The Bombing of German Cities in World War II on JSTOR (2024)

FAQs

The Bombing of German Cities in World War II on JSTOR? ›

In World War II, the Allies bombed Germany's cities and towns in an attempt to undermine the morale of its civilian population and force its government to halt the war and accept unconditional surrender. More than sixty years later, the bombing campaign remains one of the most controversial issues of the war.

Worst hit was Würzburg (75 percent destroyed), followed by Dessau, Kassel, Mainz, and Hamburg. Over 70 percent of the largest cities had their urban core destroyed. Worst cases: Dresden, Cologne, Essen, Dortmund, Hanover, Nuremberg, Chemnitz.

bombing of Dresden, during World War II, Allied bombing raids on February 13–15, 1945, that almost completely destroyed the German city of Dresden. The raids became a symbol of the “terror bombing” campaign against Germany, which was one of the most controversial Allied actions of the war.

Some cities were nearly completely destroyed: almost 80% of Würzburg disappeared, and many other large cities were also largely destroyed like Berlin, Dresden or Hamburg (see the Appendix for the spatial distribution of the housing destruction for all major German cities).

The bombings were intended to destroy the German air force and oil industry, and the British also hoped to hurt the morale of the German people and undermine their support for Hitler's dictatorship.

The most extreme examples were caused by the bombing of Hamburg in Operation Gomorrah (45,000 dead), and the bombings of Kassel (10,000 dead), Darmstadt (12,500 dead), Pforzheim (21,200 dead), Swinemuende (23,000 dead), and Dresden (25,000 dead).

The cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the most destroyed in World War II. The Second Great War began on September 1, 1939 with Germany's attack of Poland. The Second Great War reached a conclusion when America dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese urban communities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945.

According to the National World War II Museum, some 5,600,000 Polish civilians were killed -- many in the Holocaust -- while a staggering 24,000,000 Soviet civilians also died. This stirring data-visualization, below, reinforces the extent to which the Soviet Union bore the brunt of World War II's butcher's bill.

But they also ended the war devastated: Malta holds the record for the heaviest, sustained bombing attack: some 154 days and nights and 6,700 tons of bombs. The British were unsure of whether they could adequately retain or protect Malta. While a perfect strategic location, it was also a difficult place to defend.

Approximately 3,000 sorties were flown, 9,000 tons of bombs were dropped and over 250,000 homes and houses were destroyed.

Why was Heidelberg not bombed? ›

A popular belief is that Heidelberg escaped bombing because the U.S. Army wanted to use the city as a garrison after the war, but, as Heidelberg was neither an industrial center nor a transport hub, it did not present a tactical or strategic target.

“Basically, Wiesbaden was not at that time a major industrial town, so it didn't receive the same type of [heavy destruction] the Ruhr district received or even a city like Frankfurt or Stuttgart would have received.”

Around 50% of all of Munich was damaged. 81,500 houses were completely or partially destroyed, de-housing around 300,000 inhabitants, 4,185 wounded, 139 killed. The deadliest bombing took place on 16 July 1944, with 1,453 killed and 4,525 wounded.

Isolationists believed that World War II was ultimately a dispute between foreign nations and that the United States had no good reason to get involved. The best policy, they claimed, was for the United States to build up its own defenses and avoid antagonizing either side.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress dropped more bombs than any other US aircraft in the Second World War. A lot of these aircraft flew out of bases in England, as part of the USAAF's daylight strategic bombing campaign.

Original film and sound recordings shown in the Art Bunker recall the air raids that demolished Nuremberg in World War II. Ninety percent of all the buildings in the Old Town were left in ruins.

But they also ended the war devastated: Malta holds the record for the heaviest, sustained bombing attack: some 154 days and nights and 6,700 tons of bombs. The British were unsure of whether they could adequately retain or protect Malta. While a perfect strategic location, it was also a difficult place to defend.