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The Blitz and St Paul's Cathedral Essay

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The Blitz and St Paul's Cathedral

When the Blitz began over Britain in the fall of 1940, Londoners were frightened and unsure of what the Nazis had in store for them. However, their uneasy emotions would later change into feelings of nationalistic pride and perseverance, as London became a city full of active resistors to the Nazi forces. This change would be prompted from a variety of sources, including Winston Churchill, the media, as well as the emergence of inspirational symbols. St. Paul's Cathedral is undoubtedly the most powerful of these symbols, becoming a timeless image associated with the Blitz, encapsulating sentiments of hope and courage.

LONDON THROUGH THE BLITZ

The Campaign
The Blitz on London started on September…show more content…
At least 2,000 fires erupted and transport was disrupted for days. The attacks were concentrated on the Fleet Street area and the West End, and over 1,200 people were killed. The last massive attack took place during the nights of May 10 and 11, 1941. The raid consisted of over 800 tons of explosives and produced over 2,000 fires.

Prepping the City

In order to deal with the threat of the bombing of London, the British government took on a variety of precautions. From a militaristic standpoint, the R.A.F. bomber force was built up in hope that fear of reprisal would keep the Germans away. But when it came to the point that an attack was more than likely, the British government sought to camouflage targets as best as they could. Individual targets were hidden by smoke and paint during the day and a total blackout, over all of Britain and Northern Ireland, was mandatory at night. The blackout made it difficult for the bombers to find their targets and did result in a spreading out of the bombs, instead of concentrated attacks on selected areas.

Prepping the People

With the threat of gas, high explosives, and fire, the people of London called for protection. The British government had plans to distribute respirators even before the war began to deal with potential gassing. As far as dealing with bombs, the government faced a variety of problems. First, it was estimated that there would be only seven minutes warning
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