Coventry - U.K. City Of Culture 2021.

[Albionic68]

Coventry council began slum clearances in the city during the thirties. The Germans continued the trend in the forties with typical heart breaking efficiency.

Architects and councillors then finished the job and went on to take the pi ss out of the city's redevelopment from the fifties onwards. I believe one actually received an award for his 'work' during the sixties or seventies.

I've had the misfortune to spend a lot of time in Coventry over the years. The place has had a makeover in very recent times and it's better than it was.

I still wouldn't want to live there though, a damning indictment from someone brought up where I was and who now lives where I do.

[Albionic68]

As a footnote, what happened to the historic city of Coventry is nothing short of a crying shame and could have happened pretty much anywhere given the right/wrong circumstances.

[WBA1955]

I would have loved to have seen it before the war when it was a medieval city. It was supposed to have been one of the best in the country.
The Germans destroyed it in a night.
I always believe that the bombing of Dresden was done in revenge. We weren't going to let them get away with that.

[kettering_baggie]

The industry in Coventry, especially the motor industry and its related manufacturing workshops were a major contributor to our war effort in WWII, it’s no surprise that the Germans bombed it. As for Dresden, I understood that it was a major railhead and they had ball bearing factories there, the loss of which would be a blow to their faltering war effort. I also believe that we bombed Dresden at least in part, due to pressure from the Soviets to soften the Germans up prior to them taking the city.

[SwedishBaggie]

I stayed in Coventry for one night in a dodgy B & B in the early 90s.

I remember asking myself why back then, still no good answer. 😎

[soulman101]

To be sent to Coventry.

https://wordhistories.net/2017/06/11...ventry-origin/

[WBA1955]

The industry in Coventry, especially the motor industry and its related manufacturing workshops were a major contributor to our war effort in WWII, it’s no surprise that the Germans bombed it. As for Dresden, I understood that it was a major railhead and they had ball bearing factories there, the loss of which would be a blow to their faltering war effort. I also believe that we bombed Dresden at least in part, due to pressure from the Soviets to soften the Germans up prior to them taking the city.

The plans of the RAF and the USAAF were to bomb the major cities, especially Berlin, but Churchill overuled them and told Harris to hit Dresden.
There are different opinions of why he chose Dresden, yes, it had a railhead there and yes the Russians were close.
But Churchill thought we would be fighting the Russians after the war ended, he didn't like Stalin and I doubt he would have wanted to do them any favours.
It could have been to show them the might of the allied air forces, but Churchill visited Coventry and saw the devastation, there are rumours that he knew that it was the target of the Luftwaffe that night, but he kept stum because he didn't want the Germans to know we had cracked their codes. It could have been a guilt trip on his part. But I guess we'll never know.

[kettering_baggie]

War, I can believe that the determination required in fighting a war will blur ones normal sense of what is ‘reasonable’. It was a war that many thought at the outset could not be won. So many lives lost and appalling atrocities committed by the Nazis no doubt drove the Allies on in their determination to secure total victory. Of course, civilians, on both sides, don’t fare well. My generation has been so fortunate in not having to endure another World War; I don’t think that we can even begin to imagine what it would be like. So it’s almost impossible for us to judge those that had to make some awful decisions. If there is a God, I just hope that He sees fit to spare humanity from another global war, although there are enough local ones in progress to suggest that Divine intervention is unlikely to spare us from such activities in the future. I worry for my children and grandchildren as to what the future holds in store for them.