been great gains in some areas. racial segregation has remained largely in place. >> watch the entire lecture tonight. here on american history tv. >> each week, american history tv's "reel america" brings you archival films that tell the story of the 20th century. ♪ 1931, japanese troops read for the conquest of manchuria. ago ong in full 14 years international conquest. shanghai in 1937. full-scale warfare against china.

addressing toout justify. then, they walked out. the loan choose a brutal attacks continue. japan to empire. if you need to more aggressive if she fed him others. italyt is imperialism invaded ethiopia. later jiminy in italy by intervention helped over the public government in spain. three nations posted alliance. 1940, germanyof and italy would plunger into war

and become united in japan. that's united with japan. it would all. china continued as the scene of misery and death. people made homeless with indomitable courage but inadequate weapons the chinese thought back. alone the get of resistance to japanese imperialism alive. japanese envoys to the united states described themselves as missionaries of friendship and peace while they were still negotiating their countrymen struck a savage blow unparalleled in intimate. 7 1941.rbor december

in spite of crippling damage, the united states fleet augmented by british australian and that unit set out to find the enemy. the japanese advancement was halted. even if the enemy made passes towards hong kong and singapore, they begin the long journey back. step-by-step the japanese were beat back. in the philippines, under japanese rule, prisoners had been subjected to indescribable g.ffering will sto the filipino people that never stopped fighting for the douglas macarthur had promised that he should return and return he did. jima, the a --iwo power of the american pacific

to scores ofcombat amphibious invasions. the japanese went into the hundreds of thousands and once again a flag of liberty which are mad at the run up. under general buckner who gave his life there, combined american fought a long and costly campaign for open our at the very doorstep of japan. andas japan's final hour enemy soldiers had to be destroyed cave by cave and one by one. finally, the morale was cracked open by american power. they began to give up voluntarily. it inflicted heavy damage on american naval forces operable canal up. a, it wascause

butational -- kammikaze, would never stop the allied advance. ♪ >> the b-29's scourge of japan's

home island bringing on the lesson of pearl harbor. from okinawa to the third and fifth fleets, japan came under the inevitable rain of ruin. moving up to the japanese home islands, they shelled the mainland almost without opposition. admiral halsey's strategy was bringing the enemy to his knees. but there is more coming. the atomic bomb, perfected by allied's scientists. first mission, hiroshima. japan had its choice. complete surrender or complete ruin. even as they laid the foundation for a stable european peace, they decided on common action against japan. russia joined the allies on the last remaining enemy. japan's stronghold immense jury

manchuria was attacked. for emperor hirohito and japanese militarism, the war was lost. japan sued for peace. in washington, they hurried to the white house. the united states cabinet, studying japan's surrender, with full coordination of the governments of britain, china, and russia and other allies. the world remembers president franklin delano roosevelt. a grateful world honors him today. douglas macarthur, leader of pacific armies, now named supreme allied commander.

chang kai-shek, leader of fighting china. harry s. truman, four months after taking the oath of president, leads his country to peace. they met in an emergency session, the president breaks the momentous news of japan's surrender. >> i have received this afternoon a message from the japanese government in reply to the message forwarded to that government by the secretary on august 11. i deem this reply a full acceptance of the potsdam declaration, which emphasized the unconditional surrender of japan. there is no qualification. arrangements are being made for the formal signing of the surrender terms at the earliest possible moment. general douglas macarthur has been appointed the supreme allied commander two receive the

japanese surrender. great britain, russia, and china will be represented by high-ranking officers. meantime, the allied armed forces have been ordered to suspend offensive actions. the proclamation of vj day must await the formal signing of the surrender terms by japan. narrator: newsman rush the president's report to a waiting world. in new york city and throughout the rejoicing nation and world, vast throngs of happy people celebrate the end of fighting, the dawn of peace. in times square, it is official. it is all over. it is total victory. [cheering]

narrator: all night long, the rejoicing continues. never before in history has there been greater reason to be thankful for peace. the world's free people are united in their determination that world's peace shall never be endangered again. japan formally surrendered in 1945 ending world war ii. ii national world war

memorial in washington, d.c. market the 71st anniversary of victory over japan day. world war ii army veteran delivers remarks along with representatives of the national park service and friend of the national world war ii memorial. the program is 30 minutes. >> welcome to the world war ii memorial as we commemorate and day victory in world war ii. ceremonies has been a journalist for nearly 25 years and is a weekday morning use -- news anchor. you can see monday through friday on wake-up washington mike was on her with a local emmy nomination for his primetime special