"To Crush the Disease of Nazism"

"'You're going to have to fight the Communists sooner or later,' said Campbell. 'Why not get it over with now?'" (208).

In 1917, the Bolsheviks staged a revolution to overthrow the Tsar and institute their own government in Russia. From 1917 to 1922, this new government was best referred to as "Soviet Russia." From 1922 to its eventual fall in 1991, it was known more accurately as the "Soviet Union." But, by World War II, the Communists and their influence were well known by the West.

During WWII, Russia was officially an ally of the United Kingdom and of the United States. However, tensions were high even then. The Eastern Front (fought mostly by the Russians) in Germany saw many magnitudes greater a number of casualties than the Western Front (fought by UK and US troops). It is thought that the dropping of the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki was done in part to keep Russia out of the Pacific theater of war and to demonstrate the US's willingness to use atomic weapons if need be. Though the Cold War wouldn't start until 1947 (commonly; dates for this are in debate), for those looking, it was easy to foresee the coming storm even in the middle of the one preceding it.

Clearly, Howard W. Campbell, Jr., was one of those looking. Of course, in his earlier quoted comment, his aim is to convince the prisoners of war to fight and most likely die for a country and government they had been taught to hate. He is asking them to commit treason. But, despite his ulterior motive, he can see that there will be conflict amongst the Allies following the war even if they were to topple the Axis.

In response to Campbell's implorations, Edgar Derby, leader of the Americans, stands up. He insults Campbell, calling him below snakes or rats or even blood-filled ticks. Derby speaks movingly of the American style of government. He speaks of the brotherhood between Americans and Russians to exterminate the Nazis, like a disease. Campbell gives up on his audience, though more due to the air-raid sirens going off then any conceding to Derby.

Derby and the other prisoners know of the Russians. At the prison where they met the English officers were many, many Russian prisoners of war. The Americans and English were treated better than the Russians, but they occupied the prison together. They held no contempt for each other or for each other's governments, at least not openly, and sympathized with each other. But, ultimately, Derby's impassioned speech of "the brotherhood between the American and the Russian people, and how those two nations were going to crush the disease of Nazism" (209) only applies during World War II. Once that conflict was over, it was time for a new one, and our old "brothers," the Russians, became our new archenemies. If anybody in America sympathized with Russians, they were "Reds." If there was a conflict somewhere in the world, and the USSR was involved or thought to be involved, you can bet the US got itself in there too. Now, a lot of this followed the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949, but the Truman Doctrine and the idea of containment predate that, being unveiled closer to the Tito-Stalin split in 1948. For all that brotherhood Derby speaks of in the titular slaughterhouse, there's nothing but enmity between Russia and America once the "disease of Nazism" is no longer a threat.

I find this all particularly interesting for the context Vonnegut writes it into. The book was published in 1969, amidst the Vietnam War. I think, in a way, this is a dig at the people who promote or support the war, Derby talking about "the brotherhood between the American and the Russian people." Notice that he doesn't say between America and Russia, but between its people. Vonnegut seems to be saying that, between people, there aren't really these big differences as implied by the large term "Communist." People are people. Russian people, American people, it's all the same. Though the political leaders and governments might be keen on posturing and grabbing up power and influence, these things don't matter to their people so much as just living. Do you guys have any ideas about this passage?