dresden cultural hub of northern germany called the florence of the north a commercial/...
TRANSCRIPT
DresdenCultural hub of Northern GermanyCalled the Florence of the NorthA commercial/ transportation centerImportant Railway junction110 factoriesMany evacuees and refugees from the East and
Berlin
Reasons for the BattleBattle of Britain
RevengeShow Red Army the might and strength of the
British and AmericansCrush the spirit of the German PeopleDestroy main railway junctions, factories
producing war machines, the strategic meeting place of the Nazis
The Battle3 waves of bombings in 2 ½ daysHead of the Bomber Command, Arthur HarrisWithin the city bounds of DresdenUsed high explosive bombs and incendiary
bombs Survivors shot down with machine guns from
planesGoal was to inflict as much damage as possible
WARNING: the following couple of slides contain graphic
war description and photos. Please close your eyes if you are feeling squeamish. Thank you!
The InfernoExtremely hot firesAll the smaller fires merged to form one
giant infernoWhirlwind/ tornado of fire createdDeaths from burns, smoke inhalation,
carbon monoxide poisoning, and asphyxiation
DestructionMainly older, more densely populated part
bombed85% of the fully built up city destroyedLarge number of industrial facilities destroyed50% of homes demolished80% of city housing damaged to some extent1600 acres of land destroyed35,000-135,000 deaths
ImportanceFrightened the German peopleWas an unexpected attack by the Allies, usually
defensiveFirst use of Napalm warIf the Allies had lost the war, they would have
been tried for war crimes for this eventShowed the might of the Allies, as well as the
hypocrisy.
AftermathJoseph Goebbels: Allies now using “terror bombing” of innocent towns,
250,000 dead
Winston Churchill: "Dresden remains a serious query against the conduct of Allied bombing."
Arthur Harris: "The attack on Dresden was at the time considered a military necessity by people more important than myself.“
In truth, about 35,000 to 135,000 civilians died at Dresden
Military objective for Dresden in question still, obvious reason was revenge
No attempt by German prosecutors to pursue the United States and Great Britain
Slaughterhouse-FiveWritten by Kurt Vonnegut
Published in 1969Based on Vonnegut’s experiences during World
War II as a German prisonerHe was held in DresdenWas the first novel to raise awareness of the
bombings, is the most famous example.
Postmodern AuthorKurt Vonnegut- Born November 11, 1922 in
Indianapolis, Indiana
- Known for using Patiche in his works. Blends satire, black comedy, and science fiction to create novels, such as Slaughterhouse Five and Breakfast of Champions.
- As a former soldier and prisoner of war, many of his experiences influenced his later works.
Journal Write“War is at best barbarism…Its glory is all
moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.”
Discuss your feelings of war by making comparisons of this quote to media, history, personal anecdotes, or literature.