---
title: 'Why We Fight: The Battle of Britain (film frame)'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/why-we-fight-battle-of-britain-1943/
description: A frame from 'The Battle of Britain' (1943), the fourth film in Frank Capra's U.S. Army 'Why We Fight' series.
section: Collection
---

[Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/)

[![Why We Fight: The Battle of Britain (film frame)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/why-we-fight-battle-of-britain-1943.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/why-we-fight-battle-of-britain-1943.jpg)

# Why We Fight: The Battle of Britain (film frame)

A frame from 'The Battle of Britain' (1943), the fourth film in Frank Capra's U.S. Army 'Why We Fight' series. Army researchers who showed it to recruits found that some opinion changes were larger nine weeks later than five days after viewing. They named this the 'sleeper effect' and suggested it happens as viewers forget they had discounted the film as official propaganda while still remembering its message.

- **Date:** 1943
- **Period:** [Second World War](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#era=wwii)
- **Made by:** U.S. Army (Frank Capra's 'Why We Fight' series)
- **Region:** [North America](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#region=north-america)
- **Country:** [United States](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#country=united-states)
- **Medium:** [Film stills](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#medium=film-still)
- **Issuer type:** [Military](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#actor=military)
- **Regime:** [Roosevelt Administration](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#regime=roosevelt-administration)
- **Leader:** [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#leader=franklin-d-roosevelt)
- **Audience:** [Own forces](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#audience=own-forces)
- **Purpose:** [Persuade or win support](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#purpose=persuade-support)
- **Themes:** [War and the military](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=war-military), [Media and information](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=media-information)
- **Event:** [World War II](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#event=world-war-ii)
- **Techniques:** [Sleeper effect](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/sleeper-effect/)
- **Regime:** [Roosevelt administration](https://propagandaarchive.org/regimes/roosevelt-administration/)
- **Leader:** [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://propagandaarchive.org/regimes/roosevelt-administration/#franklin-d-roosevelt)
- **Source:** Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- **Source:** [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Why_We_Fight.4.Battle_of_Britain.webm), retrieved September 27, 2026
- **Rights:** Public domain (U.S. government work) U.S. Army, 'The Battle of Britain' (Why We Fight, 1943).

## Text on the object

Checked for printed text

No printed or legible text on this object.

This is a mid-film shot (a soldier on a rooftop overlooking the Thames and the Houses of Parliament/Big Ben), not a title card; the Commons file captures the video's poster frame. Checked closely: no caption, subtitle or on-screen text is burned into this particular frame.

[← 'Wer hatte recht?' ('Who was right?') (Allied leaflet to Germany)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/wer-hatte-recht-raf-leaflet-1943/) [Work, Save, Fight and so Avenge the Nurses! (Centaur poster) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/work-save-fight-avenge-the-nurses-1943/)