History Rediscovered: War Comes to America

Plot Summary

The seventh and final film in Frank Capra's epic Why We Fight WWII series, War Comes to America is one of history's greatest propaganda movies. The film traces America's isolationist history while showing how public belief in that idea was eroded by the aggressive actions of the Fascist powers. While in 1936 nearly 95% of Americans told a Gallup poll that they would not want America to intervene in a European war, by 1939 nearly 70% of Americans were in favor of aid to Britain. Similarly, in 1937 only 43% of those polled showed sympathy for China's struggle against Japan, but by 1939 nearly 74% of Americans registered an anti-Japanese sentiment. As Capra demonstrates, these sea changes in public opinion enabled embargoes against Japan, and led to the Lend-Lease program for the British. America was still struggling with its position when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. At that point, America's entry into the war became inevitable.