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This Week in HistoryThis Week in History: Week 07 (13 February 1945)

Allies Bomb Dresden, Killing Thousands

Massive bombing by Allied forces kills tens of thousands of civilians in Dresden, Germany.

In 1945, towards the end of Word War Two, a massive bombing campaign by Allied air forces destroyed the German city of Dresden. Tens of thousands of civilian men, women and children were killed by the bombs and the following fire-storms. It is widely claimed that the bombing had little or no strategic military value.

allies (noun): nations or people who support one another in war
massive (adjective): very big; huge
civilians (noun): people who are not part of an army or in any official position
campaign (noun): a sustained series of actions organized to achieve a goal
strategic (adjective): connected to a plan of reaching a goal

Mini Quiz

1. Dresden was destroyed by Allied bombs when World War Two
a) had just ended
b) had just begun
c) was nearly over

Show answer

c

2. The bombing campaign caused the deaths of tens of thousands of
a) German soldiers
b) German civilians
c) Allied civilians

Show answer

b

3. If an operation has no strategic military value, it means
a) it wasn't necessary for victory
b) it was important for victory
c) it was carried out by mistake

Show answer

a

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Contributor: Matt Errey. Matt is the author of several books including 1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context and Common English Idioms for learners, and Matt's ESL Games and Quizzes for teachers.