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war and social upheaval: Second World War II strategic bombing campaign bombing cities Goebbels
Strategic Bombing and Civilians: German Leadership--Josef Goebbels
Figure 1.--Berlin was a hard nut for the Allies to crack, but by the end of the War was the most bombed city in the Reich. Here we think in 1944, a woman seems to be giving Berlin Gauleiter Joeg Goebbels a list of the bomb damage in her area. Goebbels was the only top NAZI that showed up in bomb damaged areas to any extent. He tried to convince Hitler to do the same, but the Führer adamently refused. As the bombing intensified in 1943, Hitler who had been such an ovewheeamling presence in Germany suddenly began diappearing from the radio and weekly newsreels.
Propaganda Minister Goebbels did for a time visit and try to comfort bombed-out Berliners. He was the gauleiter of Berlin and responsible for the city. He was not from the city, but came to see Berlin as his city. Berlin when the NAZIs seized power was a cosmopolitan and generally anti-NAZI. Hitler and Goebbels transformed the city. Relentless propaganda, the suppression of the Jews, Socialists, and communists, a vicious police apparatus, and apparent NAZI successes transformed the city. And by the time of the War, Berlin was a NAZI city. We have noted quite a few photographs of Goebbels out and about and commiserating with people of the city. He was seen as aiding in relief efforts after a bombing raid. Hitler was en ranged when a few bombs fell on Berlin (August 1940). By 1943 really large payloads of bombs were being released on the city. In the aftermath of the devastating raid on Hamburg, (1943) he moved against the remaining Jews to create vacancies for displaced families. He did the same in Berlin. Berlin was a large city and not as easy to bomb as Hamburg, but no city can sustain the level of destruction unleashed by the Allies. As Goebbels until late in the War did not have any military responsibility, he could not be held responsible for the military disasters that were befalling Germany. Unlike Hitler and Göring, showing up in bomb damaged neighborhood was not a rare occasion. And he was depicted of doing so in the weekly news reels. He clearly saw the importance of doing so. Which is why he tried so hard to convince Hitler of doing the same. At first Berlin was beyond the effective range of Allied bombers, but as four engine long range bombers were introduced, Berlin became a priority target and the most bombed city in Europe. Air Marshall Harris in particular had a focus on Berlin. The Amerucan at first were less enthusiastic. What Hitler waned to do to London, the Allies did to Berlin. Berlin was altredy a sea of ruins when the Red Army arrived.
