Restrained Policy and Careless Execution: Allied Strategic Bombing on the Netherlands in the Second World War

Abstract

This article examines the nature of Allied strategic bombing on the Netherlands in the Second World War. It discusses the endless controversy on strategic bombing, and adds the policy of bombing occupied countries, especially the Dutch involvement in bombing policy development, a quantitative analysis of bombing on the Netherlands, and three case studies to the existing narrative. The paper concludes that Allied bombing policy towards the Netherlands sought to maintain a balance between the usefulness of bombing and the risk of collateral damage. Further, it reveals the absolute magnitude of the bombing campaign in the Netherlands, which contrasts with existing history. This article concludes that the nature of strategic bombing on the Netherlands, notwithstanding the fact of sincere intentions and restrained policies, was that the execution of the bombardments regu- larly failed to attain the defined bombing goals. These failures caused extensive collateral damage, as illustrated by three case studies: bombardments on Amsterdam, Nijmegen, and The Hague.     

Russian War Propaganda in the United States during the First World War

The article examines Russian governmental efforts to positively shape public opinion in the United States towards the Russian war effort. In late 1916, a small information service, the Nord-Ziud Agency, was established in New York with the task of influencing press coverage by supplying American publications with interesting and favorable information about Russia and its army. However, meager financial support, the unwillingness of the military authorities to frankly share information, and their failure to understand what would interest American readers all undercut this novel propaganda effort.     

二战对美国民权运动的影响

二战期间,为“四大自由”而战成为美国参战的官方目的。这使得美国的种族歧视和隔离问题比以往更为突出。虽然二战没有改变黑人问题在美国政治中的边缘地位,但二战反法西斯的战争性质以及战时经济的发展为黑人争取民权的斗争创造了更好的空间。二战冲击了白人种族主义对美国社会的控制,促进了黑人民权组织的发展,激发了黑人争取民权的战斗精神。