The Battle Cry of Peace on AllMovie

In a war-torn world, enemies of the United States use pacifists as pawns to insure that the Government doesn't spend too much on defense. This insures that when those enemies, looking a lot like Germans from WW I, finally invade, the US will be unable to defend itself. Sure enough the enemies attack and take over the country. While the story of this silent epic itself is intriguing, the history behind the film is perhaps even more so. It was made before the US got involved in WW I. Upon its release, the film generated a controversy rivaling that of Birth of a Nation because it contained such a strong call to arms. Producer Stuart Blackton believed that the US should join the Allies overseas and that was why he made the film. Former President Theodore Roosevelt agreed and was one of the film's staunchest supporters; using his influence, Roosevelt convinced Gen. Leonard Wood to loan Blackton an entire regiment of marines to use as extras. Uncorroborated legend has it that the great Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky was among the civilian extras; he was billed as Lember Bronstein, of the Bronx. It is most unfortunate that most of the film has disintegrated over the years and only a few out-takes remain.