Sowing the Wind
From June 1941 until June 1944, the only means that the Western Allies had of striking at Nazi Germany was by strategic bombing. This strategic bombing diverted some of the Wehrmacht's resources away from the war with the Soviet Union and so served as the "Second Front" demanded by Stalin. Yet arguably its more important function was as a psychological weapon -- and a necessary component in domestic morale. At the start of this war, Germany enjoyed significant advantages in terms of air power. Although Hitler initially shied away from deploying it against England, his policy changed and in the second half of 1940, Germany rained death and destruction on the British isles. Indeed Hitler bragged about what he was doing, dismissing the risk of retaliation. He was, as the British Air Marshal Harris so aptly said, sowing the wind. With the wisdom of hindsight, it is easy to dismiss the impact of Hitler's air war against Britain as paltry. Cities were not vaporized in ...