IN Progress I love Dresden. I spent several weeks there in 2000 refreshing my German (I lived two years in Heidelberg as a child attending the public schools where we occasionally had a day off so they could dig up an unexploded bomb even though Heidelberg was technically an off-limits-to-bombing city.) Dresden, by 2000, had been mostly restored -- thanks to the industry and willingness of the East German regime -- to its former status as the most beautiful city in Europe. The Frauenkirche was being restored, stone by original stone. (It has since been finished.) (http://www.frauenkirche-dresden.de/ - have your speakers on)Dresden was destroyed in a massive firebombing over a two day period from February 13-14, 1945. The British (who specialized in night-bombing – less risky) went in first, followed by the American Army Air Force, (which preferred daylight bombing as supposedly more accurate) obliterating the rescue and fire personnel who were dealing with the injuries and fires created by the British.
Why was Dresden bombed? The British had abandoned targeted bombing against military targets in 1942 with the issuance of Area Bombing Directive (General Directive No.5 (S.46368/D.C.A.S) when they decided to use bombing to destroy morale. Ironically the directive was issued exactly 3 years before the destruction of Dresden.
The efficacy of massive area bombing is still an article of faith among war planners even though the impact on non-combatants is greater than on military ones. The casual brutalities of massive bombing holds promise of a quick end in their minds.
to be cont....
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_bombing_during_World_War_II
