Three part documentary collection focusing on world war ii and its buildup told using historic newsreel and rare archival footage this is the whole story beginning in the 1930s with japans invasion of china germanys blitzkrieg into neighbouring czechoslovakia and poland in 1939 and ending with the fall of japan and the signing of the peace treaty on the uss missouri in august of 1945 chapters comprise part 1 1931 1942 part 2 1942 1944 and part 3 1944 1945