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Bombing of Dresden Facts & Worksheets

The Bombing of Dresden was one of the aerial assaults launched by the United States and Great Britain to stop any attempt to revive World War II.

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The Bombing of Dresden was one of the aerial assaults launched by the United States and Great Britain to stop any attempt to revive World War II. The three-day bombing and the firestorm afterward destroyed the city, killing thousands of civilians and refugees who thought Dresden was the safest place they could be during the war.

See the fact file below for more information on the Bombing of Dresden or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Bombing of Dresden worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

DRESDEN BEFORE BOMBING

  • Dresden is the capital city of Saxony, in Eastern Germany, and the third-largest city in Eastern Germany.
  • It was called “The Florence on the Elbe”. It was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world because of its baroque style of architecture and art treasures.
  • More frequently, it has been the official residence of the Kings of Saxony and electors who brought the arts and the exceptional architectures in the city.
  • The Dresden State Theatre and the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra were also here, making it a popular destination for opera lovers.
  • After World War II, Dresden became a cultural and political center of Germany and Europe again.

THREE-DAY ASSAULT

  • Dresden was spared from attacks that the Allies had launched against Germany at the end of World War II.
  • Refugees from East to West flocked over the city to escape the Red Army. Additionally, Nazi propaganda spread fear among its constituents on how the Red Army would treat Germans once they got to Germany.
  • On February 13, 1945, around 10:30 p.m., the sirens began to wail, but since it happened almost every night, some citizens did not take it seriously.
  • They believed that they had been spared long enough to be attacked by the Allies. Plus, they are not an industrial or political state that would be considered a threat to the Allies.
  • A few minutes later, after the siren stopped, the first batch of pathfinders began dropping their target flares. The bombing lasted for three days. The Allies started with 500 heavy “Lancaster” bombers loaded with explosives and incendiaries, launching another 400 tons of bombs on the next day, and another raid of 210 bombers on February 15.
  • The Allies dropped a thousand tons of bombs, leaving 35,000 – 145,000 dead. Historians still argue about the exact number due to the influx of refugees in Dresden.
  • The Allies destroyed 1,600 acres of the city center. Accounts from survivors narrated how the oxygen seemed to be sucked out from where they were hiding.
  • A Dresden citizen named Margareth Freyer said, “The firestorm is incredible, there are calls for help and screams from somewhere but all around is one single inferno.”
  • After the bombing, the survivors saw corpses fleshed out and some burned scattered through the rubbles of ruined buildings and monuments.

CONTROVERSIES ABOUT THE BOMBING

  • Aside from the constant argument of the total fatalities after the bombing, moralists started questioning the Allies about the attack’s rationality.
  • The Allies wanted to convey a message that the war was over and show countries who were planning to start a post-war hegemony what a Bomber Command can do.
  • Some theorized that the bombing at Dresden was an act of revenge by Great Britain against Germany, who bombed Coventry at the height of World War II.
  • Knowing it became the hub of refugees who had retreated in the face of the Soviet advance, many argued that the attack could be considered a war crime.
  • Winston Churchill, the British prime minister who ordered the bombing, expressed his doubts immediately after the raid.
  • However, an inquiry that was commanded by US Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, declared that the bombing of Dresden was justified based on the available intelligence.
  • Evidence suggested that, as Dresden was spared of bombing, it still had a few remaining functional rails and communications centers. It could be a perfect place to reconvene and plan a counter-attack. It was also revealed that Dresden housed a manufacturing site for munitions.
  • They made it clear that Dresden was not singled out because of the number of refugees or to purposely terrorize Germans. The Allies wanted to cut the line of communication and destroy industrial production.
  • Up to this day, the bombing is still a major debate. The Allies, which were led by the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and China, established the United Nations and created a UN Charter that emphasized peace, security, international law, economic development, and human rights.
  • Countries like Canada, Australia, and the majority of the European countries were the first to join.

Bombing of Dresden Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Bombing of Dresden across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Bombing of Dresden worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Bombing of Dresden which was one of the aerial assaults launched by the United States and Great Britain to stop any attempt to revive World War II. The three-day bombing and the firestorm afterward destroyed the city, killing thousands of civilians and refugees who thought Dresden was the safest place they could be during the war.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Bombing of Dresden Facts
  • The Terrible Bombings
  • Facts About Dresden
  • Three Tragic Days
  • The Allies Search
  • The Dresden Chronicles
  • The Allies Justification
  • The Never-Ending Debate
  • Great Architecture
  • The Worst Nightmare
  • An Eye For An Eye

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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