Summary: Propaganda film describing the causes of the Second World War, consisting of stock footage with dramatic inserts.
Description: The war is not merely the result of Japanese aggression at Pearl Harbor, but is a much wider conflict between the free world and the slave world, where people have surrendered individual liberties to become a mass, a "slave herd". The film draws a series of parallels between Germany, Italy and Japan - a suppression of democratic assemblies, courts, trade unions, prosecution and murder of opponents, indoctrination and regimentation of youth. A history of the 1930s illustrates America's peaceful intentions - disarmament treaties, territorial guarantees etc - but criticises her isolationism. Nevertheless, America has faced her problems in a democratic way and retained the basic freedoms surrendered by the Germans, Italians and Japanese. The slave nations 'gang up' on the West - graphics illustrate fanciful (and sometimes mutually exclusive) plans for world conquest attributed to the Axis powers. Axis propaganda attempts to undermine the West, using its free speech and press - the film emphasises the paradoxes implicit in German claims to be a "have-not" nation while creating huge armed forces. Now two worlds oppose each other - if we lose, "we lose everything." "It's them or us."
Alternative Title:WHY WE FIGHT [Series Title]
Colour:B&W
Digitised:Yes
Object_Number:ADM 7
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:IWM
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1942-10-30
Production Country: United States of America
Production Details: War Department SOS (Production company)
Research Council, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (with the cooperation of) (Production company)
Capra, Frank (Production individual)
Knight, Eric (Production individual)
Veiller, Anthony (Production individual)
Tiomkin, Dmitri (Production individual)
Tiomkin, Dmitri (Production individual)
Walt Disney Productions (Production individual)
Hornbeck, William (Production individual)
Griffith, Richard (Production individual)
Briskin, Sam (Production individual)
Litvak, Anatole (Production individual)
Huston, Walter (Production cast)
Veiller, Anthony (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations:
Keywords:
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 16mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 1889 ft; Running time: 52 mins
