The Enemy Strikes
Encyclopedia
The Enemy Strikes! is a short propaganda film made in 1945 about the Battle of the Bulge
. Its main emphasis is that, despite recent Allied
victories, the Axis
could still launch a counter-attack and that this was no time to get complacent.
Opening with shots of the liberation of Paris
, the narrator informs the audience that this was America's honeymoon; that at the time people were concerned that the war was about to end and the difficulties of transforming back to civilian life. Particularly noted was the concern that the US
had built too many tank
s and artillery
, and they would be sitting around, useless.
All this changes in December. The Nazis
launch a massive counter-offensive in Luxembourg
and Belgium
, driving the Allied armies back. The Malmedy massacre
and the killing of Belgian civilians is given much attention. Finally, the Americans are able to launch an air strike against the Germans and repulse the attack, but the Nazis are still fighting and trying to kill Americans.
The message of complacency is transferred to other theatres, such as the Russian
, Pacific
and later invasion of Germany, reminding the audience that despite recent victories, the Axis could still strike.
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. Its main emphasis is that, despite recent Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
victories, the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
could still launch a counter-attack and that this was no time to get complacent.
Opening with shots of the liberation of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the narrator informs the audience that this was America's honeymoon; that at the time people were concerned that the war was about to end and the difficulties of transforming back to civilian life. Particularly noted was the concern that the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had built too many tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, and they would be sitting around, useless.
All this changes in December. The Nazis
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
launch a massive counter-offensive in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, driving the Allied armies back. The Malmedy massacre
Malmedy massacre
The Malmedy massacre was a war crime in which 84 American prisoners of war were murdered by their German captors during World War II. The massacre was committed on December 17, 1944, by members of Kampfgruppe Peiper , a German combat unit, during the Battle of the Bulge.The massacre, as well as...
and the killing of Belgian civilians is given much attention. Finally, the Americans are able to launch an air strike against the Germans and repulse the attack, but the Nazis are still fighting and trying to kill Americans.
The message of complacency is transferred to other theatres, such as the Russian
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
and later invasion of Germany, reminding the audience that despite recent victories, the Axis could still strike.