Axis Aggression from Asia to Europe in the 1930s
About This Footage
Reel 2 of The World at War (1942) explores the escalating aggression of Axis powers during the 1930s. It opens with Japan’s confrontation with the League of Nations following its invasion of Shanghai and withdrawal after being branded an aggressor. The reel continues with bombing campaigns in China, the unification of Chinese forces under Chiang Kai-shek, and symbolic portrayals of Emperor Hirohito and Japanese militarism. The focus then shifts to Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia and Emperor Haile Selassie’s resistance on the world stage. The reel concludes with Germany’s 1938 annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, a pivotal step in Adolf Hitler’s rise and Europe’s path to war. This footage documents Axis expansion across Asia, Africa, and Europe, setting the stage for World War II.