"Was the bombing offensive (against civilians in Germany and Japan) a crime against humanity," writes A. C. Grayling, "or was it justified by the necessities of war?
These questions mark one of the great remaining controversies of the Second World War." Their resolution, which Grayling accomplishes with great respect and with a sense of urgency, is a vital contribution to the debate about how far governments can go in the name of national security.
Bombing civilians in WWII...
Civilian Casualties during WWII | ||||
Great Britain | 60,000 | Germany | 3,810,000 | |
France | 360,000 | Austria | 80,000 | |
United States | minimal | Italy | 85,000 | |
USSR | 7,700,000 | Rumania | 465,000 | |
Belgium | 90,000 | Hungary | 280,000 | |
Holland | 190,000 | Bulgaria | 7,000 | |
Norway | minimal | Finland | minimal | |
Poland | 5,300,000 | Japan | 360,000 | |
Greece | 80,000 | |||
Yugoslavia | 1,300,000 | |||
Czechoslovakia | 330,000 | |||
China | 10,000,000 | |||
Total - Allies | 25,410,000 | Total - Axis | 5,087,000 |
Related Scanning WWII dates...
- 24 Aug 40: Accidental bombing of London changes the rules of war for Allies and Axis
- 30 Oct 40: RAF Bomber Command first sanctions area bombing, aka carpet bombing
- 19 Sep 43: Hamburg has been bombed to absolute ruins
- 18 Nov 43: Battle of Berlin begins as the RAF bombs the German capital
- 10 Mar 45: Almost ¼ of Tokyo is destroyed in history's most destructive bombing raid
Related WWII Store items...
- Among The Dead Cities:
The History and Moral Legacy of the WWII Bombing of Civilians in Germany and Japan - The Fire:
The Bombing of Germany, 1940-1945