Strategic Bombing (Comment on Website)

The strategic bombing by Britain and the U.S. was am effective strategy. Like Keegan, I think that this strategy helped in many ways, but not in many. Strategic bombing helped make the whole process easier for the military and air forces involved, yet made the citizens a lot more involved and a lot more at risk than any other tactic. Not until Arthur Harris took over did the bombing strategy become more useful. In the early 1940's Harris introduced the "Geo', 'Pathfinder Mosquito', and the 'Oboe' systems. This new technology helped Britain, and later America, be able to fight and win against Germany's own strategy. The strategic bombing strategy pursued by Britain and the U.S. was very effective in it's immediate and strategic level, but less effective in the destruction and starvation of essentials in caused.

As for ethics, there are no ethical limitations in war. Keegan says that strategic bombing is only fair when you win, and that is very true. Strategic bombing caused people to be exposed to hardships like: starvation, pillage, rapine, and destruction of both cities and lives. This strategy was not at all ethical, yet it was the most effective towards the immediate needs of Britain and the U.S.

WWII 1939-1941 Timeline

Failure of Collective Security

Thesis: Although the League of Nations tried their hardest, the concept of Collective Security has many faults and the events throughout 1919 and 1935 brought the quick demise of this concept.

Intentions of the League of Nations

Topic Sentence: Searching for a way to lessen the wars around the world, the League of Nations used Collective Security, as well as other strategies, to help reach that goal.

CD: “Its key objective was to keep the peace and avoid future conflict by advising on and settling international disputes. It also aimed to promote disarmament, supervise the mandated territories and promote international good will and cooperation though it’s various organizations dedicated to social and economic development”

CM: The League of Nations, made with honest intentions, was created to help create an achievable idea of peace. Through collective security, promoting good will through the countries joined in the League was a high priority. Teaching countries to fight for each other and protect one another gave the promising idea of a war-free world.

What the League of Nations reached

Topic Sentence: Even though the League lacked major powers, there were still many successes in the handled disputes.

CD: “The absence of major powers from the League of Nations had a decisive impact on the working and influence of the League”

CM: Through the absence of major countries, such as the US, USSR, and Germany, weakened the potential success of the collective security idea. Without major powers there lacked funding for the League, as well as keeping the group from genuinely being a worldwide organization (most the countries included came from Europe).

Why Collective Security Failed

Topic Sentence: Factors from the economy, and international crisis’ brought upon the demise of Collective Security used by the League.

CD: “In response, the Japanese said that they were leaving the League. They claimed that the condemnation of their actions in China was hypocrisy by powers such as Britain, which has a long legacy of using force to achieve its objectives in China”


CM: Aside from the Great Depression of 1929, which caused economic depression worldwide, there was also the Manchurian dispute of 1931. These two events caused the fall of Collective Security. The Manchurian crisis threatened the League because of Japanese Militarism; instead of destroying war, there were preparations happening.