On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft launched a devastating surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. Within hours, battleships were burning, thousands of Americans had been killed or wounded, and the United States stood on the edge of total war.

In this episode, we explore the deeper story behind Pearl Harbor. Why did Japan decide to attack the United States? How did economic sanctions, the war in China, oil shortages, and imperial ambition push both countries toward conflict? Why were American forces caught unprepared, despite receiving several warnings? And how did one of the most successful surprise attacks in military history become a catastrophic strategic mistake?

This is the story of the attack that united the American public, transformed World War II into a truly global conflict, and awakened an indus ...