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Was The Allied Bombing Of German Cities Justified
BBC company TimeWatch called Bombing Germany. It examined policies and actions that Bomber Command undertook during the Second World War. This documentary was full of primary sources. There were interviews with both allied and Nazi pilots and civilians from both sides so it was clear that the makers had gone to lengths to achieve a balance. There were pictures and film of the time, government papers such as directives, personal notes and ministry minutes. These were all used to present the information as well as secondary sources from historians from universities and museums from all over the world so as to prevent bias. The only problem with this source would be the interviews with the pilots. They are remembering what has happened during the war, which what would have been an emotional time. This would influence what they have and have not remembered and their perspective on certain events.
Part D
The importance of this investigation is that there is evidence being revealed now that shows the actions the Allies took in a different light. This is to do in the way that the Allies treated their enemies and how they might have been just as bad as the Nazis in their treatment of enemy civilians. Germany has always been made to feel guilty for the treatment of the enemy and the targeting of civilians but now Britain’s actions are being questioned. It can be said that the bombing of German cities was not justifiable because of the simple fact that those people, living in the cities, did not deserve to die. It was their government that was at war, not them. What Allied Bomber Command should have been focusing on were military targets, like they did earlier in the war. If the casualty rate was high, which it was, Bomber Command should have devised another plan of action, which still included military targets. It was not a moral or ethical course of action to bomb civilians just because they were the enemy’s people. In this way Harris along with the Bomber Command could be seen as a group of heartless people who were bombing cities under the premise of crushing morale, but were really extracting a form of revenge on the German people for bombing England earlier in the war. This can only be said now because the war finished fifty-eight years ago and we know what was happening on both sides, their conditions, their thinking and their mistakes. If one looks at the situation from Britain’s view during the time that the bombing occurred, their actions seem justifiable. They could not fight Germany on land. Britain did not have the manpower, resources or industry to match the Germans. Their Navy was needed in the Atlantic to defend the merchant ships from U-Boat attacks. The only way to strike back at Germany was through air attacks. If Bomber Command thought that maybe targeting cities would help end the war then why should they not have done this? If it had the slightest [next page]