Prelude to war
PRELUDE TO WAR is the first chapter in the famous propaganda series, used as a U.S. Army training film in WWII before theatrical release. The film asks ‘why The US fights in WWII’. The answer compares the ‘free’ and ‘slave’ worlds. The ‘Free world’ is that of the Allies that honours life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Axis nations are the Slave world that honours only tyranny, brutality and unquestioning obedience to the leader and threatens to envelope the entire planet if the Free world does not make a stand.
About the series
The seven part “Why we fight” series is considered the most powerful American propaganda ever produced and was the winner of an Academy Award in 1942 for Best Documentary. This outstanding and historic series traces the earliest beginnings of the second world war starting with Library of Congress National Film RegistryJapan’s invasion of China in 1931, to the Nazi’s march across europe. The series features extensive historic footage from both allied and axis sources. In 2000 the “Why We Fight” series was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry and remains a prime source of archival footage for the period.
Propaganda
The Why We Fight series was a massive effort on the part of the United States government to indoctrinate the millions of young men and women inducted into military service following the American entry into World War II. The making of this series and other large-scale information and education films, as they were called, was planned and supervised by Frank Capra. One of the most popular Hollywood filmmakers of the late 1930s, he had no prior documentary experience.
Concept & style
The ‘Why We Fight’ series was based on the assumption that servicemen would be more willing and able fighters if they knew the events that led up to, and the reasons for our participation in the war. It had to counteract the spirit of isolationism still strong in this country up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In this attempt it offered a gigantic historical treatise from a particular, “liberal” point of viewthat is to say the New Deal viewpoint of the Democratic administration, prevalent in the country at the time.
Social interest
The series was shown to the public in theatres to explain American policy and promote the war effort abroad. “Prelude to War” argues that freedom is a threat to the fascist dictators of the Axis powers, who claim that democracy is weak and must be eradicated. The film claims that the ultimate goal of the Axis powers is to enslave the nations of the “free world,” a desire made manifest in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and Mussolini’s destruction of Ethiopia.
Historic Interest
Prelude to War includes a lengthy description from Allied perspective of the development of dictatorships in Italy, Germany and Japan. It argues why America should abolish anti-militarism and isolationism as foreign policy. It further looks at enemy propaganda and the first acts of aggression.
Political interest
“Prelude to War describes World War II as a battle between the “slave world” of fascism and the “free world” of American liberty. In the “slave world”, the entire populations of Germany, Italy and Japan have been hoodwinked by madmen, opportunists who capitalized on their people’s desperation and weakness to rise to power. These demagogues promised revenge for past losses, and in the process convinced their people to give up their rights and accept dictatorship.
Credits
Producer: Frank Capra
Screenplay: Anthony Veiller and Eric Knight
Director: Frank Capra
Editor: William Hornbeck
Music: Alfred Newman.
Graphics and animation by Walt Disney Studios