Expansionist policies of Japan, Italy and Germany converge, leading to World War 2

Film begins with peaceful scenes of Japan, including Mount Fuji; women in traditional Kimonos strolling among cherry blossoms; exquisite gardens; Geisha girls in traditional dress holding fans; and picturesque peasant farmers binding sheaves of grain. Evidence of Japan adopting Western styles and ways, shown by modern buildings, motor vehicles, and many Japanese in Western clothes going about their daily business on busy city streets. A Japanese stadium filled with spectators at a baseball game. One difference from an American baseball game is that the players are seen marching onto the field accompanied by a military band and later all sharing in raising the Japanese flag to start the event. View of line of players in jerseys as flag is raised (jersey team name Tomasyo?) Views of the baseball game underway. Baseball player with "Y" logo on front steps up to plate to bat. Scene changes to demonstrations of Japanese Navy as senior Naval Officers review Japanese sailors aboard a warship. A formation of Japanese warships underway. Closeup of a Japanese destroyer. A flotilla of Japanese warships being overflown by several formations of Naval aircraft. A flight of Kawanishi H6K Naval flying boats flying in loose formation. A parade of Japanese light and medium tanks including Type 95 Ha-Go tanks (some with offset turrets). View from rear of the parade. Many tanks crossing a field. Emperor Hirohito, riding a white horse, reviewing Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks and their crews standing at attention. Tanks raising dust as they move in formations on a road and in a field. Japanese infantry soldiers high step march in review past the Emperor on his white horse. Massed Japanese infantry on parade. View, again, of the high-stepping Japanese infantry marching past the Emperor as a segue to Italian infantry goosestepping on parade. Several views of such parades. Mussolini giving an impassioned speech to Italians from balcony on the Palazzo Venezia in Rome on November 4, 1938. A huge flat field filled with Italian SPAD XIII army biplanes parked in symmetric rows. Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia speaking from a shelter, rallies his tribesmen to resist invasion by Italian forces. They are seen in tribal dress, armed with spears and ancient rifles, as they answer the Emperor's call. View of Italian L3 light tanks advancing across desert terrain. Italian cavalry charging. Italian infantry moving forward. Italian Caproni Ca.111bis light bomber in flight. Bombs dropping through the air. Barrages by batteries of Italian artillery. Shells striking a hilltop fortress. An open air stadium with one section containing many Japanese attendees waving Japanese flags. A Japanese statesman reading a speech in Japanese. View of the stadium filled with Italians. "Saluti" written on the edge of the section occupied by Japanese attendees. An Italian spokesman in black uniform welcomes the Japanese contingent. A Japanese translator stands beside him. Closeup of cheering Japanese who have heard the greeting translated. Scene shifts to Japanese infantry hi-stepping past Emperor Hirohito and immediately to Italian troops goosestepping and then to German troops goosestepping as they (according to narrator) march into Austria on March 13th 1938. View of German troops marching into Austrian town to cheers from civilians on sidewalks waving Nazi swastika flags and rendering Nazi salutes. Numerous utility vehicles carry German soldiers through the town. More German soldiers arriving in tanks and on motorcycles. Some arrive on horse-drawn caissons towing field artillery pieces.

This historic stock footage available in HD video. View pricing below video player.