Why We Fight: Prelude to War

1942 53 min ★ 6.5 Documentary, War

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.

Cast

Walter Huston

Self - Narrator (voice)

Max Schmeling

Self - German paratrooper (archive footage)

Adolf Hitler

Self

Details

Director

Frank Capra

Tagline

"The US government puts the finger on the United Nations' enemies"

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Production

War Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry, U.S. War Department

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

October 26, 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...