Why We Fight (1943-45) is a series of patriotic documentaries produced during World War II, part of a campaign to inspire American support for the war (and, specifically, to inspire soldiers to fight the enemy). The brainchild of Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, the films were produced and sometimes directed by filmmaker Frank Capra.
The major focus of the series was the threat of the Axis powers and the importance of the U.S. presence in fighting the war. Part of a skillful propaganda campaign, the series offered paens to American freedom, positive views of the Allies (including Russia and China), and scenes of Nazi brutality. The filmmakers used extensive interviews with those involved in the fight, as well as newsreel footage and film captured from the enemy.
Why We Fight comprises of seven films: Prelude to War (1942; winner of the 1942 Academy Award for best documentary), The Nazi Strike (1943), Divide and Conquer (1943), The Battle of Britain (1943), The Battle of Russia (1944), The Battle of China (1944), and War Comes to America (1945).
Such filmmakers as Robert Flaherty, Walter Huston, George Stevens, and William Wyler participated in the making of these films, along with musicians Alfred Newman and Dimitri Tiomkin and writers Robert Heller, William Shirer, Anatole Litvak, and Tony Veiller. The series was added to the National Film Registry in 2000.
The major focus of the series was the threat of the Axis powers and the importance of the U.S. presence in fighting the war. Part of a skillful propaganda campaign, the series offered paens to American freedom, positive views of the Allies (including Russia and China), and scenes of Nazi brutality. The filmmakers used extensive interviews with those involved in the fight, as well as newsreel footage and film captured from the enemy.
Why We Fight comprises of seven films: Prelude to War (1942; winner of the 1942 Academy Award for best documentary), The Nazi Strike (1943), Divide and Conquer (1943), The Battle of Britain (1943), The Battle of Russia (1944), The Battle of China (1944), and War Comes to America (1945).
Such filmmakers as Robert Flaherty, Walter Huston, George Stevens, and William Wyler participated in the making of these films, along with musicians Alfred Newman and Dimitri Tiomkin and writers Robert Heller, William Shirer, Anatole Litvak, and Tony Veiller. The series was added to the National Film Registry in 2000.
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