Command Decisions: Presidents on the Brink - Episode Guide

In the face of fierce resistance from his own party and the segregated South, President Lyndon B. Johnson takes a stand for equality by signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This landmark decision outlawed segregation and employment discrimination, redefining America's moral landscape and cementing LBJ's legacy as a leader of courage and conscience.

As the world teeters on the brink of chaos, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet in secret to shape a shared vision for peace. Despite American neutrality and strong isolationist pressure, FDR backs the Atlantic Charter—an act of bold leadership that paved the way for Allied unity, the postwar world order, and U.S. global leadership.

Following the Union's narrow victory at Antietam, President Abraham Lincoln risks everything by issuing the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. In a moment of profound moral clarity, Lincoln reframes the Civil War as a fight for human freedom—challenging political allies, national unity, and his own presidency in the process.