Selected Events

Selected Events from the Prelude to War Video Library

**Expansion of Nazi Germany**
DATE	CONTENTS
03/08/1936	Complete Newsreel. EUROPE AFLAME AT GERMAN COUP -- Troops invade Rhineland at Hitler scraps treaties and war clouds threaten. A graphic pictorial survey of the crisis following Germany's sensational occupation of forbidden zone. Historic pictures of the Versailles and Locarno pact signing with explanatory diagrams of situation as it is today. FLOODS PERSIST IN MIDDLE WEST -- Hundreds of families find Spring not so welcome as rivers continue rise. 25,000 SEE BREVITY WIN IN FLORIDA DERBY -- Kentucky classic hope ties world record and cops $20,000 stake. METROTONE SNAPSHOTS. Sub. 1- PICK MISS FLORIDA FOR 1936 -- Bathing beauty salons choose Norma Crim, at Coral Gables, and Babe Ruth presents trophy. Sub. 2 -NEW GOGGLES FOR FIRE-FIGHTERS -- Men who battle forest blazes get new protection for their eyes at Montrose, California. Sub.3 -SUBMARINE TRACTOR HUNTS GOLD -- Odd invention built to seek treasure in ocean depths is tried out at Sausalito, California. Sub. 4 - ICE YACHTS STILL RACING IN NORTH -- Old Man Winter hangs on at Williams Bay, Wisconsin, to delight of speedsters. Sub. 5 - SHAW SAYS GOODBYE TO U.S. -- Famous Irish wit leaves Los Angeles for home but pauses for some wisecracks. TRAVELING REDS BACK IN AMERICA -- Cincinnati's hopes fly to Miami from Puerto Rico for Spring workouts. CONNIE MACK'S BOYS TRAIN IN FLORIDA -- Walter Johnson, Jr., son of Big Train, starts with Athletics at Fort Meyers.
04/08/1936	Cuts and Outs. FIRST RIDE ABOARD A SUPER ZEPPELIN - loud speaker summons voters - good full screen close-up of Adolf Hitler.
04/08/1936	FIRST RIDE ABOARD A SUPER ZEPPELIN. Wonders of new air liner revealed on vote-getting flight of the von Hindenburg over Berlin. Sub. 1 - Aerial load speaker summons voters to polls in Germany's amazing "yes-man" plebiscite on Rhine re-arming.
12/26/1938	THE NEWS PARADE OF 1938! Screen saga supreme - the outstanding events of an epochal year-an absorbing review of the headlines of history. AVIATION! -- Howard Hughes, No. 1 annihilator of time and space streaks around the world in 91 hours - Britain's famed pick-a-back plane, launched in mid-air, spans Atlantic - Doug Corrigan lands in Dublin, completing greatest wrong-way flight of all time. DISASTERS! -- Nature's fury sweeps nation - Southern California suffers terrific flood as record rainfall sends raging torrents roaring down mountain canyons to Pacific - New England is raked by hurricane run wild - 682 die - $500 million damage is done by worst catastrophe of 1938 - Year's most spectacular fire sends 20 huge oil tanks skyward in flames - inferno in New Jersey! DRAMA! - In moment of madness, John Warde crawls out on narrow hotel ledge 17 floors above street in midtown Manhattan - defies rescue for hours - finally plunges to his death. WAR! -- Japan completes ruthless conquest, taking last of China's great cities - seizing 575,000 square miles of the "Good Earth" - countless thousands die as shot and shell, bomb and bullet, blast Asia! CRISIS! In Europe, Hitler seizes Austria as Il Duce abandons Schuschnigg - Britain's rulers pay imposing state visit to France in peaceful interlude to reaffirm "entente cordiale" between democracies - storm breaks over Sudetenland - Continent goes mad with fear - nations mobilize in panic - last minute "Peace Pact" is signed in Munich - dictators carve up Czechoslovakia! AMERICA! -- President Roosevelt steers ship of state to keep clear of Europe's hatreds - nation rallies for tolerance - Uncle Sam re-arms on land, sea and in air against tyranny.
03/15/1939	DEATH OF A NATION CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Prague scene - crowds - Pres. Benes - Girls parade - planes - Czech troops - Munich Pact - Maps of Czechoslovakia with Sudeten shaded, Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia marked - German troops Goering, Hitler, Mussolini. SWIFT CABINET changes, Prague - 2nd cabinet formed since Hitler's troops occupied Sudeten - Benes signing resignation. SLOVAK NATIONAL Guard and their "Fuehrer" Dr. Adalbert Tuka - Slovak guards a kind of facsimile of fascist militias of Germany and Italy - even Prime Minister Joseph Tiso presents respects to Tuka. EMIL HACHA elected President of Czechoslovakia, as expected, Prague. SOLEMN OPENING of first Slovak Parliament - Bratislava.

**Reichstag Fire**
DATE	CONTENTS
03/18/1933	Complete Newsreel. CALIFORNIA STARTS WORK TO WIPE OUT SCARS OF EARTHQUAKE - Restoration of devastated area rushed in cities and towns hit by tremblers. GAY THRONGS HAIL VIAREGGIO FETE - Italian Riviera casts aside all thoughts of care as giant floats pass in pre-Lantern festival. COAST GUARD CUTS WINTER'S BONDS - Cutter "Kickapoo" battles through Penobscot ice, clearing way for spring navigation in Maine. CHAMPION YANKEES GET INTO SHAPE - Manger McCarthy greets Babe Ruth in spite of pay dispute - Brooklyn Dodgers on the Job. MACKMEN READY TO CHEER FANS UP - Athletics are all set to go for big season after hard training siege in Florida climate. CHICAGO NAMES ITS NEW MAYOR - Alderman Cor is appointed temporary head by city council to succeed the late Anton J. Cermak. GERMAN REICHSTAG SWEPT BY FIRE SET BY INCENDIARY - Night blaze wrecks famous parliamentary building on eve of Hitler victory. BEER BILL SPONSORED SEES GOOD TIMES - Congressman Cullen of NY, who introduced measure, hails overwhelming vote of House for legal brew. Sub. 1 - Happy House members begin practicing. SKIING IN SKIRTS BAVARIA'S LATEST - Jumpers at Garmisch don women's garb and find it not so easy in comedy contest on high slide. GENTLEMEN RIDERS CRASH IN ENGLISH STEEPLECHASE - Amateur jockeys some to grief on slippery 4 mile course at Cheltenham. MIGHTY U.S. FLEET PASSES IN GREATEST REVIEW ON PACIFIC - Impressive "parade" of 134 sea fighters ends war games off California.

**Russo-Finnish War**
DATE	CONTENTS
12/13/1939	FIRST FILMS! BOMBING OF FINLAND! News of the Day brings to the screen a dramatic film record of the Russian air raids on Helsinki and other cities - the wanton attacks that aroused the indignation of the world. Wireless reports from our European representatives describe these pictures as intensely vivid and moving. They are being flown across the Atlantic by Yankee Clipper.

**1936 Olympics**
DATE	CONTENTS
08/10/1936	LATEST FILMS OF SPAIN'S CIVIL WAR. Dramatic phases of the frightful struggle revealed in exclusive pictures taken by Metrotone cameramen as government forces shell rebel strongholds in battle for Madrid! Scenes in the capital and at the Guadarrama front as Death Battalion of women joins motley army! First views of widespread destruction in a war that threatens annihilation to all Spain. U.S. LEADS WORLD IN OLYMPIC GAMES -- American athletes triumph as big meet opens amid spectacular scenes. Sub. 1 - Johnson and Owens lead great U.S. sweep of track and field events. METROTONE SNAPSHOTS. Sub.1 HINDENBURG'S FIRST DAYLIGHT TRIP OVER NEW YORK THRILLS MILLIONS -- Great airship, on sixth crossing, skims Manhattan's towers and takes her passengers on surprise sight-seeing tour before landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Sub. 2 - AMERICA'S CUP CHALLENGER LOSES GIANT MAST IN COWES REGATTA -- Endeavour II and four other yachts are disabled in England's famous racing classic. Crews have narrow escapes. Sub. 3 - JAPAN GETS THE AIR RAID JITTERS AGAIN AS "BATTLES" ARE STAGED IN BIG CITIES -- Realistic fires, cannonading and skybombing keep Nipponese on the jump as they are taught preparedness. UNCLE SAM ANNEXES A FORGOTTEN LAND -- no-man's territory found in the heart of Colorado, neglected over century. "MIXED BABY" AT 17 PICKS NEW PARENTS -- Dixie girl decides error was made in hospital at birth in 1919.
08/14/1936	JESSE OWENS TALK. Close-up of Owens, Germany.

**Munich Pact**
DATE	CONTENTS
10/09/1938	Cuts and Outs. MUNICH PACT SIGNED. Neville Chamberlain of England arriving - driving through streets to greet Hitler - involved in meeting with Hitler, Mussolini and Daladier.
12/26/1938	THE NEWS PARADE OF 1938! Screen saga supreme - the outstanding events of an epochal year-an absorbing review of the headlines of history. AVIATION! -- Howard Hughes, No. 1 annihilator of time and space streaks around the world in 91 hours - Britain's famed pick-a-back plane, launched in mid-air, spans Atlantic - Doug Corrigan lands in Dublin, completing greatest wrong-way flight of all time. DISASTERS! -- Nature's fury sweeps nation - Southern California suffers terrific flood as record rainfall sends raging torrents roaring down mountain canyons to Pacific - New England is raked by hurricane run wild - 682 die - $500 million damage is done by worst catastrophe of 1938 - Year's most spectacular fire sends 20 huge oil tanks skyward in flames - inferno in New Jersey! DRAMA! - In moment of madness, John Warde crawls out on narrow hotel ledge 17 floors above street in midtown Manhattan - defies rescue for hours - finally plunges to his death. WAR! -- Japan completes ruthless conquest, taking last of China's great cities - seizing 575,000 square miles of the "Good Earth" - countless thousands die as shot and shell, bomb and bullet, blast Asia! CRISIS! In Europe, Hitler seizes Austria as Il Duce abandons Schuschnigg - Britain's rulers pay imposing state visit to France in peaceful interlude to reaffirm "entente cordiale" between democracies - storm breaks over Sudetenland - Continent goes mad with fear - nations mobilize in panic - last minute "Peace Pact" is signed in Munich - dictators carve up Czechoslovakia! AMERICA! -- President Roosevelt steers ship of state to keep clear of Europe's hatreds - nation rallies for tolerance - Uncle Sam re-arms on land, sea and in air against tyranny.
03/15/1939	DEATH OF A NATION CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Prague scene - crowds - Pres. Benes - Girls parade - planes - Czech troops - Munich Pact - Maps of Czechoslovakia with Sudeten shaded, Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia marked - German troops Goering, Hitler, Mussolini. SWIFT CABINET changes, Prague - 2nd cabinet formed since Hitler's troops occupied Sudeten - Benes signing resignation. SLOVAK NATIONAL Guard and their "Fuehrer" Dr. Adalbert Tuka - Slovak guards a kind of facsimile of fascist militias of Germany and Italy - even Prime Minister Joseph Tiso presents respects to Tuka. EMIL HACHA elected President of Czechoslovakia, as expected, Prague. SOLEMN OPENING of first Slovak Parliament - Bratislava.

**French Woman Fight For Right To Vote**
DATE	CONTENTS
06/10/1935	FRENCH WOMAN FIGHT FOR RIGHT TO VOTE. Paris - suffragette with placard - few men voted for women - Pres. Lebrun - voting stand.
06/10/1935	SUFFRAGETTES FIGHT FOR RIGHT TO VOTE. Paris. At Bastille French women, led by Mrs. Louise Weiss, are shown breaking symbolic chains and making a joy fire with them.

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