Re: The Effects of a Global Thermonuclear War in 1988 (Re: NuclearWar, 1980's)

"Keith Willshaw" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "D. Patterson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> >
> > The stated justification for the indiscriminate RAF bombing raids in
> > 1944-1945 was retaliation for the continuing indiscriminate and
> terrorizing
> > bombardment of civilian targets in Britain by German bombers and
> > particularly by the German V-1 and V-2 missiles.
> >
>
> No it wasnt, the stated justification was the destruction of the German
> ability to wage war. In fact targetting in 1944/45 was split between
> attacks on German Industrial centres such as the Ruhr, the oil industry,
> military targets and infrastructure.
[...]

Yes, retaliation was a stated purpose of the indiscriminate aspect of the
RAF air raids in 1944-1945. It was, of course, not the only such stated
purpose nor the primary purpose of such air raids. As you have correctly
noted, there were essential military purposes to serve as well. Nonetheless,
retaliation was also one such stated purpose. Furthermore, this retaliation
was also intended to serve as a warning and deterrent against any further
escalation of the terrorism by the Germans with such indiscriminate weapons
of mass destruction as biological and chemical warfare weaponry. The implied
threat was any use of weapons of mass destruction by the German armed forces
could be and would be cause for massive retaliation in kind by the Allied
air forces, just as the lesser German indiscriminate air bombardment
campaigns were retaliated in kind with far more massive discriminate and
indiscriminate air bombardments by the Allied air forces.