Firebombing of Dresden (80 years ago today)

History.com ^ | 11/05/2009 | History.com Editors

[DFG]

On the evening of February 13, 1945, a series of Allied firebombing raids begins against the German city of Dresden, reducing the “Florence of the Elbe” to rubble and flames, and killing roughly 25,000 people.

Among the conclusions reached at the February 1945 Yalta Conference of the Allied powers was the resolution that the Allies would engage in concerted strategic bombing raids against German cities known for war-production and manufacturing, in an effort to bring the Nazi war machine to a crashing halt. The tragic irony of the raid on Dresden, a medieval city renowned for its rich artistic and architectural treasures, is that during the war it had never been a site of war-production or major industry.

Both Allies and Germans alike have argued over the real purpose of the firebombing; the ostensible “official” rationale was that Dresden was a major communications center and bombing it would hamper the German ability to convey messages to its army, which was battling Soviet forces at the time. But the extent of the destruction was, for many, disproportionate to the stated strategic goal—many believe that the attack was simply an attempt to punish the Germans and weaken their morale.

More than 3,400 tons of explosives were dropped on the city by 800 American and British aircraft. The firestorm created by the two days of bombing set the city burning for many more days, littering the streets with charred corpses, including many children. Eight square miles of the city was ruined, and the total body count was between 22,700 and 25,000 dead, according to a report published by the city of Dresden in 2010. The hospitals that were left standing could not handle the numbers of injured and burned, and mass burials became necessary.

Among the American POWs who were in Dresden during the raid was novelist Kurt Vonnegut, who conveyed his experience in his classic antiwar novel Slaughterhouse Five.

[MNJohnnie]

Literally no one cares what the Alt Left revisionist historians think about this.

This is war something modern political activist pretending to be historians ignore.

It was requested by the Soviets to prep the battle field for their advance into Germany. Bombing Dresden disrupted the Nazis ability to move troops and supplies to counter the Soviet Winter offensive that started in Poland Jan 12 1945.

[Frank Drebin]

"War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over."

[1Old Pro]

littering the streets with charred corpses, including many children.

They forgot to add women, as in women and children.

[Tell It Right]

But the extent of the destruction was, for many, disproportionate...

I've read that the total civilian casualties created by the Axis powers was 6 times more than the ones killed by the Allies.

[Obadiah]

The firebombing of Dresden was horrible. I believe it was very close to being a war crime and a crime against humanity. A lot of innocent civilians were literally incinerated in the bombing and aftermath. Stories of underground bunkers with the liquified remains of humans. Horrible.

[PGR88]

OK, sure - but how was the BIPOC LGBTQ community affected?

[Dilbert San Diego]

War is hell. I know it is said, only military targets are supposed to be attacked. There will.be collateral damage and civilian deaths in war. It’s unavoidable.

The bombing of Dresden may have saved lives in the long run, as it helped hasten the end of the war.

[dfwgator]

Ask for Totaller Krieg, get Totaller Krieg.

[Frank Drebin]

"The firebombing of Dresden was horrible. I believe it was very close to being a war crime and a crime against humanity. A lot of innocent civilians were literally incinerated in the bombing and aftermath. Stories of underground bunkers with the liquified remains of humans. Horrible."

I know a worse crime that took place at this time.

I will not shed a tear for a people who sat idly by as individuals, families, entire villages and towns were stripped of all they had and shipped off to unspeakable experimentation, slave labor, and death. The Germans were responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people during this time. Dresden wasn't enough punishment.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

A 1942 paper was prepared at Churchill’s request to address the issue of the inefficient bombing to-date and the high loss of bombers to German fighters and anti-aircraft guns. The paper was prepared by a respected British scientist and adviser named Frederick Lindemann, came to be known as the "dehousing paper."

Lindemann postulated the wide-area bombing was entirely justified because it dehoused a large portion of the German population, which was detrimental to morale. Dehoused was simply a euphemism for destroying civilian homes. According to Lindemann, the destruction of 30% or more of the housing in over 50 of Germany’s largest cities was the best use of the RAF’s Bomber Command. “Investigation seems to show that having one’s home demolished is most damaging to morale. People seem to mind it more than having their friends or even relatives killed”, wrote Lindemann.

[Salvavida]

Lesson Learned: Don’t make false claims of being a master race, don’t murder the innocents, don’t take other people’s property, and stop claiming to be a CHRISTIAN nation when there is no evidence to support it.

[Leaning Right]

The firebombing of Dresden was both unnecessary and quite understandable.

Unnecessary in that Dresden had only minor military value. And the war was winding to an end. Nazi Germany was finished, and would collapse in a few more months.

Understandable in that the Allies were still uncertain about that.

Bottom line: War is hell, as General Sherman so rightly noted.

[Fiji Hill]

My high school German teacher’s family was from Dresden. He showed us a picture of the nice home in which they lived. Unfortunately, Dresden wound up on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, so they had to leave, and some apparatchik probably moved in.

[ryderann]

I balance it by mentioning the German bombing of the city of London.

[Fiji Hill]

In 1943 Joseph Goebbels asks his audience a question, and they respond:

Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg? (do you want total war?)

Führer befiehl. Wir folgen! (Leader command! We'll follow!)

[dfwgator]

Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg? (do you want total war?)
Führer befiehl. Wir folgen! (Leader command! We’ll follow!)

---

In other words, “The Germans have elected to receive!”

[VTenigma]

I believe the legacy of the fire bombing of Dresden is a primary reason why the U.S. powers that be have a fatal aversion to “fighting to win” (all out warfare).

[GingisK]

...city of London

The Germans fire bombed the city of Coventry, with almost a 100% kill rate. There is also the matter of Warsaw. The technique was developed in Spain when they aided Franco.

The Germans established precedence for that method of war. It shouldn't surprise anyone that they got to have a taste of their own medicine.

[GingisK]

...bombing of Dresden is a primary reason why the U.S. powers that be have a fatal aversion to “fighting to win”

I think that stems from the internal strife during the Vietnam War.