Strategic Bombing

# Strategic Bombing The archival documents reveal strategic bombing as a central element of World War II warfare, documenting both German and Allied bombing campaigns with particular focus on the destruction of Berlin and German cities. The sources present evidence of bombing tactics, civilian impact, and propaganda responses from the German perspective, primarily through the records and observations of Joseph Goebbels. ## Primary Findings The documents detail extensive Allied bombing campaigns against German cities, with particular emphasis on Berlin. In mid-January, [DOC-2] reports that "the propaganda ministry briefed every gauleiter on the latest British bombing tactics: four to six hundred heavy bombers would attack small cities repeatedly, saturating every square yard with incendiaries and with high explosive bombs fused to delay detonation long enough for the weapon to penetrate to the crowded basements of even the tallest buildings." Specific bombing raids are documented with precise details. On January 28, [DOC-6] records that "Churchill sent 596 bombers to unload 1,954 tons of bombs on the western and south-western suburbs." The following raid on January 30 was described as "the heaviest yet: 489 planes dropped 12,961 tons of bombs" [DOC-6]. Among the casualties were cultural institutions, as [DOC-5] notes that "Among the buildings destroyed this time were the Nollendorf and State theaters." The human cost was substantial. [DOC-5] indicates that "One hundred thousand more Berliners lost their homes" from a single raid, while [DOC-6] reports that "The British were putting out reports, still not denied by him, that up to a million had died in their raids on Berlin." Goebbels, as documented in [DOC-1], reflected critically on strategic bombing theory, remarking privately that "General Douhet, the much vaunted theorist of air power, had a lot to answer for. 'First it was our airforce generals who thought they could bomb Britain to a pulp, ripe for invasion. Now the strategic-bombing wizards are on the other side.'" ## Documentary Evidence The documents provide extensive testimony about the physical destruction: > "Mounds of rubble now choked the center of his city, a breeding grounds for rats which scavenged the flooded cellars for the remains of food or flesh. Typhus cases reached epidemic proportions." [DOC-1] The psychological impact on civilian morale is documented: > "The view became widespread that an occupation of Germany by the Anglo-Americans would not be 'all that bad' if it put an end to the bombing and the strafing attacks. Goebbels circularized the gauleiters on the need to counter this dangerous defeatism by propagating a base hatred of the imperialist and ideologically bankrupt British and Americans." [DOC-3] The sources also reveal German defensive responses, as [DOC-8] describes: "Under Luftwaffe Major Hajo Herrmann, the fighter defenses had developed new tactics using largely visual sightings rather than airborne radar. The British lost fifty-six bombers; 765 Berliners died." ## Historical Context The documents place strategic bombing within the broader context of World War II warfare and German military strategy. [DOC-4] references the Luftwaffe's own bombing campaigns, noting they would "bomb English cities" and "bomb London." The sources indicate that bombing was used as both a military and psychological weapon. [DOC-10] quotes from British sources, including J.M. Spaight's book "Bombing Vindicated" and references to wiping out civilian populations, suggesting the debates surrounding strategic bombing theory. The documents also reference technological developments, with [DOC-12] mentioning research into specialized weapons including bombs designed to target specific military assets like "the battleship Tirpitz." ## Source Analysis The documents appear to be drawn from biographical or historical works focusing on Joseph Goebbels and the Nazi leadership during World War II. They contain detailed accounts of bombing raids with specific dates, casualty figures, and tonnage dropped, suggesting access to official records or detailed contemporary accounts. The sources include both German perspectives on Allied bombing and references to British publications and statements, indicating cross-referencing of multiple wartime sources. --- ## Document References - **[DOC-1]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-2]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-3]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-4]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-5]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-6]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-7]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-8]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-9]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-10]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-11]**: Archive Document - **[DOC-12]**: Archive Document