How was the decision made to bomb Dresden in WW2?

The bombing of Dresden was utterly routine - apart from the exceptional results - for Bomber Command missions in 1945. The raid used no special tactics, was not exceptionally large and was not laid on for any other reason than the cities of easter... read more

The bombing of Dresden was utterly routine - apart from the exceptional results - for Bomber Command missions in 1945. The raid used no special tactics, was not exceptionally large and was not laid on for any other reason than the cities of eastern Germany were within reach of Bomber Command and had been largely spared. read more

The bombing of Dresden has been used by Holocaust deniers and pro-Nazi polemicists—most notably by the British writer David Irving in his book The Destruction of Dresden—in an attempt to establish a moral equivalence between the war crimes committed by the Nazi government and the killing of German civilians by Allied bombing raids. read more

Later that day, as survivors made their way out of the smoldering city, more than 300 U.S. bombers began bombing Dresden’s railways, bridges and transportation facilities, killing thousands more. On February 15, another 200 U.S. bombers continued their assault on the city’s infrastructure. read more