During World War II, Walt Disney entered into a contract with the US government to develop 32 animated shorts. Nearly bankrupted by Fantasia (1940), Disney needed to refill its coffers, and making American propaganda films didn’t seem like a bad way to do it. On numerous occasions, Donald Duck was called upon to deliver moral messages to domestic audiences (see The Spirit of ’43 and Der Fuehrer’s Face). But that wasn’t the case with Education for Death: The Making of Nazi, a film shown in U.S. movie theaters in 1943.
Based on a book written by Gregor Ziemer, this animated short–streamable at Archive.org–used a different lineup of characters to show how the Nazi party turned innocent youth into Hitler’s corrupted children. Unlike other topics addressed in Disney war films (e.g. taxes and the draft), this theme, the cultivation of young minds, hit awfully close to home. And it’s perhaps why it’s one of Disney’s better wartime films. (Spiegel Online has more on Disney’s WW II propaganda films here.)
You will find Education for Death permanently listed in the Animation section of our collection of Free Movies Online.
Would you like to support the mission of Open Culture? Please consider making a donation to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere.
Also consider following Open Culture on Facebook and Twitter and sharing intelligent media with your friends. Or sign up for our daily email and get a daily dose of Open Culture in your inbox.
Related Content:
How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made: 1939 Documentary Gives an Inside Look
Disney’s 12 Timeless Principles of Animation Demonstrated in 12 Animated Primers
It’s worth remembering the mad props Hitler gave our propaganda efforts in Mein Kampf:
FDR was also a fascist; the New Deal took many ideas from the fascist European powers. FDR actually said nice things about Hitler and Mussolini but you can’t find an honest leftist to admit this.
Obama is also a fascist in a number of ways given his penchant for pushing executive orders. But somehow Trump is an authoritarian.
I saw this cartoon like 7 years ago crazy
Yet ironically, it was the Communists on the left who first attempted to accuse Roosevelt of fascism.