Why We Fight: Prelude to War

1942 PG-13 53m

6.5 / 10 73

RATING

6.5/10

YOUR RATING

Prelude to War was the first film of Frank Capra's Why We Fight propaganda film series, commissioned by the Pentagon and George C. Marshall. It was made to convince American troops of the necessity of combating the Axis Powers during World War II. This film examines the differences between democratic and fascist states.

Director Frank Capra

Stars

Walter Huston Max Schmeling Adolf Hitler

Walter Huston

Self - Narrator (voice)

Max Schmeling

Self - German paratrooper (archive footage)

Adolf Hitler

Self

Documentary War

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User Reviews 1

Geronimo1967 26 Oct 2025

6/10

Crafted by Frank Capra at the instigation of General Marshall, this is a bit more sophisticated that the usual propaganda exercise Hollywood produced following the raid on Pearl Harbour. This time it uses an effective array of archive to not so much extol the virtues of the great American war machine as to chronologically vilify the axis powers. There’s not so much actual footage of the Emperor bu...