The Dresden Fire Bombing was a controversial decision made by the Allied Powers during World War II. Even today, the decision to firebomb, Dresden, a city filled with refugees and civilians, is considered by many unjustifiable. The Dresden Fire Bombing took place from the 13 to the 15 of February 1945. The American Air Force and the British Royal Air Force dropped over 3,900 tons of explosives, including the incendiary devices also known as the firebomb. The explosives were dropped over the course of three days and many waves of attacks. The result was mass destruction of the city and many dead. After the attack, the estimated death toll was nearly 200,000, but it has since been determined that the death toll was closer to 20,000. The U.S.
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One reason that is commonly used to argue against the firebombing of Dresden, Germany is that the city was of no military significance to the German Army. Many forms of evidence exist that back up this argument. One of which is an article published on the History website. According to the information on the History website, referenced from the Yalta Conference in February 1945, “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” (Firebombing of.). This piece of evidence proves that Dresden had no reason to be bombed, since it had no importance to Germany’s military. It has also proven to be a major downfall for the opposition’s argument because so much evidence is backing it up. The fact that there was no military significance in Dresden is also a major reason that some even consider the Dresden bombing a war …show more content…
The city was crowded with innocent people, including American prisoners of war. Along with the Americans and civilians in Dresden, thousands of refugees had traveled to Dresden as a safe place from the war. However, the bombing proved that it was as far from safe as possible. Lastly, the bombing of Dresden was extremely excessive considering the city was home to some of Germany’s finest architecture and museums. The city also held a large cultural significance to Germany. According to the website, Warfare History Network “Perhaps the Dresdeners felt lucky because the city on the Elbe River, 120 miles south of Berlin, was well known as a cultural treasure—the ‘Florence on the Elbe’ and the ‘Jewel Box’—and was regarded as one the world’s most beautiful cities for its architecture and museums, with few industrial or military sites worth bombing” (Webb). This piece of evidence proves Dresden is a city filled with one-of-a-kind architecture and many of the world’s treasures. It also states that the city had few places that would benefit from the
One reason that is commonly used to argue against the firebombing of Dresden, Germany is that the city was of no military significance to the German Army. Many forms of evidence exist that back up this argument. One of which is an article published on the History website. According to the information on the History website, referenced from the Yalta Conference in February 1945, “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” (Firebombing of.). This piece of evidence proves that Dresden had no reason to be bombed, since it had no importance to Germany’s military. It has also proven to be a major downfall for the opposition’s argument because so much evidence is backing it up. The fact that there was no military significance in Dresden is also a major reason that some even consider the Dresden bombing a war …show more content…
The city was crowded with innocent people, including American prisoners of war. Along with the Americans and civilians in Dresden, thousands of refugees had traveled to Dresden as a safe place from the war. However, the bombing proved that it was as far from safe as possible. Lastly, the bombing of Dresden was extremely excessive considering the city was home to some of Germany’s finest architecture and museums. The city also held a large cultural significance to Germany. According to the website, Warfare History Network “Perhaps the Dresdeners felt lucky because the city on the Elbe River, 120 miles south of Berlin, was well known as a cultural treasure—the ‘Florence on the Elbe’ and the ‘Jewel Box’—and was regarded as one the world’s most beautiful cities for its architecture and museums, with few industrial or military sites worth bombing” (Webb). This piece of evidence proves Dresden is a city filled with one-of-a-kind architecture and many of the world’s treasures. It also states that the city had few places that would benefit from the