From the Tripartite Pact to America’s Lend-Lease Effort
About This Footage
Reel 6 of War Comes to America highlights the Axis Powers’ growing threat and America’s increasing support for the Allies. An animated map details U.S. military bases protecting the Panama Canal, underscoring strategic defenses. The film then covers the 1940 Tripartite Pact, where Germany, Italy, and Japan formally align to deter the U.S. from joining the war. Footage of celebrations in Tokyo, Rome, and Berlin reflects Axis confidence, while scenes of destruction from the German bombing of England show the ongoing devastation of war. As President Roosevelt calls for increased war production, Congress passes the Lend-Lease Act, allowing the U.S. to send vital supplies to nations fighting Axis aggression. Animated maps illustrate the global distribution of war materials, reinforcing America’s growing involvement. The reel then shifts to Germany’s 1941 conquests of Yugoslavia and Greece, before Hitler launches a surprise attack on Russia without a formal declaration of war. The film concludes with maps illustrating the Axis threat to the free world and its implications for America, further foreshadowing the nation's inevitable entry into WWII.