Unleashing War: The Tanaka Plan & Italy’s Invasion of Ethiopia
About This Footage
Reel 6 of Prelude to War highlights the next phase of Japan’s expansion and Mussolini’s imperial ambitions. Following the Tanaka Plan, Japan launches a surprise naval and aerial assault on Shanghai, devastating the city with bombings, street battles, and mass civilian casualties. The footage captures fleeing refugees, the wounded, and the dead, as Japanese troops push further into China. Meanwhile, Chinese leader Chiang Kai-Shek rallies his forces, with Chinese soldiers marching along the Great Wall in defiance of Japan’s aggression. In Africa, Mussolini’s army moves through the Suez Canal to invade Ethiopia (Abyssinia). Emperor Haile Selassie personally appeals to the League of Nations, seeking international support. Scenes of burning Ethiopian villages and Italian artillery strikes reveal the brutal reality of the invasion. Despite Ethiopian leaders pledging allegiance to Selassie, Mussolini’s forces, aided by air power and heavy artillery, secure victory. In response, Franklin D. Roosevelt publicly condemns Mussolini’s actions, though no immediate intervention follows. The reel closes with Hitler and Mussolini in a celebratory mood, reinforcing the growing strength of the Axis Powers.