S.S. Normandie. The ship, at port in New York when America entered World War 2, was seized by the U.S. Government and was renamed the U.S.S. Lafayette. The video shows the Normandie in 1935, before France surrendered to Germany, when she arrived in America and firefighters attempting to subdue the blaze on February 2, 1945.  The ship would partially sink into the Hudson River and the question of the day was:  sabotage or accident?)

Watch a portion of Franklin Roosevelt's December 8, 1941 address to Congress:       320x240    640x480 The clip includes footage of Admiral Nomura, the Japanese ambassador to the United States. Listen to Kate Smith ask Americans to pray to God for victory and to protect loved ones in this radio broadcast from June 7, 1944. A news summary describing D-Day events and analyzing German news reports starts about 3 minutes into this audio file. Windows Media   RealPlayer   Entertainment was used to encourage people not to discuss military activities.  Listen to the King's Men sing "Keepin' Our Big Mouths Shut". Public Service Announcements reinforced this message.  Windows Media   RealPlayer Click here for more WW II era recordings.

Eleanor Roosevelt 
Radio Address 
(unconquerable people)
F.D.R. Speech Clips

News Parade Newsreel
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Originally conceived in 1939 by the Army Air Forces, the B-29 Super Fortress was one of the many tools the United States used to fight the war.  A 20-minute movie produced by the Army Pictorial Service gives insight about the making of the B-29.  The movie is titled "Birth of the B-29". After the first four minutes describing Japan's "plans for world conquest" and showing some atrocities committed by the Japanese (some of the images are unsettling) the film shows the B-29 manufacturing facility with its many innovative features and details the plane's specifications.  The film praises the men and woman of many ages who built the planes and ends by showing Chinese building a runway and a B-29 landing on that runway. The narrator's last line:  "The target, gentlemen, is Tokyo".

Six months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, on May 6, 1942, the United States forces on the Philippine island of Corregidor, in Manila Bay, surrender to Japan.
 

Birth of the B-29
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Corregidor broadcast
 

D- Day - The Allied Invasion of France

Dwight Eisenhower	Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower in Northern France, June 1944	Dwight Eisenhower, circa 1943	Allied invasion map from D-Day Minus One
Photographs of Eisenhower and view from landing craft: http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/ C.B.S. News report on D-Day:   Windows Media   RealPlayer

On June 6, 1944, Supreme Allied Commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower announced D-Day - the Allied invasion of France. This invasion was part of a plan to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany. The invasion involved troops from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The U.S. Army Air Forces produced a movie about the events that occurred behind enemy lines before June 6 entitled D-Day Minus One.  This motion picture was part of the "Mighty 7th War Loan" and describes the efforts of the 82nd Airborne, 101st Airborne, and the 9th Troop Transport Command. If you can get past the introduction, it's worth watching.

View from landing craft

Dwight Eisenhower announced D-Day Invasion

D-Day Minus One
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Victory in Europe

On May 5, 1945, victory was achieved in Europe (V.E. Day) and N.B.C. and the B.B.C. reported Germany's  surrender.  President Harry Truman soon took to the airwaves informing the people the war had been won but we were only half way done. Winston Churchill acknowledged victory but was also cognizant of the fact Japan still must be subdued.  

Victory Over Japan

A Boeing B-29, named "Bockscar", was used to drop a Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki. To view additional pictures and to learn more about the plane and the Fat Man atomic bomb, click here.

After victory over Germany in Europe, the focus of the Allies turned to forcing Japan to surrender. In July 1945, while President Harry Truman was in Potsdam, he warned Japan of a "rain of ruin" if she did not surrender. Although the Japanese continued to lose battles with Allied forces and the strength of their air and naval forces severely reduced, the Supreme War Council refused American demands for unconditional surrender and prepared to continue the fight. A solemn President Truman announced the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. On August 9, 1945, a second atomic bomb exploded above Nagasaki.  The Japanese officially surrendered on August 15, 1945 and Truman announced Japan's unconditional surrender to the Allied Forces. 

Japan formally signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard the U.S. Battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945.  The U.S.S. Missouri was anchored in Tokyo Bay for the ceremony.  Listen to General Douglas MacArthur invite the Emperor of Japan's representatives to sign the instrument of surrender.

Jubilation was short lived.  The Cold War was just about to begin.

News reports and comments on victory in Europe:
NBC
BBC
Harry Truman
Winston Churchill

Harry Truman speech clips:: 
Germany's Surrender
Potsdam Ultimatum
Hiroshima Announcement
Japan's Surrender

Japanese Instrument of Surrender:

General Douglas MacArthur
aboard the U.S.S. Missouri accepts Japan's surrender.