Download Propaganda Analysis of Capra

Frank Capra’s Why We Fight Propaganda Series
Guns, tanks, and bombs were the principal weapons of World War II, but there were also other,
more subtle, forms of warfare as well. Words, posters, and films waged constant battle for the
hearts and minds of the citizenry just as surely as military weapons engaged the enemy.
Persuading the public became a wartime industry, almost as important as the manufacturing of
bullets and planes.
During World War II, all governments launched an aggressive propaganda campaign to
galvanize public support, and some of the nation's foremost intellectuals, artists, and filmmakers
became warriors on that front. In the United States, Why We Fight, the work of Frank Capra
became a persuasive study of the threat of the Axis powers and the necessity of the United
States to enter the war.
Capra's determination to create a powerful documentary led him to utilize the talents of John
and Walter Huston, Walt Disney, as well as the state-of-the-art facilities at MGM, Paramount,
and 20th Century Fox. Required viewing for new enlistees, the flickering images of Hitler's
barbaric atrocities in his quest for world domination were all these young men needed to justify
entering the war.
Why We Fight includes seven volumes: Prelude To War, The Nazi Strike, Divide And Conquer,
Battle of Britain, Battle of China, Battle of Russia, and War Comes To America. Each film was
compiled from authentic newsreel footage, official film from the United Nations, and captured
enemy film. The series won the Academy Award in 1944 for Best Documentary.
Volume Two: Nazi Strike
Overview:
The Nazis come to power. Hitler imposes full dictatorship on Germany. The Nazis march on Austria and Czechoslovakia
and invade Poland. Appeasement attempts are made, but it is soon evident that the curtain is about to rise on World
War II. USA, 1943, B&W, 41 minutes.
1) How is this movie propaganda? What are some of the words and images that demonstrate that it was
meant to influence and change people’s opinion?
2) Does the bias of this film take away from its ability to be a historical source?
3) List the events that this movie documents as the road to war
4) How is Hitler portrayed in Nazi Strike? Is this an accurate characterization?
5) Do you think governments should make movies like this? Make sure you back up your opinion with at least
3 examples (with supporting details). This will be evaluated. Please complete this question on a separate
piece of paper.