Transcript Prelude to War

War Languages
Propaganda films and speeches in
WW2
Vesa Matteo Piludu
University of Helsinki
Department of Art Research
World War 2. German propaganda: Anti-Semitic
 BBC Document from WW2. Jews are not wanted here. / "Juden!
Sind hier unerwuenscht.“
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGNyc_LlJhs&feature=related
 Heinrich Himmler Speech - Jewish Extermination Orders (secret speech for the SS)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_XS3Xra0Xs&feature=related
 Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler's speech to the SS officers
responsible for carrying out the wholesale extermination of the
European Jews. Delivered in Poznan, Poland on October 4, 1943.
The text of the speech scrolls in both the original German and its
English Translation.
Mussolini: a Pro-American speech in 1929
and a typical fascist mass propaganda speech in 1939
 Mussolini's Speech in English (1929 Fox Movietone Newsreel)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTXhez2mNmM
 Mussolini says (Roughly transcribed):
"I am very glad to be able to express my feelings to the American nation. Friendship
which Italy looks to millions of citizens who from..... from Pacific to Atlantic..... United
States is very deeply rooted in our hearts.
This feeling created by mutual interest in preparation of an even brighter era in the life of
both nations. I agree - the wonderful energy of the American people and I feel....... my
fellow citizens who are working to make America great.
I salute the great American people, I salute the Italians of America who unite in the love
of the nation."
 MUSSOLINI SPEECH REGGIO CALABRIA 1939, Istituto Luce
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bezn89c-Geg
Capra’s Prelude to 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.
World War II is introduced in black and white terms, with Henry
Wallace's quote "This is a fight between a free world and a slave
world" pictorialized with the "free world" of the Allies as a brightlyilluminated planet and the "slave world" of the Axis Powers as a
planet deep in shadow.
It examines the differences between democratic and fascist
states, using footage from Axis propaganda films including
Triumph of the Will, but with different narration designed to support
the Allied cause.
It is mentioned that after the Nazis smashed opposing political
parties and labor unions, they turned their attention to persecution
of Christians - in one scene a stained glass window is shattered by a
brick to reveal a "Heil Hitler!" poster behind
Prelude to war
 The Axis aim of total world conquest, as shown in Prelude to War.
The Axis is depicted as seeking total world conquest. An animated
map first shows Mussolini's ambition to re-create the Roman
Empire, complete with the Mediterranean as "Our (the Italians')
Sea", then Japan's ambition - described in the Tanaka Memorial
(Its authenticity is still a matter of dispute) - to conquer Manchuria,
China, Indochina, Siam, Burma, the East Indies, India, Australia,
New Zealand and Russia east of Lake Baikal, before moving east to
crush the United States. The Nazis are shown as first claiming
Europe, then moving east through Iraq and Iran into India, then south
to conquer Africa. Once this is accomplished, the Nazis would cross
the Atlantic Ocean from Dakar to Brazil - meeting up with the
Japanese who have crossed the South Pacific. Simultaneously, the
Nazis would cross the North Atlantic Ocean from Scandinavia
into Canada, meeting the Japanese forces (pejoratively referred
to as Germany's "buck-toothed pals") crossing from Siberia.
The combined Axis armies then overrun the United States.
Prelude to War
 Isoroku Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese
Navy is shown making a speech which is deliberately mistranslated
(as in other US World WaWhen war comes between Japan and
the United States, I shall not be content to merely occupying
Guam, the Philippines, Hawaii, and San Francisco. I look
forward to dictating the peace to the United States in the White
House at Washingtonr II propaganda) as "." - this is followed by a
scene showing the "conquering Jap army" marching down
Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC, as the narration alludes to
Japanese atrocities in Nanking, Hong Kong and Manila.
Prelude to war
 It also points out that while they claimed to lack raw materials, they
were able to build enormous war machines. The Nazi Wehrmacht
is mentioned to have "30 Panzer divisions, 70 motorized divisions
and 140 infantry divisions".
The film notably takes the position that the war started on September
18, 1931 with Japan's invasion of Manchuria, which is covered
towards the end of the film along with Mussolini's invasion of
Ethiopia.
The animation showing a Japanese dagger plunging into Manchuria
is re-used in The Battle of Russia, The Battle of China and War
Comes To America.
Prelude to War won the 1942 Academy Award for Documentary
Feature
Frank Capra's "Why We Fight" World War II
Propaganda Series
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBUKRAE2O9c
 A document on Capra’s Propaganda’s documents
 This is a short, but favorable, presentation discussing Frank Capra's
World War II propaganda series entitled "Why We Fight." This series
of films was funded by the United States government and used to
condition the American military and public to accept the war.
The majority of Americans wanted no part of another European
conflict. Behind the scenes though the Roosevelt administration was
steering the country towards war.
Why We Fight
 Why We Fight: "Prelude to War" (ca. 1943) 1/6 10 min
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrwT2K3SwGk&feature=PlayList&p=E1FF98DF99AF
CBA6&index=0
 Why We Fight: "Prelude to War" (ca. 1943) 2/6 10 min
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDulUKcmYvI&feature=PlayList&p=E1FF98DF99AFC
BA6&index=1
 (03) Why We Fight: "Prelude to War" (ca. 1943) 3/6 10 min
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZqjG2RdMg&feature=PlayList&p=E1FF98DF99AFCBA6&index=2
 (04) Why We Fight: "Prelude to War" (ca. 1943) 4/6
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyYG3ryqfc4&feature=PlayList&p=E1FF98DF99AFCB
A6&index=3
 (05) Why We Fight: "Prelude to War" (ca. 1943) 5/6
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzXKSxsIYo&feature=PlayList&p=E1FF98DF99AFCBA6&index=4
 (06) Why We Fight: "Prelude to War" (ca. 1943) 6/6
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuhtljNOdO0&feature=PlayList&p=E1FF98DF99AFCB
A6&index=5