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This series, narrated and written by Oliver Stone and co-author Peter Kuznick, will focus on human events that at the time went under reported, but crucially shaped America’s unique and complex history over the 20th and 21st century. The series is a re-examination of some of the under-reported and darkest parts of American modern history using little known documents and newly uncovered archival material. The series looks beyond official versions of events to the deeper causes and implications and explores how events from the past still have resonant themes for the present day." The fist episode examines World War II. It offers special attention to the Spanish Civil War, Roosevelt's desire to enter the war on the side of the allies, the strategic Japanese decisions that lead up to Pearl Harbor Attack, and the often overlooked role that the Soviet Union had in winning the war.

When Japan’s military expansion in the Pacific reaches its fever pitch, Roosevelt is forced to act. By cutting off oil supplies, he hopes to force Japan to back down. But far from sedating their imperial expansions, he pushes them to take one of the greatest gambles in military history – taking their entire striking fleet 4000 miles across the Ocean to attack the American Pacific fleet in Pearl Harbor. It’s a huge gamble, and if it goes wrong, it will spell suicide for Japan.

In the aftermath of Japan’s devastating attack on the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Imperial Navy moves in for a knockout blow. A surprise attack against the island of Midway is planned to draw the remaining American aircraft carriers out for a decisive battle. Admiral Yamamoto devises a meticulous plan. But the attack is in the hands of his by-the-book Admiral, Nogumo. When a genius American code-breaker unearths their plans – the Japanese attack is thrown into chaos.

In these three episodes, we see how Japan’s war in China, U.S. sanctions, and the desperate search for vital resources push the Pacific toward a decisive breaking point. Driven by military ambition and imperial ideology, Japan launches the attack on Pearl Harbor, shocking the world and bringing America fully into World War II. From that moment, the conflict becomes a vast struggle across oceans, supply lines, naval codes, aircraft carriers, submarines, and nations fighting for survival.
The story then moves into the brutal battle for control of the seas, where German U-boats threaten Britain’s lifeline in the Atlantic while Japan’s powerful navy tries to dominate the Pacific. After Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces sweep through Southeast Asia with alarming speed, but on Guadalcanal their advance meets fierce resistance. In the jungle, at sea, and in the air, U.S. Marines face exhaustion, fear, and relentless combat in one of the first great tests of America’s resolve in the Pacific.