Historical Connections
Chapters 1 & 2
Bombing of Dresden in World War II
Dresden, Germany was a historical city known for its architecture. Existing near the borders of Poland and Czechoslovakia and containing little to no factories producing war supplies, Dresden did not have much protection and was not expecting an attack. By 1945, many German civilians and Allied prisoners of war had moved or been moved to Dresden to keep out of the way of the oncoming Russian army.
From February 13 to February 15 of 1945, the British Royal Air Force and United States Army Forces bombed Dresden. Many of the bombs were incendiary, creating huge firestorms. The entire city was destroyed. Even underground shelters were not safe from the destruction. Between 35,000 and 135,000 people were killed, nearly everyone who was in the city. Due to the large amounts of refugees and prisoners, it is unknown how many people that was.
It is unknown why exactly the city was bombed. Britain and the US claimed it was to destroy communication lines. It may have also been because there were some factories in the city that were helping the war effort. Another belief is that the bombings were to show the Soviet Union what the US and Britain were capable of. Although the Soviet Union was their ally, they predicted that Stalin would be a threat in the future.
Vonnegut was a prisoner of war in Dresden when the bombings occurred. Slaughterhouse-Five is Vonnegut's telling of that story.
Chaplain’s assistant in WWII
A chaplain is a non-combatant, religious military person, whose job is to provide spiritual guidance to soldiers. A chaplain's assitant, also non-combattant would help the chaplain. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy is a chaplain's assistant who has no weapons and no knowledge of what's going on in the war. Billy says that as a chaplain's assistant, he is “powerless to harm the enemy or to help his friends,” which refers to how he was not fighting, and also how he was not really doing much at all. He plays hymns on the piano when they are in churches, but he does not appear to do much else.
Chapters 3 & 4
451st infantry regiment
A colonel called "Wild Bob" tells Billy about how amazing his regiment, the 451st infantry regiment, was. He says that people all over fear the name, and that they have accomplished a lot.
When searching for "451st infantry regiment," there are no results.
Vonnegut is likely making a point about the meaninglessness of war. Wild Bob thought he was making a difference in what he was doing, he thought he was amazing, but nobody will ever know because it doesn't really matter. On the other hand, Vonnegut could be trying to point out that people's work often goes unappreciated. Perhaps Wild Bob did really help the war effort, but nobody will, sadly, ever know.
Prisoners of war in WWII
The Geneva Convention of 1929 regulated treatment of prisoners of war. It was signed by major powers in the war, including Britain, the US, Germany, and Italy. For the most part, they adhered to the rules of treatment. The Soviet Union and Japan did not sign the treaty, and could more or less treat prisoners how they wanted.
Especially when compared to treatment of Jews in concentration camps, the treatment of British and American prisoners of war in German camps was not that bad. The main issue was the lack of food. The camps were surrounded by barbed wire and had watch towers. Escape was nearly impossible.
On the other hand, Soviet soldiers were treated horribly because the Soviet Union allegedly did not sign the contract. It was mostly a race issue; because the Germans wanted to carry on the Aryan race and exterminate others.
Towards the end of 1944, Germany was not doing so well in the war and started moving prisoners of war closer to the interior of Germany so they would be harder to get to. The process involved packing lots of weak and starving people into cattle trucks (and maybe also trains) to bring them to new camps, and it often took a long time. These were called Death Marches, during which many prisoners died. This is likely what Billy Pilgrim is a part of. It explains why there were so many people, and why the train kept getting smaller as it dropped people off at various camps.
Chapters 5 & 6
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
Valley of the Dolls is the only English book the Tralfamadorians have, which they give to Billy to read on the trip to Tralfamadore. It was published in 1966, became an instant bestseller, and is considered a classic.
The book narrates the lives of three women in New York City struggling to get famous. The word “dolls” refers to pills, which is a word used throughout the novel to express how the characters all have experiences with and become addicted to drugs. “Dolls” also refers to how the women felt treated by the industries they were trying to work in (theatre, modeling, etc.) as though they were toys that could be tossed aside when they were done being played with.
Assuming the Tralfamadorians have access to every point in time, and they could have gotten any book (or books) from Earth from any point in history, this book probably has some significance. Perhaps the Tralfamadorians see Earth as a valley of dolls, insignificant beings. The Tralfamadorians have already expressed that they don’t see much value in Earth, that it is insignificant in the scheme of things, so this view would make sense.
The Children’s Crusade
The Crusades began in the early 1000s and occurred in multiple installments. They were led by Christians who wanted to regain control over the holy land of Jerusalem, which had been taken by Muslims. The Pope told the people a lot of stuff to make them want to go on the Crusades, such as that their sins would be forgiven if they went, or that killing people would make them go to heaven. Many people believed this and went on the Crusades. The first Crusade resulted in the successful capture of Jerusalem, but more Crusades followed because the Christians wanted to rid the entire nearby land of Muslims. The following Crusades were much less successful.
The Children’s Crusade occurred in 1212, after the fourth crusade. The Children’s Crusade was allegedly led by a 12-year-old boy called Stephen of Cloyes. He believed that children would be protected by God on their journey, and he convinced a whole lot of children to go with him under that belief. The children left from France and boarded boats in Marseilles. From there, all certain traces of them were lost. Some believe that the ships were captured by pirates, and the children were sold into slavery. Either way, the Children’s Crusade was unsuccessful.
Billy (and Vonnegut) sees the war as a Children’s Crusade because for the most part, the soldiers are children or very young men who have absolutely no idea what they’re doing, in such a way that it’s bound to be unsuccessful. It is important to note though, that nearly all the Crusades were pretty unsuccessful. So perhaps Vonnegut is making a point about how war overall is pointless and not going to be successful; this particular war though, is even more brutal and unfair because of the child soldiers.
Chapters 7 & 8
Life in German POW Camps
Soldiers who were prisoners for a long time often got used to the way of life. They often played games, did sports, or put on shows (like how the English captives put on Cinderella) for their own amusement. They were essentially waiting around for the war to be over, and they needed something to occupy their time.
Planning and attempting to execute escapes was also a common pastime for prisoners. Some camps contained books, even libraries, where the prisoners were able to spend time educating themselves. In 1943, the YMCA supplied blank journals for the Red Cross to include in its care packages. This allowed soldiers to write down their stories. The Red Cross often provided extra food and supplies for the prisoners. Prisoners were organized and housed by rank, which shows that the Germans were being respectful in that regard and acknowledging authority.
In a way, living in the camps was almost safer than being free. The main reason they were unpleasant for soldiers was because of the loss of freedom and autonomy.
American Nazis
In the book, a man called Howard W. Campbell Jr. comes to visit Billy and the other prisoners in the slaughterhouse to try to make them Nazis. He himself was an American soldier who became a Nazi. He says that it is American to be a Nazi and promises them abundance of food if they join, but none of the soldiers do.
In the US, a group called the German American Bund consisted of individuals like Howard W. Campbell Jr. The idea was that all Germans, regardless of place of residence, were connected by their blood. Thus, German-Americans had a duty to stick with the Nazis and uphold their race. The group was scarily similar to the Nazis. The Bund created a youth program and a military division, where the soldiers wore uniforms that looked very similar to those of the Nazis. The people in this organization considered themselves to be very patriotically American, and thought they were helping to purify and better the US. The Bund held rallies and meetings.
Some other racist groups like the KKK found companionship in the Bund. However, most Americans opposed and feared the group. German-Americans were often torn between joining or splitting up the German-American community. The Bund ultimately only contained a small percentage of the German-American community.
The existence of this group shows that it was not unheard of for Americans to have Nazi sentiment. It is possible that the character Howard W. Campbell Jr. was influenced by groups like these in the United States.
Chapters 9 & 10
Bombing of Hiroshima
In August of 1945, the United States told Japan that if it did not surrender, it would face complete destruction. Before really giving the Japanese enough time to respond, on August 6, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Around 80,000 people were initially killed, but tens of thousands more died of radiation later on. The bombing of Dresden is considered to be a more destructive event, although the numbers of deaths are not known for certain. A few days after the first bomb, the Japanese city of Nagasaki was also bombed. The Japanese surrendered on August 15, 1945.
The bombs were dropped to force a Japanese surrender, but probably more importantly to show other world powers (namely, the Soviet Union) the strength of the United States. Many believe the bombing of Dresden was ultimately done for the same purpose.
Dresden since the Bombing
The bombing of Dresden completely tore apart the city, leaving only pieces of buildings and only a few, if any, buildings standing. Since then, the entire city has been rebuilt to look like it did before the war.
One particular building is the Frauenkirche Church. It survived the bombing but ultimately collapsed in the heat of the fire. Using the few surviving pieces of the building and carefully figuring out where they went in the puzzle, the entire church has now been reconstructed.
The picture on the right shows the rubble after the bombing compared to what the city looks like now. The photo below shows the Frauenkirche Church, and the comparison between the destruction and the restoration.
Bombing of Dresden in World War II
Dresden, Germany was a historical city known for its architecture. Existing near the borders of Poland and Czechoslovakia and containing little to no factories producing war supplies, Dresden did not have much protection and was not expecting an attack. By 1945, many German civilians and Allied prisoners of war had moved or been moved to Dresden to keep out of the way of the oncoming Russian army.
From February 13 to February 15 of 1945, the British Royal Air Force and United States Army Forces bombed Dresden. Many of the bombs were incendiary, creating huge firestorms. The entire city was destroyed. Even underground shelters were not safe from the destruction. Between 35,000 and 135,000 people were killed, nearly everyone who was in the city. Due to the large amounts of refugees and prisoners, it is unknown how many people that was.
It is unknown why exactly the city was bombed. Britain and the US claimed it was to destroy communication lines. It may have also been because there were some factories in the city that were helping the war effort. Another belief is that the bombings were to show the Soviet Union what the US and Britain were capable of. Although the Soviet Union was their ally, they predicted that Stalin would be a threat in the future.
Vonnegut was a prisoner of war in Dresden when the bombings occurred. Slaughterhouse-Five is Vonnegut's telling of that story.
Chaplain’s assistant in WWII
A chaplain is a non-combatant, religious military person, whose job is to provide spiritual guidance to soldiers. A chaplain's assitant, also non-combattant would help the chaplain. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy is a chaplain's assistant who has no weapons and no knowledge of what's going on in the war. Billy says that as a chaplain's assistant, he is “powerless to harm the enemy or to help his friends,” which refers to how he was not fighting, and also how he was not really doing much at all. He plays hymns on the piano when they are in churches, but he does not appear to do much else.
Chapters 3 & 4
451st infantry regiment
A colonel called "Wild Bob" tells Billy about how amazing his regiment, the 451st infantry regiment, was. He says that people all over fear the name, and that they have accomplished a lot.
When searching for "451st infantry regiment," there are no results.
Vonnegut is likely making a point about the meaninglessness of war. Wild Bob thought he was making a difference in what he was doing, he thought he was amazing, but nobody will ever know because it doesn't really matter. On the other hand, Vonnegut could be trying to point out that people's work often goes unappreciated. Perhaps Wild Bob did really help the war effort, but nobody will, sadly, ever know.
Prisoners of war in WWII
The Geneva Convention of 1929 regulated treatment of prisoners of war. It was signed by major powers in the war, including Britain, the US, Germany, and Italy. For the most part, they adhered to the rules of treatment. The Soviet Union and Japan did not sign the treaty, and could more or less treat prisoners how they wanted.
Especially when compared to treatment of Jews in concentration camps, the treatment of British and American prisoners of war in German camps was not that bad. The main issue was the lack of food. The camps were surrounded by barbed wire and had watch towers. Escape was nearly impossible.
On the other hand, Soviet soldiers were treated horribly because the Soviet Union allegedly did not sign the contract. It was mostly a race issue; because the Germans wanted to carry on the Aryan race and exterminate others.
Towards the end of 1944, Germany was not doing so well in the war and started moving prisoners of war closer to the interior of Germany so they would be harder to get to. The process involved packing lots of weak and starving people into cattle trucks (and maybe also trains) to bring them to new camps, and it often took a long time. These were called Death Marches, during which many prisoners died. This is likely what Billy Pilgrim is a part of. It explains why there were so many people, and why the train kept getting smaller as it dropped people off at various camps.
Chapters 5 & 6
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
Valley of the Dolls is the only English book the Tralfamadorians have, which they give to Billy to read on the trip to Tralfamadore. It was published in 1966, became an instant bestseller, and is considered a classic.
The book narrates the lives of three women in New York City struggling to get famous. The word “dolls” refers to pills, which is a word used throughout the novel to express how the characters all have experiences with and become addicted to drugs. “Dolls” also refers to how the women felt treated by the industries they were trying to work in (theatre, modeling, etc.) as though they were toys that could be tossed aside when they were done being played with.
Assuming the Tralfamadorians have access to every point in time, and they could have gotten any book (or books) from Earth from any point in history, this book probably has some significance. Perhaps the Tralfamadorians see Earth as a valley of dolls, insignificant beings. The Tralfamadorians have already expressed that they don’t see much value in Earth, that it is insignificant in the scheme of things, so this view would make sense.
The Children’s Crusade
The Crusades began in the early 1000s and occurred in multiple installments. They were led by Christians who wanted to regain control over the holy land of Jerusalem, which had been taken by Muslims. The Pope told the people a lot of stuff to make them want to go on the Crusades, such as that their sins would be forgiven if they went, or that killing people would make them go to heaven. Many people believed this and went on the Crusades. The first Crusade resulted in the successful capture of Jerusalem, but more Crusades followed because the Christians wanted to rid the entire nearby land of Muslims. The following Crusades were much less successful.
The Children’s Crusade occurred in 1212, after the fourth crusade. The Children’s Crusade was allegedly led by a 12-year-old boy called Stephen of Cloyes. He believed that children would be protected by God on their journey, and he convinced a whole lot of children to go with him under that belief. The children left from France and boarded boats in Marseilles. From there, all certain traces of them were lost. Some believe that the ships were captured by pirates, and the children were sold into slavery. Either way, the Children’s Crusade was unsuccessful.
Billy (and Vonnegut) sees the war as a Children’s Crusade because for the most part, the soldiers are children or very young men who have absolutely no idea what they’re doing, in such a way that it’s bound to be unsuccessful. It is important to note though, that nearly all the Crusades were pretty unsuccessful. So perhaps Vonnegut is making a point about how war overall is pointless and not going to be successful; this particular war though, is even more brutal and unfair because of the child soldiers.
Chapters 7 & 8
Life in German POW Camps
Soldiers who were prisoners for a long time often got used to the way of life. They often played games, did sports, or put on shows (like how the English captives put on Cinderella) for their own amusement. They were essentially waiting around for the war to be over, and they needed something to occupy their time.
Planning and attempting to execute escapes was also a common pastime for prisoners. Some camps contained books, even libraries, where the prisoners were able to spend time educating themselves. In 1943, the YMCA supplied blank journals for the Red Cross to include in its care packages. This allowed soldiers to write down their stories. The Red Cross often provided extra food and supplies for the prisoners. Prisoners were organized and housed by rank, which shows that the Germans were being respectful in that regard and acknowledging authority.
In a way, living in the camps was almost safer than being free. The main reason they were unpleasant for soldiers was because of the loss of freedom and autonomy.
American Nazis
In the book, a man called Howard W. Campbell Jr. comes to visit Billy and the other prisoners in the slaughterhouse to try to make them Nazis. He himself was an American soldier who became a Nazi. He says that it is American to be a Nazi and promises them abundance of food if they join, but none of the soldiers do.
In the US, a group called the German American Bund consisted of individuals like Howard W. Campbell Jr. The idea was that all Germans, regardless of place of residence, were connected by their blood. Thus, German-Americans had a duty to stick with the Nazis and uphold their race. The group was scarily similar to the Nazis. The Bund created a youth program and a military division, where the soldiers wore uniforms that looked very similar to those of the Nazis. The people in this organization considered themselves to be very patriotically American, and thought they were helping to purify and better the US. The Bund held rallies and meetings.
Some other racist groups like the KKK found companionship in the Bund. However, most Americans opposed and feared the group. German-Americans were often torn between joining or splitting up the German-American community. The Bund ultimately only contained a small percentage of the German-American community.
The existence of this group shows that it was not unheard of for Americans to have Nazi sentiment. It is possible that the character Howard W. Campbell Jr. was influenced by groups like these in the United States.
Chapters 9 & 10
Bombing of Hiroshima
In August of 1945, the United States told Japan that if it did not surrender, it would face complete destruction. Before really giving the Japanese enough time to respond, on August 6, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Around 80,000 people were initially killed, but tens of thousands more died of radiation later on. The bombing of Dresden is considered to be a more destructive event, although the numbers of deaths are not known for certain. A few days after the first bomb, the Japanese city of Nagasaki was also bombed. The Japanese surrendered on August 15, 1945.
The bombs were dropped to force a Japanese surrender, but probably more importantly to show other world powers (namely, the Soviet Union) the strength of the United States. Many believe the bombing of Dresden was ultimately done for the same purpose.
Dresden since the Bombing
The bombing of Dresden completely tore apart the city, leaving only pieces of buildings and only a few, if any, buildings standing. Since then, the entire city has been rebuilt to look like it did before the war.
One particular building is the Frauenkirche Church. It survived the bombing but ultimately collapsed in the heat of the fire. Using the few surviving pieces of the building and carefully figuring out where they went in the puzzle, the entire church has now been reconstructed.
The picture on the right shows the rubble after the bombing compared to what the city looks like now. The photo below shows the Frauenkirche Church, and the comparison between the destruction and the restoration.