Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia. Reel 8: Leningrad

This clip is an excerpt from The Battle of Russia, the fifth propaganda movie in the 'Why We Fight' series, made by the US Office of War Information during the Second World War. The 'Why We Fight' movies were initially made to justify to American soldiers their involvement in the war. They were later shown to the US public to persuade them to support their country's exploits. The film was directed by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Russian-born Anatole Litvak as primary director under Capra's supervision. Litvak gave the film its "shape and orientation," and the film had seven writers with voice narration by Walter Huston. The score was written by Russian-born Hollywood composer, Dimitri Tiomkin, and drew heavily on Tchaikovsky along with traditional Russian folk songs and ballads. This excerpt forms reel 8 of the movie, shown exactly as it appears in the version of the film available at the US National Archives. It focuses on the Siege of Leningrad (1941-42), one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history, and possibly the costliest ever in terms of casualties. For an overview of the siege: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_o... To see the entire Battle of Russia movie:    • Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia   Contact(s): National Archives at College Park - Motion Pictures (RDSM), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road College Park, MD 20740-6001 Phone: 301-837-3540, Fax: 301-837-3620, Email: [email protected] Creator(s): Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Chief Signal Officer. 9/18/1947-2/28/1964 (Most Recent) Series: Orientation Films, 1942 - 1949 Record Group 111: Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 1860 - 1985 Production Date: 1943 This film is shared for educational purposes only.