Why We Fight

documentary films by Capra [1942–1945]

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July 21, 2026

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The Why We Fight series was a set of seven documentary films produced by director Frank Capra between 1942 and 1945. These films were created to bolster American support for the Allied war effort during World War II.12

The series primarily utilized edited newsreel footage and scenes from Hollywood and international war movies to convey its message. While made for a modest budget, the films were influential. Prelude to War (1942) even won an Academy Award for Best Documentary. Other notable films in the series include Battle of Russia (1943). Capra, serving as a Major in the Signal Corps during this period, aimed to educate both servicemen and civilians about the war's objectives and the necessity of fighting.12

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Anatole Litvak
The Hollywood years
…with Frank Capra on the Why We Fight series of documentaries, codirecting (uncredited) Prelude to War (1942), The Nazis Strike (1943), Divide and Conquer (1943), The Battle of Russia (1943), The Battle of China (1944), and War Comes to America (1945).
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…with Frank Capra on the Why We Fight series of documentaries, codirecting (uncredited) Prelude to War (1942), The Nazis Strike (1943), Divide and Conquer (1943), The Battle of Russia (1943), The Battle of China (1944), and War Comes to America (1945).
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Frank Capra
The 1940s
…series of well-regarded documentaries titled Why We Fight, which were intended to increase American support for the war effort. The seven films, which consisted in large part of edited newsreel footage and scenes from Hollywood and foreign war movies, were made for a mere $400,000. Of these films only Prelude…
Read More
…series of well-regarded documentaries titled Why We Fight, which were intended to increase American support for the war effort. The seven films, which consisted in large part of edited newsreel footage and scenes from Hollywood and foreign war movies, were made for a mere $400,000. Of these films only Prelude…
Read More