The World at War (1942) Reel 6 – Fall of France & Britain Stands Alone

Reel 6 of the landmark 1942 U.S. government documentary captures the dramatic collapse of France, Hitler’s symbolic revenge at Compiègne, the occupation of Paris, and Britain’s lone defiance against the Luftwaffe onslaught. Rare original footage shows burning French cities, refugees fleeing, German troops marching under the Arc de Triomphe, and Winston Churchill delivering some of his most powerful wartime speeches as London endures the Blitz.

• German blitzkrieg sweeps through France – tanks, artillery, and Luftwaffe strikes
• Refugees and evacuations from Paris; children being sent to safety
• Fall of the Maginot Line and Italy declares war on France
• Hitler accepts French surrender in the historic Compiègne railcar (1918 reversed)
• German victory parade through Paris and past the Arc de Triomphe
• Luftwaffe bombing raids on Britain – London, Plymouth, Coventry
• Civilians in air-raid shelters during the Blitz
• Winston Churchill inspecting defenses and delivering fiery speeches
• British troops fighting in Egypt and Malta under siege
• Emperor Haile Selassie triumphantly returns to Ethiopia