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The bombing of Rome in World War II took place on several occasions in 1943 and 1944, primarily by Allied and to a smaller degree by Axis aircraft, before the city was invaded by the Allies on June 4, 1944. Pope Pius XII was initially unsuccessful in attempting to have Rome declared an open city, through negotiations with President Roosevelt via Cardinal Francis Spellman. Rome was eventually declared an open city on August 14, 1943 (a day after the last Allied bombing) by the defending forces.〔Döge, p. 651–678〕 The bombings of the "Eternal City" was for several reasons controversial, especially for the Americans. Rome had been the Capital City of Italy for around 70 years, but large parts of the city were older than 2500 years old. It is the Capital of Catholicism and within its city limits was the neutral Vatican City. The Vatican also owned many churches and other buildings outside its territory but in the City. Many Americans were against a major destruction of Rome. However, the British War Cabinet refused to see bombing Rome as a crime against human history. The first bombardment occurred on the 19th July 1943 and was carried out by 500 American bombers which dropped 1060 metric ton of bombs. The entire working class San Lorenzo district was destroyed, and 4500 Italian civilians were killed. The military targets were few, the large Stazione Termini contained a marshalling yard and railways and industries that manufactured steel, textile products and glass. Winston Churchill approved the bombardment by the words "I agree, W.S.C. 16.7.43." 〔Vatican TV-documentary "Bombing of Rome", Road Television srl, Executive Prod. & Director Maurizio Carta, Producer Claudia Pompjli, CTV Centro Televisivo Vaticano. Historicans interviewed Richard Overy, Andrea Riccardi, Robert Katz, David Forgacs, Gaetano Bordoni and others〕 In the 110,000 sorties that comprised the Allied Rome air campaign, 600 aircraft were lost and 3,600 air crew members died; 60,000 tons of bombs were dropped in the 78 days before Rome was captured.〔Lytton, p. 55 & 57〕 ==Correspondences between Pius XII and Roosevelt== Following the first Allied bombing of Rome on May 16, 1943 (three months before the German Army occupied the city), Pius XII wrote Roosevelt asking that Rome "be spared as far as possible further pain and devastation, and their many treasured shrines… from irreparable ruin."〔Roosevelt ''et al.'', p. 90〕 On June 16, 1943, Roosevelt replied: Bombing of Rome was controversial, and General Henry H. Arnold described Vatican City as a "hot potato" because of the importance of Catholics in the U.S. Armed Forces.〔Murphy and Arlington, p. 210〕 British public opinion, however, was more aligned towards the bombing of the city, due to the participation of Italian planes in The Blitz over London.〔 H. G. Wells was a particularly vocal proponent of doing so.〔http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1303501h.html〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bombing of Rome in World War II」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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