Intelligence Squared: The Allied bombing of German cities in World War II was unjustifiable

[PaklovesTurkiye]

 

[nahtanbob]

I could argue the war would have ended earlier with harsher bombing raids

 

[cloud4000]

Yes, the luxury of hindsight. Same folks who said that Japan was ready to surrender before atom bombs were dropped, even though no evidence exist they were planning to. On the contrary, they were preparing to fight to the last man.

 

[PaklovesTurkiye]

Yes, the luxury of hindsight. Same folks who said that Japan was ready to surrender before atom bombs were dropped, even though no evidence exist they were planning to. On the contrary, they were preparing to fight to the last man.

But the bombing on German cities really forced Germans to surrender?

 

[nahtanbob]

But the bombing on German cities really forced Germans to surrender?

Nope.

It did degrade the German military industrial capacity. It was another front for German war planners forcing them to divert resources for air defense

If the Allies could have unleashed 2x or 4x bombing campaign they could have broken the back of the Wehrmacht earlier

 

[SQ8]

Yes, the luxury of hindsight. Same folks who said that Japan was ready to surrender before atom bombs were dropped, even though no evidence exist they were planning to. On the contrary, they were preparing to fight to the last man.

Or the fact that the Germans had razed Guernica and Helsinki to the ground before that. It was a horrible conflict. Interestingly, both in 65 and 71(in the west) - by the account of pilots both India and Pakistan took care to avoid civilian casualties wherever the fog of war did not preclude it.

 

[cloud4000]

But the bombing on German cities really forced Germans to surrender?

Germany is not Japan. The Germans had no intention of dying for their Fuhrer, unlike the Japanese, who were willing to die for their emperor.

Or the fact that the Germans had razed Guernica and Helsinki to the ground before that. It was a horrible conflict. Interestingly, both in 65 and 71(in the west) - by the account of pilots both India and Pakistan took care to avoid civilian casualties wherever the fog of war did not preclude it.

World War II was a watershed moment, it was the last war that involved total war, where civilians were not spared. After the war, the United Nation was formed and rules instituted that outlawed attacks on civilians. The ICC was created for these violations, but still, it's an imperfect system given that war crimes against civilians continue even with the best of efforts.