How many people were killed in the Dresdan firebombing right before the end of World War II?

elizabethmc

Estimates have been from 25,000 to 140,000, but evidence points to around 35,000. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden#World_War_II Apr 21 05, 10:36 AM

lanfranco

According to this, at least 30,000: http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,339833,00.html Apr 21 05, 10:37 AM

bloomsby

Most scholarly German estimates put the figure at 35,000 plus, with a maximum of 40,000. The very high figures are at best, careless or at worst, propaganda. There's a careful and sober discussion of the numbers in Goetz Bergander, "Dresden im Luftkrieg ...", Boehlau, Cologne and Vienna 1977. The research is now 30 years old, but I'm not aware of any new evidence that would take the figure anywhere remotely close to the high estimates. Bergander also disposes of some of the myths surrounding the raid. That said, I personally regard the whole policy of area bombing as indefensible. (Incidentally, there's a thread on the bombing of Dresden in the Forums, but it's not concerned with the casualty figure). ___ Edited to add link to the thread in the Forums. The thread is, however, primarily concerned with wider issues. http://www.funtrivia.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=408528&an=0&page=1#408528 Apr 21 05, 10:59 AM