December7DayOfInfamyReel2

[Music] the time to strike has come the spirit of the emperor flies with you yours is a sacred Duty your mission Divine the hour for which these Japanese Pilots have long been secretly training has come at last ahead Pearl Harbor and the United States Pacific Fleet by Japan a decade of waiting is [Music] over it is 6:00 a.m. December 7th the day of [Music] infamy on a Sunday in December in the year of 1941 at Pearl Harbor the world was changed forever it was America's darkest hour and for both the United States and Japan the end of a perilous Journey begun many years before the Japanese are extremely courteous in fact they are often considered to be the most polite people in the world suppression of the emotion is one of their Chief characters cherry blossoms and gisha girls this is the travelog image of Japan held by most Americans in 1930 a quaint exotic picture postcard land populated by a quaint exotic toy-like people Japanese babies are the nearest approach to human dolls that we have ever seen we have enjoyed our visit to Kyoto and it is here that we say farewell to the isand [Music] Empire behind the Romantic cliche the true face of Japan in 1930 a modern industrial State borrowing the technology of the West in less than 80 years a backward feudal province has become a leading power of the World Baseball reflects the Western influence it's the national sport and draws fans comparable in enthusiasm only to those in the United [Applause] States beneath the veneer of progress the ancient Traditions persist this is the Japanese Paradox in this modern land the emperor is still sacred a Divine being a subject for [Music] worship the ancient reverence for the military also remains after centuries of rule by men of the sword but in the new changing Japan the militarist see their traditional Supremacy threatened by the Democratic trend of the country to keep alive their old dreams of Conquest the Army's power over the civilian government must be restored the solution is war in the fall of 1931 without the permission of the government without the knowledge of the Emperor or even the war department Japanese military forces are committed to aggression in East Asia it is the emperor's will the militarist say and the people of Japan soldiers and their families are ready for every sacrifice to die in battle for the emperor is man's most glorious [Music] fate an unauthorized unjustified attack on manua [Music] begins within a few months manua is overrun China vences now become Japanese an easy Conquest it merely wets the military [Applause] appetite in Japan the victory is celebrated in a frenzy of nationalist fervor the government the emperor must accept the accomplished fact the old imperialist Japan is winning against the new [Music] call Japan at the League of Nations in Geneva the Japanese answer the charges of aggression in the Far East it is a matter of commonality that Japan's policy is fundamentally inspired by a genuine to guarantee peace in the Far East and to contribute to the maintenance of peace throughout the world Japan however find it impossible to accept the report adopted by the assembly led by matsuoka an ardan militarist the Japanese now withdraw from the league to pursue their Divine Mission To Rule East Asia [Music] in order to fulfill her Mission Japan secretly expands her Navy builds the largest fastest ships of any nation in the [Music] world a growing Fleet must have more men we are striving for superhuman skill graduates of the Naval Academy are told when you are training on your ships there'll be no Saturday or Sunday no rest or sleep it is a great honor for you serve the [Music] Emperor Japanese Naval training is thorough and hard it takes place in Northern Waters where it cannot be observed and where men are toughened by exposure to the elements the men are pawns for the militarists who in their drive to consolidate their power look for war with the United States in the middle 30s the American Navy restricted by limitation treaties means mostly romantic adventure it lures recruits with Southern climbs and pleads join the Navy and see the world the ports are exotic and there's a girl in every one of [Music] them the Romantic attitude toward the Navy is even reflected in The Escapist Hollywood musicals of depression America [Music] [Music] the American Sailors idealized in films like footlight parade with Ruby Keeler and James KY oh please you take me I'm great big steam boat with you across the sea I'd like to take in what that great big Steamboat don't Bel long to [Music] me in 1937 Japan is marching to a different TB called East Asia for the asiatics but it means East Asia for Japan the first step conquest of China is assaulted both by land and sea the Japanese military are determined that China shall become another manua there is to be a new order in East Asia they say the Japanese have a still larger goal war with the United States on December 12th 1937 the American gunboat the USS panai is sailing up the Yang sea her job is to protect American life and property in the waron river valley aboard she carries evacuees from the besieged city of Nan King [Music] it is a bright sunny day the ship is clearly marked for Japanese Pilots there can be no mistake [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] for 20 minutes the ship is bombed and strafed Counterattack is feudal the panai is going down the men must abandon ship [Music] [Music] three men have been killed 11 seriously wounded the attack has been deliberately planned to solidify their position of power the Japanese military hope to provoke a war with the United States [Music] at 3:45 the panai goes under the civilian government of Japan apologizes to America through Ambassador hirosi Saito it was a great mistake the Japanese government and people wish to express their sincerest and profoundest regrets to the American government and people on account of this deplorable incident a used isolationist America anxious to avoid war gladly accepts Japan's apology and while protesting the aggression in China continues to sell the means of War to the aggressive almost 90% of Japan's Aviation gasoline Scrap Iron and Steel come from the United States for now it is put to use over China [Music] [Music] it's [Music] h [Music] in Japan the people sing their undying Devotion to their Emperor neither they nor he can stop what is tied for now on the ancient Throne of Japan sit firmly entrenched the gods of War [Music] in Germany another captive people hypnotized by a promise of grandeur cheer the visit of a friend Yuka matsuoka he has come to promote an alliance with Adolf Hitler who was preparing for war in Europe the British and French possessions in Asia will be vulnerable a German Alliance now will ensure Japan its share later [Music] there is little difference between Nazi Doctrine and Japanese policy and to matsuoka Germany is the model of what Japan hopes to [Music] be matsuoka departs having drawn Japan's Ambitions closer to German might a formal alliance is still to come but the Ring of tyranny is closing and a world on the threshold of War does little but watch and [Music] wait spring 1940 War has come to Europe President Franklin D Roosevelt decides to move the expanding United States Fleet nearer the Strategic places America must protect the Philippines Wake Island and Guam it is to be called the Pacific Fleet its destination Pearl Harbor Hawaii 2500 M closer to Japan [Music] in Japan the movement of the American Fleet causes a cabinet crisis Germany has conquered Holland and France their Asian Empires are ripe for plucking except for the proximity of the Pacific Fleet a new cabinet is formed with General Tojo as minister of War he presses for an axis Alliance to frighten America into remaining neutral Premier kanoya is against it but both Tojo and the new foreign minister matsuoka have their [Music] way September 27th 1940 is a festive day in Berlin the Axis powers once two now are three Germany Italy and Japan each pledged to the others in case of [Music] attack America will have to remain neutral or face a two ocean war now that Germany is united with Japan now Japan prepares to launch her drive toward Southeast Asia Storehouse of tin Rubber and oil she is confident that Germany will come to her Aid if the United States interferes Japan has much in common with Nazi Germany respect for military strength belief in a super race even her modern mechanized Army powerful and poised for action has been built on the German model in 1940 trucks marked tanks are being featured in US Army Maneuvers wooden machine guns stove pipe antitank guns improvise mortars with empty beer cans for ammunition they are symbols of a pacifist America slumbering in a dream of peace [Music] in 1940 while Asia smolders and Europe Burns America argues there is sharp division intervention or isolation that is the embattled question that tears the nation asunder the America First committee is among those opposed to President Roosevelt's plea for preparedness and Aid to Britain and China its Chief spokesman is Charles Lindberg France has now been defeated and despite the propaganda and confusion of recent months it is now obvious that England is losing the War I believe and I have been forced to the conclusion that we cannot win this war for England regardless of how much assistance we send if Great Britain goes down the Axis powers will control the continents of Europe and Asia and Africa and australasia and the high se's we must be the great Arenal of democracy for us this is an emergency as serious as War [Music] itself in October 1940 over violent opposition Roosevelt pushes through America's first peacetime draft the first number drawn by the Secretary of War is serial number 158 15 million men become government issue and reluctantly America takes a giant stride toward commitment [Music] yet protest remains part of the American scene the United States is still a country divided when the draft Act is extended it passes by a single [Music] vote in Japan a whole nation is being conscripted mobilized the entire civilian population is trained for any eventuality of War including attack from the [Music] air indoor for air raid drill Outdoors for poison gas men women and children are called to rehearse with deadly seriousness their respective Parts in the drama called [Music] [Music] War now the Japanese military proceeds with its plans for the conquest of Southeast Asia with Europe tied down by War and the United States by indecision this is the golden opportunity the Dutch East Indies British Malaya the Philippines are scheduled for Conquest but French Indochina must be taken first in July 1941 the Japanese occupy Indochina and begin to March toward Southeast Asia and the oil deposits of the Indies to lubricate her War Machine Japan needs oil and for oil she is still dependent on the United States in Washington Japan's move into Indochina is met decisively in treaties against aggression material Aid to China even an embargo on scrap iron that veiled to restrain the Japanese now Roosevelt announces he is freezing Japan's Assets in the United States choking off Japanese trade Japan shall have no oil with which to make war the Japanese shocked study the situation soon there will be no oil for domestic use much less for war but a military withdrawal means losing their long awaited opportunity for expansion something must be done they give Japanese Ambassador nura 6 weeks to reach a peaceful settlement with the United States if trade with Japan is restored he tells Secretary of State Cordell Hull the advance will end with Indochina says Hull they must get out of Indochina and China too it is October 12th nura's deadline has passed Premier kanoya fearing War asks tojo's consent to withdraw from China Tojo refuses kanoya resigns and the man called the Razer becomes premier of Japan now Admiral Yamamoto is ordered to proceed with his plan once thought suicidal a carrier strike on Pearl Harbor 3,500 M away if negotiations in Washington fail the assault must be ready preparations begin [Music] immediately special Torpedoes for the great ships and the shallow Waters of Pearl Harbor are tested the art of straighting is perfected for the airfields called Bellows and Wheeler and hick [Music] me [Music] do the American armed forces in [Music] Hawaii since Medieval Times surprise has been the essence of Japanese Warfare show me you do the [Music]