Why We Fight: Prelude to War Part 1

"Why We Fight: Prelude to War Part 1" is the opening installment of Frank Capra’s seminal propaganda series, produced in 1942 for the U.S. Office of War Information to educate American troops and rally public support for World War II. This documentary reviews critical events from 1933 to 1939 that precipitated global conflict, spotlighting the Japanese conquest of Manchuria in 1931-1933, the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935-1936, and Adolf Hitler’s ascent to power in Germany. It frames these developments as part of a broader Axis strategy—comprising Japan, Italy, and Germany—for world domination, contrasting their totalitarian aggression with the democratic values of the "free world." Through a blend of newsreel footage, animated maps by Walt Disney Productions, and narration by Walter Huston, the film vividly illustrates the rise of fascism in Germany and Italy and Japan’s militaristic expansion in Manchuria, emphasizing the threat to global peace and the moral imperative for American involvement. This part sets the stage for the series by outlining the ideological and geopolitical stakes of the war.