The Best Film Archives's video: South America During World War 2 Foreign Policy Association Documentary 1944

● Please SUPPORT my work on Patreon: https://bit.ly/2LT6opZ ● Visit my 2ND CHANNEL: https://bit.ly/2ILbyX8 ►Facebook: https://bit.ly/2INA7yt ►Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Lz57nY ►Google+: https://bit.ly/2IPz7dl ✚ Watch my "Old America" PLAYLIST: https://bit.ly/2rOHzmy This World War 2-era film – originally titled as "The Bridge" – is a documentary presented by the U.S. Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. It was produced in 1944 by Documentary Film Productions, Inc. and sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association. It was directed by Willard Van Dyke and written by Ben Maddow. The documentary explores the economic and political importance of Latin America to the United States. It shows the endemic poverty and recent industrialization of South America and looks to such postwar advances as air travel and transportation, the "bridge" that will eventually link the United States with its neighbors to the south. The Bridge is an artifact of an era characterized by a strong narrative of belief in President Franklin Roosevelt’s "Good Neighbor" policy. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND / CONTEXT The history of Latin America during World War 2 is important because of the significant economic, political, and military changes that occurred throughout much of the region as a result of the war. In order to better protect the Panama Canal, resist Axis influence, and optimize the production of goods for the military effort, the United States through Lend-Lease and similar programs greatly expanded its interests in Latin America, resulting in large-scale modernization and a major economic boost for the countries that participated. Foreign Policy Association: The Foreign Policy Association (formerly known as the League of Free Nations Association) is a non-profit organization founded in 1918 dedicated to inspiring the American public to learn more about the world. The Foreign Policy Association aims to spread global awareness and understanding of foreign policy issues. Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs: The Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs was a United States agency promoting inter-American cooperation during the 1940s, especially in commercial and economic areas. It was started in August 1940 as OCCCRBAR (Office for Coordination of Commercial and Cultural Relations between the American Republics) with Nelson Rockefeller as its head, appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The agency's function was to distribute news, films and advertising, and to broadcast radio, in and to Latin America in order to counter Italian and German propaganda there. The OCIAA grew to be a large Federal agency with a budget of $38 million by 1942 and 1,500 employees by 1943. On March 23, 1945, the agency was renamed the Office of Inter-American Affairs (OIAA) with slightly changed powers. Good Neighbor policy: The Good Neighbor policy was the foreign policy of the administration of United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt towards Latin America. Although the policy was implemented by the Roosevelt administration, President Woodrow Wilson had previously used the term – but subsequently went on to invade Mexico. Senator Henry Clay had coined the term Good Neighbor in the previous century. The policy's main principle was that of non-intervention and non-interference in the domestic affairs of Latin America. It also reinforced the idea that the United States would be a "good neighbor" and engage in reciprocal exchanges with Latin American countries. Overall, the Roosevelt administration expected that this new policy would create new economic opportunities in the form of reciprocal trade agreements and reassert the influence of the United States in Latin America; however, many Latin American governments were not convinced. For more information on this historical topic, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Neighbor_policy and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America_during_World_War_II South America During World War 2 | Foreign Policy Association Documentary | 1944 TBFA_0181 NOTE: THE VIDEO REPRESENTS HISTORY. SINCE IT WAS PRODUCED DECADES AGO, IT HAS HISTORICAL VALUES AND CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A VALUABLE HISTORICAL DOCUMENT. THE VIDEO HAS BEEN UPLOADED WITH EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. ITS TOPIC IS REPRESENTED WITHIN HISTORICAL CONTEXT.