The World at War (1942) Reel 2

Reel 2 of the landmark 1942 U.S. government film The World at War documents the escalating Axis aggression that pushed the world toward total war. It covers Japan’s withdrawal from the League of Nations after the invasion of Manchuria and Shanghai, brutal bombing campaigns in China, Chiang Kai-shek’s unification efforts, and Emperor Hirohito’s symbolic role in Japanese militarism. The reel then shifts to Mussolini’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia and Haile Selassie’s powerful (but ignored) appeal to the League. It concludes with Hitler’s triumphant 1938 Anschluss—the annexation of Austria—marking a critical step in Nazi expansion across Europe.

• Japanese delegation walks out of League of Nations (1933)
• Invasion of Manchuria and bombing of Shanghai
• Chinese resistance forces unite under Chiang Kai-shek
• Emperor Hirohito reviewing troops and militarism imagery
• Italian invasion of Ethiopia with poison gas and bombing
• Haile Selassie’s emotional speech to the League of Nations
• German troops march into Austria – Anschluss 1938
• Hitler greeted by cheering crowds in Vienna