The Atrocious Bombing of Dresden, Germany :: European Europe History

The Atrocious Bombing of Dresden, Germany On February 13-14, 1945 the British Royal Air Force gave the final clearance to commence what would later become known as one of the greatest atrocities that has ever been commited against a civilian population. That night the RAF launched 796 bombers and 9 Mosquitoes which carried 1,478 tons of explosives in addition to 1,182 tons of incendiary bombs (Dear 311) which turned the city of Dresden, Germany into a virtual inferno. This attack included another strike by the US Air Force the following morning. The attack on Dresden was never a legitimate act of war, and its result was the terroristic mass murder of over 135,000 people. Bombing civilian targets in enemy territory became an open issue on March 30, 1942 when the Prime Minister's science advisor, Professor F.A. Lindemann (who later was recognized as Lord Cherwell) delivered to Winston Churchill a report which contained a strong argument in favor of striking civilian targets. Cherwell's report contained the final rationalization for the program Bomber Command was undertaking, and it would henceforth be paper-clipped to the plans of the bomber offensive. (Hastings). In his report, Lindemann estimated that forty tons of explosives detonated in heavily populated areas would destroy the homes of 4,000-8,000 people. The report also stated that there was a population of 22 million people in fifty-eight of the major cities in Germany. Lindemann claimed that a nation of refugees could be the result of strategic air attacks. It is wildly believed among scholars that the information cont.ained in this report was the basis of the attack on Dresden. Lindemann's figures were correct, but his thinking was immoral and inhumane. The people to whom his statistics referred so objectively were innocent civilians, more than half of them women and children. The assault upon them was nothing more that out-right murder. Any benefit gained by destroying these civilians. lives, families, and homes was countered ten-fold by the moral reprehensibility of such a clearly criminal act. The city of Dresden was a historic center of Europe, and was known world wide for its splendid architecture. It was the capital of Saxony, and located along the banks of the Elbe river. Dresden had very little industrial activity, and it was a target only once before in a small raid by the US Air Force in October of 1944. It was a city that was also known for its production of fine China, and its glorious museums (Dear 311).

Psy 240 the Nature-Nurture Issue Essay

The Nature-Nurture Issue The nature versus nurture perspectives have been have been argued for centuries. The pro-nature perspective follows the theory that genetics and biological inheritance determine behavior, internal forces or stimuli; the pro-nurture perspective follows the belief or theory that experience and environment determine behavior, external forces or external stimuli. The psychology field known as biopsychology researches the aspects of both perspectives using critical thinking and research practices to determine the effects of both of these perspectives on human behavior; the control groups used in experimentation can be human or non-human subjects of a similar species. (Pinel. (2009)). The flaw in attempting to determine what degree of behavior is attributed to nature and what degree is attributed to nurture is that both of these perspectives play a role in how and why a behavior is exhibited. Some of the behaviors which individuals exhibit can be linked to animal or primal instinct, these are behaviors based on nature; however, we must consider that the primal fears we have as children such as fear of the dark, often no longer exhibited in the individual as an adult. This change in the behavior can be attributed to experience over time, the nurture perspective agrees with experience’s influence in behavior. (Pinel. (2009)). The brain is the central focus of the study of biopsychology, and researchers have determined that the brain’s functions are responsible for human behavior; research has determined the neuroplasticity theory of the brain changing based on both genetics and experience. The neuroplasticity of the human brain can be used as an example of why it is important to consider how much of behavior is based on genetics and how much is based on environment; however, it would be difficult if not impossible to determine what portion of behavior is nature or nurture because both effect behavior based on the neuroplasticity theory There are genetic factors that can affect behavior; however, experience and nurturing can assist in controlling some behaviors based on learning or the xpectations set for an individual. This idea makes sense that both genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) play important roles in behavior, the behavior of an individual may change over the course of a lifetime. (Pinel. (2009)). Reference Pinel, J. P. J. (2009). Biopsychology. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Over The Past Few Years, My Understanding Of Social Work

Over the past few years, my understanding of social work has changed tremendously. I first thought of the field as fixed, rigid, and one-dimensional. The more I learn about social work, however, the more I realize how vast and constantly evolving it is. Social workers study both empirical evidence as well as abstract theory and everything in between. In my studies at Vassar, I have learned the importance of a multi-systems approach to understanding a phenomenon. In my neuroscience classes, I learned that in order to gain the most accurate understanding of a behavior or mental function, one must study interactions at the level of the synapse, at genetic and evolutionary levels, in the context of an organism’s environment, and with†¦show more content†¦Another important aspect of social work is acknowledging our own privileges and disadvantages. In working with homeless people, I realized how incredibly fortunate I was and am to have a roof over my head and food on the table every day. Being a straight cis-white woman from an upper-class family, I have not seen the vast social and financial hardships that most Americans face every day. In acknowledging this privilege, I am better able to acknowledge and help those around me. With everything I am so fortunate for, however, I must also acknowledge my own social and personal hardships. Growing up in a household afflicted by alcoholism and depression forced me to become independent at a very young age. This experience, along with being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder when I was ten-years-old, has influenced my passion for mental health. Because I was lucky enough to have access to early intervention, I was healthier and happier, I could concentrate better in classes, and I more easily made and maintained friendships. 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