how did aerial bombardment change the course of wwii

by Ms. Rosalind Goyette V 10 min read

The bombing of cities grew to a vast scale in World War II, and is still practiced today. The development of aerial bombardment marked an increased capacity of armed forces to deliver ordnance from the air against combatants, military bases, and factories, with a greatly reduced risk to its ground forces.

Full Answer

What was the aerial bombardment of WW2?

Nov 17, 2014 · While Douhet himself was not necessarily a direct inspiration for military commanders, University of Exeter historian Richard Overy writes in his doorstop-size study, The Bombers and the Bombed, that in the large Allied city bombing campaigns in Europe during World War II, “there was an implicit understanding that bombing alone might unhinge the enemy war …

Did international law forbid aerial bombing in WW2?

This hardware is going to change the course of World War II and take the war to the gates of Germany. ... The Luftwaffe assured Hitler that an aerial bombardment of …

What is the aerial bombing of cities?

At the start of World War II, all nations’ air forces had a policy of attacking military targets only. That changed, however, once the German Luftwaffe began conducting air raids on British cities, including London, during the summer of 1940. As a result, strategic bombing became a fundamental part of military combat.

How did aerial warfare develop during the First World War?

Feb 18, 2017 · One of these, planted by the RAF’s first head Lord Trenchard, concerned the place of bombing in war. Trenchard believed overwhelming aerial bombardment could win wars. The role of bombers was to pound strategic targets into rubble, ending the enemy’s ability to fight. It would bring victory from the air.

What effect did aerial bombing of cities and civilians have on the nature of modern warfare?

After a certain interval the bombs were to drop on the city. Their attempt failed: the bombs did little damage, with some even landing on friendly troops. But the attack showed how aerial bombing altered the calculus of warfare, because it could embroil civilian populations even if they were far behind the front lines.Nov 17, 2014

What do you think was the purpose of the aerial bombing strategy in WWII?

strategic bombing, approach to aerial bombardment designed to destroy a country's ability to wage war by demoralizing civilians and targeting features of an enemy's infrastructure—such as factories, railways, and refineries—that are essential for the production and supply of war materials.

What effects did the air raids have on Germany?

During World War II, Allied bombing raids left their devastating mark on Germany, killing more than 400,000 civilians and laying waste to entire cities, from Berlin to Hamburg to Dresden.Sep 27, 2018

What was the impact of bombers in ww2?

Bombing raids on Germany destroyed 3,600,000 dwellings; approximately 20 percent of the total number of buildings in that country were destroyed or heavily damaged. Survey estimates showed some 300,000 German civilians killed and 780,000 wounded.

Was strategic bombing successful in ww2?

The effect of strategic bombing was highly debated during and after the war. Neither the Luftwaffe nor the RAF achieved a knockout blow by destroying enemy morale.

What is bombardment in history?

A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire or by dropping bombs from aircraft on fortifications, combatants, or towns and buildings. Prior to World War I, the term was only applied to the bombardment of defenseless or undefended objects, houses, public buildings, etc.

What were some advances in medicine during ww2?

World War II saw the expanded use of antibiotics as a very significant advance. Sulfa drugs, discovered in 1935, and penicillin, developed in 1939, have led the way to the obvious world-wide benefit we have today from any number of effective antibiotics.Feb 23, 2018

What did the Luftwaffe do?

Luftwaffe, (German: “air weapon”) component of the German armed forces tasked with the air defense of Germany and fulfillment of the country's airpower commitments abroad.

How did countries rebuild after ww2?

The Marshall Plan, also known as the European Recovery Program, was a U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe following the devastation of World War II. It was enacted in 1948 and provided more than $15 billion to help finance rebuilding efforts on the continent. The brainchild of U.S. Secretary of State George C.Jun 5, 2020

What is the meaning of aerial bombing?

: a bomb designed to be dropped from an aircraft.

How did the Combined bomber Offensive contribute to Allied victory quizlet?

How did the Combined Bomber Offensive contribute to Allied victory? It preoccupied the Luftwaffe with defense of the homeland providing the Allies air superiority on both fronts. Which leadership traits did Lieutenant Wilson demonstrate during the Battle of Hürtgen Forest in 1944? He kept his composure under stress.

Was the Combined bomber Offensive successful?

The British bombing campaign was chiefly waged by night by large numbers of heavy bombers until the latter stages of the war when German fighter defences were so reduced that daylight bombing was possible without risking large losses....Combined Bomber Offensive.DateJune 10, 1943 – April 12, 1945ResultDisputed1 more row

What was the aerial bombing of cities?

The aerial bombing of cities in warfare is an optional element of strategic bombing which became widespread during World War I . The bombing of cities grew to a vast scale in World War II, and is still practiced today.

How many bombs did the Zeppelin drop?

The zeppelin dropped approximately ten bombs, killing ten people and injuring forty. The British Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) undertook the first Entente strategic bombing missions on 22 September 1914 and 8 October, when it bombed the Zeppelin bases in Cologne and Düsseldorf.

When did the Iraqi Air Force attack Kuwait?

The Iraqi Air Force attacked Kuwait City in 1990 and bombed their own cities during the 1991 uprisings in Iraq, targeting civilians with the use of bomb-carrying helicopters (use of airplanes was banned by the Coalition as part of the ceasefire agreement that ended hostilities of the Gulf War but not the war itself).

What was the second Italo-Abyssinian war?

Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The Italians used aircraft against the Ethiopian cities in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. For example, in February 1936, the Italian invasion forces in the south prepared for a major thrust towards the city of Harar. On 22 March, the Regia Aeronautica bombed Harar and Jijiga as a prelude.

When did NATO bomb Serbia?

NATO 's aerial bombing of FR Yugoslavia in 1999, an answer to the Yugoslav campaign of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, included targeted aerial bombing throughout Serbia, notably of targets in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš. In addition to military casualties, there were at least 500 civilian casualties.

What cities did the Japanese bomb?

After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, in conjunction with the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, began relentlessly bombing Shanghai, Beijing (Peking), Tianjin (Tientsin) and several cities on the Chinese coast from the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937.

What war did Israel bomb?

Israeli cities were bombed by Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian aircraft during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the Six-Day War. The bombing included attacks on some of Israel's largest cities, such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. Israel also conducted air strikes targeting Palestinian targets during the Second Intifada, including against Hamas in Gaza.

What is an encyclopedia editor?

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ...

What was the purpose of the Allied bombing?

Strategic bombing, approach to aerial bombardment designed to destroy a country’s ability to wage war by demoralizing civilians and targeting features of an enemy’s infrastructure —such as factories, railways, and refineries—that are essential for the production and supply of war materials.

What was the shock and awe of the Iraq war?

At the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld famously referred to the “shock and awe” to be produced by the air offensive. The air offensive set the stage for the ground offensive that resulted in the capture of Baghdad, Iraq’s capital city, some three weeks after the war began.

What happened in 1940?

That changed on August 24, 1940. Then, at the height of the Battle of Britain, a German bomber accidentally hit a civilian target. Taking the excuse, Churchill turned the RAF to terror bombing German cities. The Germans did the same, both sides aiming to intimidate each other’s populations and destroy morale.

How long did Britain bomb Germany?

Britain’s bombing campaign against Germany continued through 1941 and into 1942. It was a costly exercise in men and material, with planes regularly being shot down by German fighters and anti-aircraft guns. Bomber Command persisted, confident they were severely damaging the Germans. Unfortunately, they were not.

Was Operation Millennium successful?

Operation Millennium was a success , from Bomber Command’s view. In the course of 90 minutes, over a thousand planes dropped bombs, primarily incendiary devices, on Cologne. Both their air defenses and firefighting teams were overwhelmed. The aim was not precision bombing but mass destruction, which happened.

How did aerial warfare develop in 1916?

Throughout 1916 and 1917 aerial warfare developed from lone fighting to ever larger formations of aircraft and patrols. Patrol leaders would try to give themselves an element of surprise by positioning themselves above the enemy before attacking. At this point the formations would break up into individual dog fights.

Why was aerial reconnaissance dangerous?

Aerial reconnaissance was a dangerous job. Taking photos of enemy positions required the pilot to fly straight and level so that the observer could take a series of overlapping images. This made them an easy target.

What was the impact of the use of the Zeppelin airships on the war?

They became a common threat with attacks aimed at both civilian and industrial areas. The use of Zeppelin airships caused fear throughout Britain and the government used this fear to help the recruitment drive. Incendiary ammunition that could shoot down airships was eventually developed making defence easier, but air raids continued until the end of the war.

How old was James McCudden when he joined the Royal Flying Corps?

James McCudden joined the Royal Flying Corps as a mechanic in 1913, when he was just 18 years old. He went on to become one of the highest scoring British fighter pilots of the First World War, with 57 victories.

What weapons did pilots carry?

Projectiles. At first most aircraft were unarmed, although some pilots did carry weapons with them including pistols and grenades. These were of limited use, however, as the body of the aircraft itself made it difficult and dangerous to fire any weapons. At the same time crude attacks were made on troops on the ground.

When was aerial photography invented?

As trench systems developed and became more complex, it became harder for pilots to accurately record what was happening on the ground and formal aerial photography was introduced early in 1915.

Who was the first person to shoot down an airship?

It describes the night Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson became the first person to shoot down an airship over Britain, using a combination of explosive and incendiary bullets to pierce the airship’s skin and set fire to leaking gas.

Before World War I

  • Kites
    Incendiary kites were first used in warfare by the Chinese. During the Song dynasty the Fire Crow, a kite carrying incendiary powder, a fuse, and a burning stick of incense was developed as a weapon. Walter de Milemete's 1326 De nobilitatibus, sapientiis, et prudentiis regum treatise depi…
  • Venice 1849
    In 1849, Austrian forces besieging Venice launched some 200 incendiary balloons, each carrying a 24- to 30-pound bomb that was to be dropped from the balloon with a time fuse over the besieged city. The balloons were launched from land and from the Austrian navy ship SMS Vulcano that a…
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World War I

  • The first civilian target to be bombed from the air was the Belgian city of Antwerp. This city, at that moment the National Redoubt of Belgium, was bombed during the night of 24–25 August 1914. Instead of targeting the surrounding fortresses, the Zeppelin LZ 25's intention was to bomb the clearly distinguishable historical centre of the city. The zeppelin dropped approximately ten …
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Interbellum Period

  • Iraqi revolt against the British
    After World War I, there were protests in Iraq against continued British rule. Many Iraqis across a wide spectrum of opinion opposed the British Mandate for Iraq. The Iraqi revolt against the British began, with peaceful demonstrations in May 1920. Initial demands were rejected by the British a…
  • Somaliland Campaign
    Following the end of World War I, the British stepped up their efforts in their war against the Dervish movement, their sultan Diiriye Guure and emir, the so-called "Mad Mullah", whom they had been fighting for the control the area formerly known as British Somaliland. However, they had b…
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World War II

  • European Theater
    At the beginning of World War II, bombing of cities prior to invasion was an integral part of Nazi Germany's strategy. In the first stages of war, the Germans carried out many bombings of towns and cities in Poland (1939), including the capital Warsaw (also bombed in 1944), with Wieluń bei…
  • Asiatic-Pacific Theater
    In the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, Japan continued to bomb Chinese cities and expanded its air operations towards others in Asia such as Singapore, Rangoon, and Mandalay. In the first few months of the war with the Western Powers, Japan projected its airpower on settlements as dist…
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Since World War II

  • Philadelphia, PA
    On May 13, 1985 the Philadelphia police confronted a group of citizens belonging to the MOVE organization. The city's effort to evict the group led to an armed confrontation that ended with the dropping of a satchel bomb on the row house occupied by the MOVE members. In the resulting …
  • Korean War
    During the Korean War of 1950–1953, U.S.-led UN air forces heavily bombed the cities in North Korea and the North-occupied South Korea, including their respective capital cities. There were also plans to use nuclear weapons against North Korea and the People's Republic of China.
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International Law

  • Air warfare, theoretically, must comply with laws and customs of war, including international humanitarian lawby protecting the victims of the conflict and refraining from attacks on protected persons. These restraints on aerial warfare are covered by the general laws of war, because unlike war on land and at sea – which are specifically covered by rules such as the 1907 Hague Conve…
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See Also

References

  1. Francisco Javier Guisández Gómez, a colonel in the Spanish Air Force ICRC: "The Law of Air Warfare"International Review of the Red Cross no 323, pp. 347–63
  2. Jefferson D. Reynolds. "Collateral Damage on the 21st century battlefield: Enemy exploitation of the law of armed conflict, and the struggle for a moral high ground". Air Force Law Review Volume 56...
  1. Francisco Javier Guisández Gómez, a colonel in the Spanish Air Force ICRC: "The Law of Air Warfare"International Review of the Red Cross no 323, pp. 347–63
  2. Jefferson D. Reynolds. "Collateral Damage on the 21st century battlefield: Enemy exploitation of the law of armed conflict, and the struggle for a moral high ground". Air Force Law Review Volume 56...
  3. Charles Rousseau, Le droit des conflits armés, Editions Pedone, Paris, 1983

Further Reading

  1. Grayling, A. C. (2006). Among the Dead Cities. New York: Walker Publishing Company Inc. ISBN 0-8027-1471-4.
  2. Joan T. Phillips. List of documents and web links relating to the law of armed conflict in air and space operations, May 2006. Bibliographer, Muir S. Poochild Research Information Center Maxwell (U...
  1. Grayling, A. C. (2006). Among the Dead Cities. New York: Walker Publishing Company Inc. ISBN 0-8027-1471-4.
  2. Joan T. Phillips. List of documents and web links relating to the law of armed conflict in air and space operations, May 2006. Bibliographer, Muir S. Poochild Research Information Center Maxwell (U...
  3. Hansen, Randall. Fire and Fury: the Allied Bombing of Germany (Doubleday 2008). ISBN 978-0-385-66403-5, 0-385-66403-6
  4. Wetta, Frank J., and Martin A. Novelli. "Good Bombing, Bad Bombing: Hollywood, Air Warfare, and Morality in World War I and World War II." OAH Magazine of History 22.4 (2008): 25-29. online