The Depression was past. The war was won. Rationing had ended. And it was Christmas.

This newsreel, released December 10, 1945, shows happy Americans preparing for Christmas — mainly, by shopping. But in the segment that follows, General Dwight Eisenhower, now Army Chief of Staff, warns viewers that the United States still has military commitments around the world. America might once again be a land of abundance, but peace would be short-lived.