The bombing of Dresden by British and American forces between February 13 and 15, 1945 remains one of the most controversial Allied actions of the Second World War.

The city, often described as the “Florence on the Elbe,” was devastated by four waves of aerial attacks, with thousands of tonnes of high-explosive and incendiary bombs reducing much of its historic centre to rubble.

The firestorm that followed destroyed vast areas and caused mass civilian casualties. Estimates of the number killed vary widely, with figures ranging from 25,000 to as high as 135,000, though modern research suggests the lower end is more accurate.

The attack was part of a broader Allied strategy to cripple Nazi Germany’s infrastructure and morale as the war neared its end, but its justification has been the subject of fierce debate ever since.

One major point of contention is whether Dresden, which had a large refugee population at the time, was a legitimate military target or an excessive act of destruction.

Defenders of the bombing argue that Germany had itself inflicted mass civilian casualties, most notably in the Blitz, including the devastating attack on Coventry in November 1940, which killed around 560 people and destroyed much of the city.

Critics, however, see Dresden’s bombing as disproportionate, particularly as Nazi Germany was already close to defeat.