The film starts with the Japanese invading and annexing Manchuria, the response from the League of Nations and the bombing of an American gunboat, the USS Panay. The leaders of the major countries sign the Munich Pact and Hitler's invasion of Poland follows as the world witnesses the first act of World War II in Europe.

See the firsthand destruction of some of the world's major cities. March along with American soldiers as they walk the 65 miles in the "Bataan Death March." Watch as leaders meet in different countries to find a way to stop the tyranny of Germany, Italy and Japan. See the "Day of Infamy," when Japanese fighters and bombers attack an unsuspecting Pearl Harbor. Hear President Roosevelt's speech asking Congress to declare war, then see America's response to the dastardly act by Japan, as the last of the industrial nations enters the war.