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How Is Strategic Bombing Justified

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Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating the enemy by destroying its morale or its economic ability to produce and transport materiel to the theatres of military operations. This tactic was used by the United States and Britain against the Germans and Japanese in World War II. Strategic bombing is debated on whether the United States and Britain were justified in using it. The United States and Britain used strategic bombing to protect their people from fascist dictators and were justified in doing so. In the beginning of World War II, air forces only attacked military targets. This changed once “the German Luftwaffe began conducting air raids on British cities, including London, during the summer of 1940,” (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). Strategic bombing soon became a main part of military combat. It was seen to be in the best interest of the country’s side in the war. To the British, bombing German cities was a type of revenge. They showed the same amount of mercy for the German civilians as the Germans did for them, which was little to none. What the Allies did in Japan reflects what they did in Europe. Like the British, the U.S. bombed Japan as a response to the Pearl Harbor attack. “As was the case in the air war against Germany, military planners experimented with different bombing tactics in order to maximize the damage inflicted on Japan and force a surrender,” (The Choices Program). The United States was working to decrease the power Japan had in the Pacific
Bombing cities that were seen as industrially advanced and vital to economic production became the …show more content…

Although, most of the damage caused by the U.S. and Britain was in the best interest of their citizens. They wanted to stop the war as soon as possible and bombing the Axis powers helped accomplish their goal. The United States and Britain were justified in using strategic bombing against the German and

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