Christine L Blice-Baum

O Day of Wrath: A Case Study in Collateral Damage and Psychological Effects Christine L Blice-Baum

Publisher Marketing: One of the realities of war is collateral damage. Modern war fighters make every effort to avoid unwarranted loss of life and destruction of property that is not part of the "target set" for a given operation. Yet, during World War II when "precision bombing" was less than precise, many cities endured many devastating losses. Cathedrals, museums, civic buildings including countless cultural treasures were destroyed and lives were changed forever. This case study traces western civilization's cultural responses to the tragedy and loss of war by examining the bombings of the British city of Coventry and the German city of Dresden. The Luftwaffe bombed Coventry in 1940 during the Battle of Britain. Near the end of the war in 1945, the Allies bombed Dresden during the Combined Bomber Offensive. Each city sustained a significant first level effect of collateral damage, including their historic cathedrals: Coventry Cathedral (The Church of St. Michael), the Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross), and the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) both in Dresden. Following the bombing campaigns, some unexpected and unintended second and third level psychological effects occurred. The second level effects were major musical compositions.