American Experience: The Bombing of Germany

Producer\director Zvi Dor-Ner meditates on the moral dilemma of war by revealing the incredible destruction inflicted on German cities by Allied forces during World War II. September 1, 1939: as Europe plunged into war, President Franklin D. Roosevelt implored pilots on all sides not to drop bombs on areas with large civilian populations. Flash forward six years to a time when Germany was in rubble, and roughly half-a-million Germans had lost their lives as a result of a relentless bombing campaign waged primarily by Britain and America. Interviews with historians and World War II pilots combine with archival footage to highlight the dilemma faced by leaders who remain determined to win the fight despite their distaste for civilian casualties.