The destruction of dresden by david irving, walter hahn. Documents from foreign ministries, and notes and memoranda from british, french, italian and american leaders, ministers, diplomats and military commanders, prove that quite a number. Till february 1945 the beautiful city was never bombed and for the fugitives a save city. The destruction of dresden this book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. Germany would be forced to surrender three months later. British and american strategic air forces attacked dresden in three. Fought concurrently with the prague uprising, the offensive was one of the last engagements of world war ii. This week in the war, 8 february 1945, saw the launch of operation veritable. Mar 09, 2009 the destruction of dresden alan heath. A well researched and dispassionate account the latest edition, 2007, is now available for sale and as a free download 1. On the evening of february, 1945, a series of allied firebombing raids begins against the german city of dresden, reducing the florence of the elbe to rubble and flames, and killing. But when the first wave of lancasters arrived over dresden, there. The destruction of dresden 5 click to navigate contents.
A pile of bodies awaits cremation after the bombing of. The bombing of dresden was a britishamerican aerial bombing attack on the city of dresden, the capital of the german state of saxony, during world war ii. Feb 12, 2012 the destruction of german cities every city with more than 60 000 inhabitants and the number of killed civilians several millions has no equal in human history. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. Normandy beaches in 1944 and 70 years later indian ocean 2004 tsunami. Apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden by david irving by. Critics say that the military value of the bombing did not justify dresden s near destruction and that the city could have been spared, like rome, paris, and kyoto. It is the 12th most populous city of germany, the fourth largest by area following only berlin, hamburg and cologne, and the third most populous city in the area of former east germany, following. The destruction of dresden david irving, david irving, walter hahn on. Restaurants, railroad stations were filled to capacity with.
B17 flying fortresses bomb german communication lines at chemnitz, near dresden, on february 6, 1945. Drjezdzany is the capital city of the german state of saxony and its second most populous city, after leipzig. World war, 1939 1945 destruction and pillage germany dresden. Klemperer and the dozens of jews alive in dresden in 1945 had been spared deportation as the spouses or children of aryans ethnic germansuntil the week of the bombing. Jul 15, 2014 dresden in ruins after allied bombings, february 1945. Herman burdach, 1880, oclc 2838150, ol 24467281m guide to the royal collections of dresden, translated by c. Over two days and nights in february 1945, american and british bombers dropped 2,400 tons of high explosives and 1,500 tons of incendiary bombs on the german city of dresden. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far.
Translated and published around the world, it became a bestseller in many countries. How germanys cities died for the german journal neue illustrierte. The bombing of dresden was a historic benchmark that demonstrated the power of strategic bombing. The destruction of dresden is a 1963 nonfiction book written by david irving that describes the february 1945 allied bombing of dresden in world war ii. The scale of the death and destruction, coming so late in the war, along with significant questions about the legitimacy of the targets destroyed have led to years of. Moral bombing the destruction of dresden about germany. The destruction of dresden is a 1963 book by david irving, in which the author describes the february 1945 allied bombing of dresden in world war ii. Mar 04, 2017 during the night of feb 14, 1945, two months away from the end of ww2, allied forces destroyed by firebombing the beautiful saxon city of dresden, killing 5,000 people almost twice as many as. Descarga libro apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden. A pile of bodies awaits cremation after the firebombing of dresden, february 1945. The refugees, who were crowded into every house, each had his horror story about russian atrocities.
Leningrad, dresden, and many more similar incidents, evoke collective and individual memories of loss, destruction and death. In four raids between and 15 february 1945, 722 heavy bombers of the british royal air force raf and 527 of the united states army air forces usaaf dropped more than 3,900 tons of highexplosive bombs and incendiary devices on the city. The weather on the flight across germany had been cloudy. The bombing of dresden was a britishamerican aerial bombing attack on the city of dresden, the capital of the german state of saxony, that took place during the second world war in the european theatre.
After the destruction of dresden in midfebruary, he sent a minute later revised to remove. The book is based on a series of 37 articles written on the strategic bombing during world war ii by david irving called wie deutschlands stadte starben english. Apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden by irving david. This is the first of a number of films i have prepared on the charming city of dresden and in particularly the bombing of the 14 february 1945 which. The book became an international bestseller during the 1960s debate about the morality of the world war ii area bombing of the nazi germany civilian population. But on february, 1945, with the red army sixty miles away, the mood was somber. Irving, david apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden. The book became an international bestseller during the 1960s debate about the morality of the world war ii area bombing of the civilian population of nazi germany.
One of the most devastating attacks was carried out against the city of dresden on february th, 1945 when the war was almost over. The target city was among germanys largest, but it alone had developed no single major war industry. There can be few operations of war as causeless, as purposeless, and as brutal as the attack on dresden on the attack of february, 1945. By means of a plan codenamed thunderclap, the allies sought to deliver to germany a mighty blowthe destruction of a major city to hasten. For when dresden was bombed the war was nearly over. The destruction of dresden by irving, david seller ground zero books, ltd. A historical digest of the combined bomber offensive 1939 1945 pdf. Staatliche kunstsammlungen dresden, 1897, ol 7082856m cs1 maint. When this war ended in may 1945 with the liberation of europe. It was his first book and it brought the horrors of dresden into the public eye. The destruction of dresden is a 1963 book by david irving, in which the author describes the february 1945 allied bombing of dresden. The red army had already crossed the oder at a number of places and were only sixty miles from berlin.
Before february, 1945, dresden was a city largely untouched by war. Irving, d apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden addeddate 20160208 23. Holocaust over dresden, known as the florence of the north. This an excellent copy of david irvings famous book apocalypse 1945. The destruction of dresden second updated and revised by david irving, david irving, walter hahn isbn. On february, 1945, in one of the most devastating bombing attacks in history, combined. The federal president joachim gauck at the event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the destruction of dresden on february. This is the most important work on the subject, and it is available for free. The destruction of dresden is a 1963 nonfiction book which describes the february 1945 bombing of dresden in world war ii. Irving david apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden. The book is no longer considered to be a authoritative or reliable account of the. Dresden was, according to writer alexander mckee, a city with fantastic architecture, with a town center housing worldclass collections of paintings, statues, and art objects of all kinds. The searh for the real erwin rommel 2002 electric version 3 5 banged up survival as a political prisoner in 21st c. The book is no longer considered to be an authoritative or reliable account of the.
The canadians headed south from nijmegen, aiming to dislodge the germans from the west bank of the rhine. The destruction of dresden using official papers, private records, and the accounts of eyewitnesses on both sides, david irving gives a harrowing account of the two saturation bombing raids executed by raf bomber command on germanys most beautiful city at the end of the war, a horrific firestorm raid which left over 100,000. The destruction of dresden 1995, by david john cawdell irving. Dec 30, 2015 enormous 360degree panoramic picture of dresden after allied bombing in 1945 dday landing sites then and now. Why, then at that late date, was the city of dresden destroyed by allied firebombing. You will really feel for the germans as you read this. The destruction of dresden by david irving goodreads.
Dresden, a city unaffected by bombing up to that point in the war, lost many thousands of civilians in the firestorm that was created by the allies. Given the high number of civilian casualties and the relatively few strategic targets, some even called the bombing of dresden a war. The destruction of dresden and it certainly stands the test of time. The panorama dresden 1945 tragedy and hope of a european city by berlinbased artist yadegar asisi is more than 30 meters high and has a 100meter circumference. Even more importantly, the destruction of dresden attempts to acquaint a largely ignorant world outside of germany with one of the most horrific military atrocities of world war two. An earlier church building was catholic until it became protestant during the reformation the old church was replaced in the 18th century by a larger baroque lutheran building. The offensive was fought on the eastern front from 6 may to 11 may 1945. The book is based on a series of 37 articles written on the strategic. One of the most devastating attacks was carried out against the city of dresden on february th, 1945. The destruction of dresden by david irving alibris. Jul 20, 2007 there can be few operations of war as causeless, as purposeless, and as brutal as the attack on dresden on the attack of february, 1945. By february, 1945, the war in europe was nearly over. Jul 08, 2009 it was one of the most controversial actions of the second world war. At the entrance to the restored zwinger, one of dresden s architectural treasures, the east german plaque still stands with its take on the history of the second world war.
The bombing of dresden in february 1945 has remained one of the most controversial aspects of world war two. Apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden by david irving. Federal president frankwalter steinmeier on the 75th anniversary. Guide to dresden, its buildings, institutions and environs, dresden. How people rebuilt after the horrific firebombing of dresden. Between february and 15 february 1945 twelve weeks before the final capitulation of germany, 3,900 tons of highexplosives and incendiary devices were delivered in four air raids carried out by 1,300 bombers. At the end of world war ii the city of dresden was in ruins, all its buildings destroyed and thousands of civilians dead. It shows the city from a 15meterhigh viewing platform, so viewers get a sense of the totality of the destruction.
And it is instructive to read a history such as this to partially understand the motivations of the participants in such actions. Tragic story of the murder of thousands of civilians and the destruction of one of europes most beautiful cities. The item will be packaged securely and wrapped in removable plastic dustjacket protector. Prague strategic offensive was the last major military operation of world war ii in europe. Foreword by air marshal sir robert saundby 5,000 people died as the result of an air attack with conventional weapons. Churchill grew increasingly hostile to a bombing strategy that called his postwar policy into question. Having read frederic taylors impressive but justificatory dresden 1945 i found irvings book more objective and to be frank, more humane. A firestorm caused by allied bombers destroyed the historic centre of dresden in february 1945. Irving, d apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden. Apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden the horrifying original account of the most devasting air attack in history. The present volume, apocalypse 1945, revises and updates that work on the basis of information which has become available since 1963. In march 1945, the german government ordered its press to publish a falsified casualty figure of 200,000 for the dresden raids, and death tolls as high as 500,000. Editions of the destruction of dresden by david irving. The german authorities had made it a centre for the evacuation of wounded servicemen, and by february 1945 most schools, restaurants, and public buildings had been converted into military hospitals.
That it happened to have been committed by the righteous allies, rather than the usual culprits disturbs many people to no end. The destruction of dresden e b00k pdf e pub kindle at the best online prices at ebay. At about 6pm on february 1945, aircraft from raf bomber commands elite 5 group took off from swinderby in. In one of the most devastating raids on germany almost 2,000 allied bombers dropped 3,000 tons of bombs, including 650,000. The firestorm occurred days before their scheduled deportation, and jewish survivors in the city ripped off their patches and fled, posing as aryan refugees. During the night of feb 14, 1945, two months away from the end of ww2, allied forces destroyed by firebombing the beautiful saxon city of dresden, killing 5,000 people almost twice as. David irving has analyzed, in an objective manner, the causes and result of this gratuitous act. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Irving, david apocalypse 1945 the destruction of dresden en, 1999, 338 p.