Why were the major cities of Britain bombed by the Germans in 1940-41?
The British concern against the mighty Luftwaffe was especially deep because of the Luftwaffe attacks on civilian populations. Even before the Blitz on London, the British watched in horror as the Luftwaffe in September 1939 was used for terror attacks on defenceless Warsaw and other Polish cities. This was followed in 1940 by a similar attack on Rotterdam as part of the German western offensive.
After the fall of France in June 1940, Adolf Hitler turned his attentions to the invasion of Britain. This planned invasion was called "Operation Sealion", however the invasion could not be conducted without the obliteration of the RAF. The German air force, called the Luftwaffe, was better trained and they outnumbered the RAF. But the Germans found it hard to gain air superiority against the British, who had radar. Hitler had assumed that the Luftwaffe could force the British to surrender. In reality Hitler wanted the British as allies or at least neutrals in his planned invasion of the Soviet Union. Unlike his strategy against the Poles, the Dutch, and the Belgians, there was no German terror bombing of London and other British cities. The Luftwaffe in its August campaign seriously weakened the RAF and Fighter Command was having increasing difficulty maintaining its forward air bases in Kent. Then off-course German bombers accidentally bombed London on August 23-24. RAF Bomber Command on August 25-26 mounted a small reprisal raid against Berlin. Hitler was furious and orders an immediate change in Luftwaffe tactics. Rather than completing its offensive against the RAF infrastructure, Hitler ordered a "blitz" on British cities, which began in earnest on September 7. 300 bombers escorted by 600 fighters came over London starting in the afternoon. The theory was that the population, in constant fear of a sudden and violent death, would put pressure on their government to surrender. If that government did not surrender, then the population would take to the streets, riot and overthrow the government. The whole point of a sustained bombing campaign was to destroy a nation's morale.
The British concern against the mighty Luftwaffe was especially deep because of the Luftwaffe attacks on civilian populations. Even before the Blitz on London, the British watched in horror as the Luftwaffe in September 1939 was used for terror attacks on defenceless Warsaw and other Polish cities. This was followed in 1940 by a similar attack on Rotterdam as part of the German western offensive.
After the fall of France in June 1940, Adolf Hitler turned his attentions to the invasion of Britain. This planned invasion was called "Operation Sealion", however the invasion could not be conducted without the obliteration of the RAF. The German air force, called the Luftwaffe, was better trained and they outnumbered the RAF. But the Germans found it hard to gain air superiority against the British, who had radar. Hitler had assumed that the Luftwaffe could force the British to surrender. In reality Hitler wanted the British as allies or at least neutrals in his planned invasion of the Soviet Union. Unlike his strategy against the Poles, the Dutch, and the Belgians, there was no German terror bombing of London and other British cities. The Luftwaffe in its August campaign seriously weakened the RAF and Fighter Command was having increasing difficulty maintaining its forward air bases in Kent. Then off-course German bombers accidentally bombed London on August 23-24. RAF Bomber Command on August 25-26 mounted a small reprisal raid against Berlin. Hitler was furious and orders an immediate change in Luftwaffe tactics. Rather than completing its offensive against the RAF infrastructure, Hitler ordered a "blitz" on British cities, which began in earnest on September 7. 300 bombers escorted by 600 fighters came over London starting in the afternoon. The theory was that the population, in constant fear of a sudden and violent death, would put pressure on their government to surrender. If that government did not surrender, then the population would take to the streets, riot and overthrow the government. The whole point of a sustained bombing campaign was to destroy a nation's morale.
