Dresden bombings controversy

Main article: Bombing of Dresden in World War II

The destruction of Dresden, February 1945

Between 13–15 February 1945, British and US bombers attacked the German city of Dresden,
which was crowded with German wounded and refugees.[473] There were unknown numbers of
refugees in Dresden, so historians Matthias Neutzner, Götz Bergander and Frederick
Taylor have used historical sources and deductive reasoning to estimate that the number of
refugees in the city and surrounding suburbs was around 200,000 or less on the first night of the
bombing. Because of the cultural importance of the city, and of the number of civilian
casualties close to the end of the war, this remains one of the most controversial Western Allied
actions of the war. Following the bombing Churchill stated in a secret telegram:
It seems to me that the moment has come when the question of bombing of German cities simply
for the sake of increasing the terror, though under other pretexts, should be reviewed ... I feel
the need for more precise concentration upon military objectives such as oil and communications
behind the immediate battle-zone, rather than on mere acts of terror and wanton destruction,
however impressive.[474]
On reflection, under pressure from the chiefs of staff, and in response to the views expressed by
Sir Charles Portal (Chief of the Air Staff) and Sir Arthur Harris (AOC-in-C of RAF Bomber
Command), among others, Churchill withdrew his memo and issued a new one.[475][476] This final
version of the memo completed on 1 April 1945, stated:
It seems to me that the moment has come when the question of the so called 'area-bombing' of
German cities should be reviewed from the point of view of our own interests. If we come into
control of an entirely ruined land, there will be a great shortage of accommodation for ourselves
and our allies ... We must see to it that our attacks do no more harm to ourselves in the long run
than they do to the enemy's war effort.[475][476]
Ultimately, responsibility for the British part of the attack lay with Churchill, which is why he has
been criticised for allowing the bombings to occur. German historian Jörg Friedrich claims that
Churchill's decision was a "war crime",[477] and, writing in 2006, philosopher A. C.
Grayling questioned the whole strategic bombing campaign by the RAF, presenting the argument
that although it was not a war crime it was a moral crime that undermines the Allies' contention
that they fought a just war.[478]
On the other hand, it has been asserted that Churchill's involvement in the bombing of Dresden
was based on strategic and tactical aspects of winning the war. The destruction of Dresden,
while immense, was designed to expedite the defeat of Germany. As historian and journalist Max
Hastings wrote in an article subtitled "the Allied Bombing of Dresden": "I believe it is wrong to
describe strategic bombing as a war crime, for this might be held to suggest some moral
equivalence with the deeds of the Nazis. Bombing represented a sincere, albeit mistaken,
attempt to bring about Germany's military defeat."
British historian Frederick Taylor points out that "All sides bombed each other's cities during the
war. Half a million Soviet citizens, for example, died from German bombing during the invasion
and occupation of Russia. That's roughly equivalent to the number of German citizens who died
from Allied raids."[479]