What was the Dresden Firebombing?
The Dresden firebombing was a series of joint United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF) bombing raids conducted against the German city of Dresden in 1945. By the end of the bombing, the city of Dresden had been severely damaged, with an estimated 90% of the city center being completely destroyed in the Dresden firebombing. The events of the Dresden firebombing have long been considered controversial in some circles, with some people feeling that the bombing was not justified, and others going as far as to call it a war crime.
The Dresden firebombing was a series of joint United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF) bombing raids conducted against the German city of Dresden in 1945. By the end of the bombing, the city of Dresden had been severely damaged, with an estimated 90% of the city center being completely destroyed in the Dresden firebombing. The events of the Dresden firebombing have long been considered controversial in some circles, with some people feeling that the bombing was not justified, and others going as far as to call it a war crime. It is important to view the Dresden firebombing in context. The four raids took place in mid-February, 1945, when German defeat seemed likely, but not necessarily inevitable. Some military leaders suggested that undermining the morale of the German people and military could hasten the end of the war, thereby reducing casualties on all sides. Evidence seems to suggest that several leaders also specifically advocated using devastating bombing raids,
