Questions 1) a. Why according to Source C, was allied bombing necessary?

Allied bombing was necessary because they needed to destroy the key installations and soften moral prior to and during the invasion of Europe. Some say these attacks were absolutely necessary to ensure victory, while others talk of unnecessary excesses that mirror the actions taken by Germans during the war against Britain. Thus, the strategic bombing allowed for a more organized and thorough raid, which according to Source C, may not, as intended have broken the Germans spirit. But it helped to bring about their post-war conversion to peaceful democracy. Regardless of the controversy, the bombing was necessary because the men who carried out these acts did so in the desire to make a world in which their descendants and countrymen could live in freedom from persecution and with a freedom to ask questions and form their own opinions, as the Nazis could not continue sucking out the good from the world. b. What is the message conveyed in Source B? Source B is essentially explaining that even though one must admire the courage that it takes to order a mass bombing attack, it is unfathomable that Bomber Command is being applauded for it. It is immoral to area bomb as one cannot be completely sure of where the bomb itself is going to land, for example, in the movie we see that the air-force has to continuously go around and try again in order to see the target be more accurate as it was obscured- considering that a school or playground was nearby made matters more crucial and dangerous for civilians that were present at the time. AC Grayling assessed the moral case for the bombings in Source B, and makes it clear that although the job of Bomber Command is admirable, it is unethical- morally incorrect. 2) Compare and Contrast the views on Allied Bombing expressed in Sources A and B. Both Sources believed that the Germans were at fault and were a big threat to humanity, if they were not put a stop then their extermination would have perhaps expanded and taken a whole new level of destruction. According to Source A, they shortened the was by six months and saved hundreds of thousands from the gas chambers by bringing it to a halt. Source B vindicates this by saying that the Allies real crime would have been to hold back from using any of the means at their disposal to destroy Hitler and those who sustained his war. Both sources agree on the fact that Hitler had to be thrown off his position as a dictator and stopped from his plan of world domination.

TOK Link 3) Identify the arguments for and against the actions of Bomber Command. FOR -Hitler was stopped from continuing his wrong-doing - Threat to British freedom -Germans: ruthless invaders and occupiers -Shortened the war -Altered Germanys personality -Brought about democracy AGAINST -Unethical to area bomb -The Anglo-American bomber offensive was orchestrated and conducted by a group of bloodthirsty bone-heads and blimps, whose policy of saturation bombing was a grievous crime against humanity. -

4) Using the sources and your own knowledge, explain to what extent you agree with the statement The actions of Bomber Command were justified. I agree with the statement to a moderate extent, because the British saw a way to defend themselves against the atrocious attacks the Germans were conducting. However an eye for an eye applies to this situation and has not always proved to be effective. Nevertheless, the British succeeded in their conquest and achieved what they desired-German defeat. The British faced the most serious threat to their freedom since the Norman Conquest. The Germans under Nazi leadership had shown themselves to be ruthless invaders and occupiers. They called their method of attack Blitzkrieg (literally Lightning War). They bombed neighbouring countries (Belgium, Holland, France etc.) without warning, and overwhelmed them with tanks and troops, dealing brutally with any resistance. The British knew they had to fight back or suffer the same fate. Aerial bombing offered the only chance to bring the war to Germany itself and Britain was the only country left in Europe with the military strength to do it. Although bombing restricted rather than wiped out German war production, it also forced the Germans on to the defensive. They had to divert nearly one million men and 55,000 artillery guns to defend the German homeland against Allied bombing. Also, German aircraft factories, which were specifically targeted by Bomber Command and the USAAF, had to concentrate on producing fighters for defence against the bombing onslaught, instead of producing more bombers for attack. Without bombing, those valuable resources could have been used elsewhere to great effect (e.g. to support the German army on the Russian front, or to launch a second invasion attempt on Britain). Albert Speer, Hitlers Armaments Minister, said that the bombing of Germany was the greatest lost battle on the German side