DresdenCultural hub of Northern GermanyCalled the Florence of the NorthA commercial/ transportation centerImportant Railway junction110 factoriesMany evacuees and refugees from the East and

Berlin

Timeline

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.