Was Dresden a war crime?
Sir Arthur Harris (leader of Bomber Command) thought it was justified
For a long time, Dresden was something that was not discussed in the post-war period. Even now, the bombing of Dresden is not recognized as a war crime, there is no reparations to those who were affected, and there is little recognition of the event in British and American governments. Though the topic was touched upon by the British government and some have apologized for it, they often compare Dresden to the bombing of Coventry, a British city. However, there were only 380 people killed in Coventry, leaving some angry and unsatisfied with what little apologies Dresden was given.
Many people believe that the bombing of Dresden should be recognized as a war crime, one being Dr. Gregory Stanton, president of the Genocide Watch. He says, "The Nazi Holocaust was among the most evil genocides in history. But the Allies’ firebombing of Dresden and nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were also war crimes... We are all capable of evil and must be restrained by law from committing it." Ones who say that the bombing of Dresden was unjustified, that it should be recognized as a war crime, argue that such bombing should not have been so severe. After all, the people of Dresden were caught off guard, the methods of destroying were unusually harsh, and Dresden was renowned for being a cultural city full of Baroque art and music and was barely involved in the war. In addition, the killing of civilians was strongly condemned- in fact, the bombers were told to aim at civilian houses since they were close together. People who are against the bombing argue that the bigger reason for the bombing was to scare the Soviet Union instead of trying to make the war end faster, making it even less justified.
Still many others believe that the bombing of Dresden was justified, and it had to be done. Out of them is none other than Sir Arthur Harris, the head of Bomber Command who made the decision to bomb Dresden, who said "I would have destroyed Dresden again." Many other veterans from WW2 also seem to believe that Dresden was not a war crime. This became evident after a plaque in the Canadian War Museum questioned the morality of the ones who participated in the bombings and whether or not they were necessary. The plaque, which was part of a larger exhibition called Strategic Bombing: An Enduring Controversy, read "The value and morality of the strategic bomber offensive against Germany remains bitterly contested. Bomber Command's aim was to crush civilian morale and force Germany to surrender by destroying its cities and industrial installations. Although Bomber Command and American attacks left 600,000 Germans dead and more than five million homeless, the raids resulted in only small reductions in German war production until late in the war." The wording of the plaque, which made it seem like the bombing of Dresden was a war crime, outraged many veterans who said that their hard work should not be painted as war crimes. The museum argued that the display was a fair depiction of what happened, but eventually they changed the wording of it to make it sound more neutral. People who believe the bombing, like Sir Arthur Harris, and other veterans, say it was justified because the city was much more militarized than it was thought, using its image as a cultural and peaceful city as a disguise. There were many factories that directly produced equipment for the Nazis. In addition, the horribleness of the bombings of Dresden (and other bombing campaigns like the ones in Leipzig, Berlin, and more) lead to a hasty surrender from the Germans. Though most recognize that the bombing of Dresden was horrific, they say there were enough reasons to justify it and it should not be counted as a war crime.
Many people believe that the bombing of Dresden should be recognized as a war crime, one being Dr. Gregory Stanton, president of the Genocide Watch. He says, "The Nazi Holocaust was among the most evil genocides in history. But the Allies’ firebombing of Dresden and nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were also war crimes... We are all capable of evil and must be restrained by law from committing it." Ones who say that the bombing of Dresden was unjustified, that it should be recognized as a war crime, argue that such bombing should not have been so severe. After all, the people of Dresden were caught off guard, the methods of destroying were unusually harsh, and Dresden was renowned for being a cultural city full of Baroque art and music and was barely involved in the war. In addition, the killing of civilians was strongly condemned- in fact, the bombers were told to aim at civilian houses since they were close together. People who are against the bombing argue that the bigger reason for the bombing was to scare the Soviet Union instead of trying to make the war end faster, making it even less justified.
Still many others believe that the bombing of Dresden was justified, and it had to be done. Out of them is none other than Sir Arthur Harris, the head of Bomber Command who made the decision to bomb Dresden, who said "I would have destroyed Dresden again." Many other veterans from WW2 also seem to believe that Dresden was not a war crime. This became evident after a plaque in the Canadian War Museum questioned the morality of the ones who participated in the bombings and whether or not they were necessary. The plaque, which was part of a larger exhibition called Strategic Bombing: An Enduring Controversy, read "The value and morality of the strategic bomber offensive against Germany remains bitterly contested. Bomber Command's aim was to crush civilian morale and force Germany to surrender by destroying its cities and industrial installations. Although Bomber Command and American attacks left 600,000 Germans dead and more than five million homeless, the raids resulted in only small reductions in German war production until late in the war." The wording of the plaque, which made it seem like the bombing of Dresden was a war crime, outraged many veterans who said that their hard work should not be painted as war crimes. The museum argued that the display was a fair depiction of what happened, but eventually they changed the wording of it to make it sound more neutral. People who believe the bombing, like Sir Arthur Harris, and other veterans, say it was justified because the city was much more militarized than it was thought, using its image as a cultural and peaceful city as a disguise. There were many factories that directly produced equipment for the Nazis. In addition, the horribleness of the bombings of Dresden (and other bombing campaigns like the ones in Leipzig, Berlin, and more) lead to a hasty surrender from the Germans. Though most recognize that the bombing of Dresden was horrific, they say there were enough reasons to justify it and it should not be counted as a war crime.
It still affects us
On February 13, 2013, the 68th anniversary of the Dresden bombings, 800 right-winged, neo-Nazi extremists marched to Dresden to stage a protest. They used the anniversary in two ways: one to use Dresden as 'proof' that the victors of WW2 were war criminals, and two to attempt to revitalize the Nazi movement, by inflating figures about the bombings while downplaying the numbers of the Holocaust. However, they never made it to the city. Anticipating the neo-Nazi march, 13,000 people showed up to form a huge human chain around the city. They, along with the help of 3,000 police officers, effectively kept out all the extremists in a peaceful manner.
This happened only several months ago. It just goes to show that even today, 7 decades after the end of the war, people are still very concerned with war-related issues, and events like the bombing of Dresden can still affect people after so many years. Things like the Dresden bombings become the precipice of an embroiling argument that has existed since the end of WW2, between right-wing extremists and anti-fascists. In fact, in 2011 alone 10 deaths, bombings, and robberies were attributed to a surging underground terrorist group called the National Socialist Underground, renewing right-wing extremist fears in Germany. If events like the bombing of Dresden can still affect the actions of people today, it should not be forgotten.
This happened only several months ago. It just goes to show that even today, 7 decades after the end of the war, people are still very concerned with war-related issues, and events like the bombing of Dresden can still affect people after so many years. Things like the Dresden bombings become the precipice of an embroiling argument that has existed since the end of WW2, between right-wing extremists and anti-fascists. In fact, in 2011 alone 10 deaths, bombings, and robberies were attributed to a surging underground terrorist group called the National Socialist Underground, renewing right-wing extremist fears in Germany. If events like the bombing of Dresden can still affect the actions of people today, it should not be forgotten.