The Battle of China Reel 1 - Japanese Bombing of Shanghai and China’s History

Reel 1 opens with the chaos of Japan's September 1937 bombing of Shanghai, capturing bombardiers in action and the ensuing devastation on civilians. It transitions to China's vast geography and 4,000-year legacy, spotlighting the Yangtze River, Confucian wisdom, and groundbreaking inventions. Animated maps reveal the Tanaka Memorial's blueprint for Japanese world domination, underscoring China's vulnerability amid internal divisions. This ProRes HD transfer from 35mm is prime for WWII documentaries, historical reels, and educational content on Asia-Pacific conflicts.

• Aerial views from Japanese bombers targeting Shanghai; bombs dropping, explosions ripping through the city; ground chaos with fleeing civilians and rubble-strewn streets amid wail of sirens.
• Montage of China's immense landscape—Manchuria plains, Gobi Desert, Himalayan peaks; flowing Yangtze River with boats and villages; animated maps showing territorial expanse.
• Cultural highlights: Ancient scrolls of Confucius' teachings; demonstrations of movable type printing, magnetic compass navigation, delicate porcelain crafting, and gunpowder fireworks evolving into warfare.
• Rise of Japanese militarism; Tanaka Memorial document excerpts with voiceover on conquest plans; animated global strategy maps from Asia to Europe.
• China's fragmented warlords and vulnerability to invasion; closing narration on the stakes of resistance against Axis aggression.