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View all events 1939–1941

September 07, 1940


The Blitz Begins

The Blitz was a German bombing campaign over Britain. It lasted from September 7, 1940, to May 11, 1941. The Blitz was an attempt to destroy British morale by targeting population centers while also targeting British military production. Much of the Blitz was centered on London, but the Germans also bombed military and industrial targets across England. Starting on September 7, London was bombed every night for 57 nights. 

The Blitz drove civilians out of their homes as they sought protection from the bombings. People took shelter underground. The Blitz killed more than 40,000 civilians and inflicted significant damage on Britain’s infrastructure, especially its housing. Nevertheless, it did not significantly impair British war production or break British morale. Instead, the Blitz became a defining point in British wartime self-mythology.

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