What I found most interesting about this, the seventh and final installment in the "Why We Fight" series, was the narrator's method of speaking directly to the intended viewer, the newly recruited American soldier about to take up arms against the enemy. Using phrases like 'about the time you had your first date' while referring to Axis attacks in Europe and Asia, the strategy had a way of making the upcoming mission that much more personal and vital to America's interests. After all, future generations might not get the chance to go on that first date if the Nazis and Fascists succeeded in dominating the free world.
Another unique feature that wasn't seen before was the tracking of Gallup polls following the American public's familiarity with events across the oceans. In 1936, only one in twenty Americans supported America's involvement in another world war, preferring the country's avowed neutrality. However in the space of two years, eighty five per cent of Americans were willing to give full support to strengthening our Armed Forces if events were to draw us into the conflict.
In May of 1940, the U.S. had only three hundred thirty thousand troops in uniform. What amazed me about that number was the fact that in the failed German invasion of Russia, the amount of captured German troops matched that same number. Germany had lost as many men in one campaign of the war as there were in the entire American military at the time!
A final thought that struck me while watching this last chapter of the series, was that while I'm viewing it for a sense of history, my father, who fought in the War in France, actually watched it for it's intended purpose sixty five years ago! That's something I hadn't even considered until today, and I wish he were still here to tell me what he remembered of it. Now that would have been a story.
Another unique feature that wasn't seen before was the tracking of Gallup polls following the American public's familiarity with events across the oceans. In 1936, only one in twenty Americans supported America's involvement in another world war, preferring the country's avowed neutrality. However in the space of two years, eighty five per cent of Americans were willing to give full support to strengthening our Armed Forces if events were to draw us into the conflict.
In May of 1940, the U.S. had only three hundred thirty thousand troops in uniform. What amazed me about that number was the fact that in the failed German invasion of Russia, the amount of captured German troops matched that same number. Germany had lost as many men in one campaign of the war as there were in the entire American military at the time!
A final thought that struck me while watching this last chapter of the series, was that while I'm viewing it for a sense of history, my father, who fought in the War in France, actually watched it for it's intended purpose sixty five years ago! That's something I hadn't even considered until today, and I wish he were still here to tell me what he remembered of it. Now that would have been a story.