the outcome of the election

[Occhidiangela]

Interesting perspective.  Why?  Dresden was a terror bombing.  It had no strictly strategic purpose.  The A-bomb was a 'show of strength', demonstrating "how far America would go".  I'm afraid your distinction is a bit arbitrary.
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False.


Dresden was executed for a discete political purpose, and at that level, at the level W. Churchill operated at, strategy is a political tool that has as one element military operations.

The political aim? A reprisal for the V weapons over UK. The audience? I'd say the average Brit who suffered through the Blitz and the V weapons.

As to the atomic bomb, war is an act of force aimed at getting the enemy to do our will. By the time the A Bomb was dropped, it was clear that Japan was fighting a lost cause, but would still not bend their wills to end the war. Tokyo, when it was bombed, lost more peole than Hiroshima. There is the small problem of wooden building burning once bombing sets them on fire. :(

Given the incredible tenacity of the Japanese fighters up to that point in the war, it was reasonable to believe that they would keep fighting. Some historians have argued that signals were being sent via third parties that they were willing to work out a surrender. Trouble is, plain speaking typically works better, and the unconditional surrender doctrine in re Both Germany and Japan was already in place.

The current terror bombings aim at taking a society generally at peace and attempting to compel a change in behaviour due to fear.

Your example falls short.

Occhi