About the Episode
President Franklin D. Roosevelt runs for an unprecedented fourth term in office while grappling with hard decisions in the Pacific as General Douglas MacArthur pushes for an invasion of the Philippines. Any operation in the large and well-defended archipelago will be difficult and costly, especially in the densely populated capital of Manila.
Japan anticipates a Philippine invasion and launches an enormous offensive to halt the Americans. The Battle of Leyte Gulf will be the largest naval battle in human history, and will introduce a fearsome new tactic of Japan’s attack strategy: the kamikaze.
The fighting only intensifies as the Americans and Japanese vie for control of the tiny island of Iwo Jima. Roosevelt understands what ordinary Americans are only beginning to realize: in a clash between a nation that demands unconditional surrender and a nation that refuses to surrender, the worst is still to come.
The National WWII Museum was proud to support HISTORY's work on this series through historical research, educational outreach, and archival footage, as well as on-site interviews with WWII veterans that will be featured as part of the network’s “Save Our History” initiative.
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