Donald Duck’s Bad Nazi Dream and Four Other Disney Propaganda Cartoons from World War II

During World War II, all hands were on deck, even in Hollywood. Many of America and Britain’s finest filmmakers, from Hitchcock to Frank Capra, were recruited to create propaganda films to support the war effort. And the same went for Walt Disney, who turned his lovable cartoon characters into good patriots.

In 1942, Disney released “Der Fuehrer’s Face,” an anti-Nazi propaganda movie that bolstered support for the war, and eventually won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Then, a year later, came The Spirit of ’43, which features Donald Duck helping Americans to understand why they need to pay their taxes. Other wartime Disney shorts include Donald Gets Drafted (1942), The Old Army Game (1943), and Commando Duck (1944). They all appear below.

The Spirit of ’43

Donald Gets Drafted

The Old Army Game

Commando Duck

Note: Der Fuehrer’s Face and The Spirit of ’43 appear in the Animation section of our collection of Free Movies Online.

Related Content:

The Story Of Menstruation: Walt Disney’s Sex Ed Film from 1946

How Disney Cartoons Are Made

Disney’s Oscar-Winning Adventures in Music


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