The Allied bombing of Dresden, culminating on February 15, 1945, remains one of the most debated military operations of World War II. Over four air raids between February 13 and 15, the British Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces launched a devastating aerial assault on the German city, reducing it to rubble and causing the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. Dresden, renowned for its Baroque architecture and cultural heritage rather than its military or industrial significance, became a focal point in discussions about the ethics of strategic bombing and the destruction of civilian populations in wartime.
By early 1945, Nazi Germany was on the verge of collapse. The Soviet Red Army was advancing rapidly from the east, having crossed the Oder River and nearing Berlin, while British and American forces pressed in from the west. Seeking to accelerate Germany’s defeat, the Allies intensified their efforts to disrupt enemy infrastructure and communications. Although Dresden was not a major industrial center, it served as a crucial transportation and administrative hub, processing waves of refugees fleeing the Eastern Front. Intelligence reports also suggested the presence of German troops and military facilities. These factors contributed to the city’s selection as a bombing target, though the extent of the destruction far exceeded any clear military objective.
The assault began on the night of February 13, when more than 800 RAF bombers released high-explosive and incendiary bombs over Dresden. The initial attack shattered buildings and ignited widespread fires, fueled by ruptured gas lines, creating the conditions for a massive firestorm—an uncontrollable inferno that consumed entire districts. The following day, American B-17 bombers conducted two additional raids, aiming at infrastructure and transportation routes but further intensifying the destruction of the city center. By February 15, Dresden was devastated, fires still burned, and survivors frantically searched for shelter.
The human toll was staggering. Estimates of the dead range from 25,000 to 35,000, many of whom were civilians, including women, children, and refugees. The firestorm was so intense that it incinerated thousands of victims, leaving little physical trace of them. In the aftermath, Nazi propaganda sought to portray the bombing as a war crime, an assertion that sparked heated historical and ethical debates in the years that followed. Critics argue that the attack was an excessive act of destruction targeting civilians unnecessarily, while defenders assert that it aligned with the broader Allied strategy to break German morale and cripple logistical operations.
