Even though the bombing operation had many detrimental effects on the populace's economy and social life, I think it was a useful war endeavor. People would still have perished in some manner, so the bombing should not be held solely responsible. In addition, sometimes blood must be shed in order to reestablish peace. Strategic bombardment assisted in overpowering the German military. Notably, the conflict was intense, forcing some nations—including France—to leave the fray. Britain, however, continued to advance and fight against the Nazi for a prolonged time with the encouragements of the Americans.
Reasons for Effectiveness
Defeat of German Air Force
In the year 1944, the German Air Force, also known as the Luftwaffe, was defeated in the climatic air battles. The defeat of the German air force was very important since Germany and Japan mainly depended on the air force, which had close integration with the land and the naval forces. This defeat meant that the power of Germans was overwhelmed and would symbolize defeat to the entire system. In addition, the Axis power had not made enough plans on coordinating with their allies – Finland and Italy air force. Thus, it was a big step in winning the war. The superiority of the air force was crucial to the success of the allies. Having gained control of the air force also meant that there would be relatively low rate of causalities in the remainder of the war and in the D-Day invasion.
Diversion of German War Machine
The other achievement of the bombing is that it lead to diversion of Germans war machine. The Germans could no longer coordinate well due to the bombings that also resulted in diversion of the Nazi forces. The Nazi were unable to execute their plans due to the bombing and the defeat of their air force. This further distracted their level of coordination. This was crucial since German’s military was the strongest Axis power. One of the British correspondents even stated that if they managed to defeat Germany neither Japan nor Italy will be able to fight for even an extra day. Germans were left without machinery to fight against the bombings from the British and American military and the soldiers could not continue with the battle. Some of the military were also being killed and injured from the bombings. The war shortened by such effects of the bombing and afterwards peace was restored.
The Destruction of Primary Elements in German Economy
The economy plays an integral role in sustaining the military and giving power to the rulers. The German economy had suffered some economic downtime in 1918, which affected their authority and superiority. The strategic bombing further affected their economic strength such that they were unable to make armaments for their military. With their economy having been severely affected, they could not even sustain the essential requirements of the Nazi military. The implication is that they could not continue with the war that they could no longer afford. The economic destruction also had a lot of devastating effects on the morale of the Germans. This way, the military knew that they were fighting a battle that they had already lost. Linderman- the scientific adviser of Churchill- had noted from a study that 100, 000 bombers could be strategically located in the built up areas of Germany. Consequently, a third of Germany would be left homeless. The desolation from such destruction would force Germany to surrender the battle.
Bibliography
Beaumont, Roger. "The bomber offensive as a second front." Journal of Contemporary History 22, no. 1 (1987): 3-19.
Gilbert, Martin. The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War. New York, NY: Routledge, 2000.
Murray, Williamson, and Allan Reed Millett. “A war to be won: fighting the Second World War.” Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 2000. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=3300332.
Werrell, Kenneth P. "The strategic bombing of Germany in World War II: Costs and accomplishments." The Journal of American History 73, no. 3 (1986): 702-713.
