History Series / WhyWeFight

* PsychoKnifeNut: The Italian Blackshirts are shown brandishing their iconic daggers on a rally, used to demonstrate [[UsefulNotes/FascistItaly Fascist Italy's]] brutality and hatred of intellectualism[[note]]Daggers were commonly used by the Arditi, [=WW1=]-era Italian shock troops who frequently had to engage in melee combat to break through the trenches. After [=WW1=], many Arditi came to join Mussolini who would appropriate their symbols and aesthetics, including the dagger.[[/note]].
--> '''Narrator''': "The greatest intellect in the world can be silenced with ''[[AppealToForce this]''!" That is an exact translation of the words these Blackshirts cheer so lustily.

--> '''Narrator''': [[AppealToForce "The greatest intellect in the world can be silenced with ''this''!"]] That is an exact translation of the words these Blackshirts cheer so lustily.

--> Narrator: "In their occupation of Nanking the Japanese again outdid themselves in barbarism. The helpless populace was trapped by the city walls and could not flee. The Japanese soldiers [[AxCrazy went berserk]]; they [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped]] and [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured]], they [[WouldNotShootACivilian killed and butchered]]. In one of the bloodiest massacres in recorded history, they murdered 40,000 men, women, [[WouldHurtAChild and children]]."

--> '''Narrator''': [[AppealToForce "The greatest intellect in the world can be silenced with ''this''!"]] That is an exact translation of the words these Blackshirs cheer so lustily.

* PsychoKnifeNut: The Italian Blackshirts are shown brandishing their iconic daggers on a rally, used to demonstrate [[UsefulNotes/Fascist Italy Fascist Italy]]'s brutality and hatred of intellectualism[[note]]Daggers were commonly used by the Arditi, WW1-era Italian shock troops who frequently had to engage in melee combat to break through the trenches. After WW1, many Arditi came to join Mussolini who would appropriate their symbols and aesthetics, including the dagger.[[/note]].
--> Narrator: [[AppealToForce "The greatest intellect in the world can be silenced with this!"]] That is an exact translation of the words these Blackshirs cheer so lustily.

** "The Battle of China" claims that the Chinese have never waged a war of aggression. In reality, they waged many; even if one were to discount the famously expansionist Yuan and Qing dynasties due to them being founded by non-Chinese conquerors, dynasties led by ethnic Han Chinese did wage aggressive wars.

* OpposingCombatPhilosophies: ''Divide and Conquer'' proposes this as one of the reasons for France's quick defeat at the hands of Germany. Germany's commanders believed in concentrated, highly mobile assault forces. France's commanders believed in building massive, static fortifications on the border. When German forces puncture the defensive lines by going through the Ardennes, France has no adequate response and is inevitably lost. Also, ''The Battle of Russia'' discusses the differences between Blitzkrieg and the Soviets' Deep Battle doctrine.

* UnInstallment: ''War Comes to America'' was slated to be a two-parter, and the title card still includes "Part One". However, it was felt that a second part covering America's part in the war would be unnecessary, as people already knew about it from the news. It helped that World War II ended two months after the first part's release.

** In ''War Comes to America'', at the very moment Pearl Harbor was being attacked, a Japanese delegation hands American Secretary of State Hull a document accusing the United States of a litany of aggressions against Germany, Japan, and Italy, and ordered the country to desist. Hull recalls how he skimmed the document and [[ShutUpHannibal called the Japanese delegation out on this]]:

* UnInstallment: ''War Comes to America'' was slated to be a two-parter, and the title card still includes "Part One". However, it was felt that a second part covering America's part in the war would be unnecessary, as people already knew about it from the news. World War II ended two months after the first part's release.

** In ''War Comes to America'', at the very moment Pearl Harbor was being attacked, a Japanese delegation hands American Secretary of State Hull a document accusing the United States of a litany of aggressions against Germany, Japan, and Italy, and ordered the country to desist. Hull recalls how he skimmed the document and called the Japanese delegation out on this trope:

* RapePillageAndBurn: The Japanese Imperial Army did this to the Chinese then-capital of Nanking. Needless to say, it is meant to evoke disgust and hatred of the enemy.

* SoundtrackDissonance: After explaining the way of life in the Axis countries, Nazi marching scenes from ''Film/TriumphOfTheWill'' are shown with a repetitive military march playing. After the melody has repeated a few times, the whole affair starts looking very silly.

* DarkIsEvil: The series is the TropeCodifier for representing Axis forces as pure black. Axis rule is literally shown oozing into other countries.