From European Conquest to American Mobilization
About This Footage
Reel 5 of War Comes to America captures Hitler’s expanding aggression and America’s growing awareness of the conflict. It begins with Japan’s reliance on U.S. exports and the public outcry for an embargo, as Dean Acheson confirms the cessation of trade. Meanwhile, Germany’s swift conquests of Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Belgium unfold, with harrowing scenes of dive bombers attacking civilians. American families huddle around radios, listening as Hitler’s forces advance on Paris and Italy joins the war, prompting Roosevelt’s scathing condemnation of Mussolini. Dramatic footage follows France’s surrender at Compiegne, where Hitler personally oversees the signing of the armistice in the infamous railway car. Scenes of German troops marching through Paris, Hitler viewing the Eiffel Tower, and Nazi artillery firing illustrate the fall of France. The film then shifts focus to German communities in South America, showing over a million Germans living in Brazil, Ecuador, and Argentina before WWII. As the U.S. begins mobilizing, the 1940 Havana Conference sets a framework for defending the Americas. Footage shows aircraft and navy ships under construction, new draftees reading draft notices, and recruits in boot camp following the passage of the Selective Service Act. The reel closes with Nazi bombers launching attacks on Britain, scenes of the London Blitz, air raid shelters, and U.S. ships transferring to the British fleet, marking a turning point in America’s path toward war.