Introduction
Many people say that at war, there are no entirely right or wrong actions or decisions. When the victory or defeat of entire nations is at stake, many politicians forget about issues of morality and ethics and can make controversial choices. Some later prove to be ethical and positive, while others may go down in history as dubious and difficult to justify. One event that is included in the second group is the bombing of Dresden in 1945 (Dawsey, 2019). After considering all the relevant factors and information about the attack, I can state that if I were to decide for the Allies, I would not have fire-bombed Dresden, and the reasons for my statement are explained further.
Discussion
First, it seems to me that morale and ethics should still be considered even during military actions. It was inhumane and immoral to murder thousands of innocent people who were not experienced or ready for the bombing (Webb, 2019). Surely, many actions of Germany towards the Allied countries were even more inhumane. However, the war was started by politicians, not by ordinary people and not personally by residents of Dresden, so why did the latter have to pay for the crimes of the Axis Powers? Second, numerous past and current politicians and historians argue that the city did not carry any strategic value for Germany (Dawsey, 2019). At the time of World War II, Dresden was a beautiful city famous for its arts and architecture. While the latter does not play a major role during military conflicts, it still can be considered yet another, less major reason for not bombing the city. Finally, there definitely were other options to show the power of the Allies and weaken Germany.
It is essential to discuss what was lost and gained in the bombing. First of all, the allied states managed to demonstrate their strength and power to their enemies without significant losses in resources (Slawson, 2023). Next, there were three advantages that the Allies gained in relation to Russia. The states simultaneously made it easier for the country to approach from the east and ensured that there was nothing valuable left of the land for the Soviet Union to conquer or occupy (Webb, 2019). Finally, they reminded the country of their power in order to prevent Russia’s possible desire to start the conquest of its allies after the war ended (Webb, 2019). Eventually, one of the key gains of the Allies was their success in depriving Germans of the ability to communicate freely, as the city had some strategic significance, including communications centers. As for the losses, they included the murder of tens of thousands of innocent people, the undermining of the moral foundations of the allied countries, as well as the destruction of the city’s cultural heritage.
Concerning the question of whether the bombing can be justified, one may say it cannot because the primary purpose (to end the war) was not reached immediately but much later than expected. The same result could have been achieved if the Allies had focused on destroying other strategically significant places where no innocent people lived (Priest, 2020). However, considering the fact that informational and other resources were limited, the Allies probably failed to see any other alternative, and since the nations fought for their lives and freedom, this choice can, in this case, be justified.
Conclusion
This is what can be said to the people who argue that in the bombing of Dresden, the Allies proved themselves no better than the Axis Powers. This statement is most likely true, but the former sacrificed innocent citizens while defending themselves, and the latter sacrificed their own people to conquer other nations. The choice between life and death was only for the Allies, and they most likely had the right to use any method to achieve their freedom and safety.
References
Dawsey, J. (2020). Apocalypse in Dresden, February 1945. The National WWII Museum. Web.
Priest, C. (2020). Was Dresden a war crime? The Spectator. Web.
Slawson, L. (2023). Was the bombing of Dresden necessary? Owlcation. Web.
Webb, M. B. (2019). The bombing of Dresden: Was the attack fully justified? Warfare History Network. Web.