Living Through the Blitz

A Legacy of Fear

The fear of aerial bombardment was not new to the British public. As early as the First World War, civilians had endured bombing raids by German zeppelins and aircraft. Between 1915 and 1918, more than a hundred such attacks were carried out, killing over a thousand people in London alone.

Although the war ended in 1918, the destructive potential of aerial warfare only grew. In a 1932 speech to Parliament, Conservative politician Stanley Baldwin famously warned, “The bomber will always get through.” This belief underpinned British defence policy for much of the 1930s, fuelling widespread anxiety that the next war would begin — and possibly be won — in the skies.

Lightning War

As Hitler’s forces surged across Europe in the late 1930s, a new word entered the English lexicon: Blitzkrieg, meaning ‘lightning war’. This strategy relied on the rapid, overwhelming use of aerial bombardment, artillery, and mechanised infantry to crush resistance before moving in to occupy territory.

Fearing Britain would be next, preparations began in earnest. Children were evacuated from major cities under Operation Pied Piper. Blackout regulations were strictly enforced, with wardens issuing penalties for the slightest chink of light. Giant hydrogen-filled barrage balloons – ironically often bomb-shaped themselves – floated above cities to deter low-flying enemy aircraft. Community bomb shelters were built, and a programme of distributing shelters to homes was initiated.

The Road to the Blitz

After the fall of France in June 1940, Britain stood alone in Western Europe. Hitler, unable to force a quick surrender, devised Operation Sea Lion, a plan to invade the British Isles. But first, the Luftwaffe — under the command of Hermann Göring — needed to destroy the Royal Air Force (RAF) and gain air superiority.

This led to the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, a fierce aerial conflict in which the RAF ultimately prevailed. But when British bombers struck Berlin in late August, Hitler shifted tactics. The focus turned from military targets to civilian centres. Now, Germany’s goal was to terrorise the British population, undermine morale, and destroy industrial capacity.

Thus began the Blitz.

London was hugely important in Hitler's eyes. It contained the centre of Britain's trading power and the docks. It was the seat of the British government.

Joshua Levine, historian and author of several books, including The Secret History of the Blitz.

Black Saturday

On the evening of 7th September 1940, nearly 350 German bombers, escorted by 600 fighters, launched a devastating raid on London. This first major attack, soon dubbed “Black Saturday”, marked the start of 57 consecutive nights of bombing. The East End, with its docks, warehouses, and working-class homes, bore the brunt of the assault. Fires lit up the night sky. Hundreds were killed. Thousands more were injured or left homeless.

London was hit again and again, but the bombing soon extended to other major cities. Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Glasgow, and many others endured devastating raids. The German aim was clear: to destroy industrial infrastructure, demoralise the population, and pressure the British government into surrender.

Living Through the Blitz

The physical toll of the Blitz was staggering. Over 43,000 civilians were killed, and around 2 million homes were destroyed or damaged — 60% of them in London.

Each night, families crowded into shelters: corrugated metal Anderson shelters in gardens, communal brick surface shelters, or deep underground stations on the London Underground.

In the mornings after the raids, people emerged from their shelters and did their best to resume lives that were as close to normal as they could manage. They climbed across rubble-strewn streets on the way to work, or hopped on buses that took circuitous routes to avoid bomb craters or collapsed buildings or still-raging fires. There was destruction everywhere, and frequent reminders of death.

And yet, a stoicism, a ‘stiff upper lip’, remained, coupled with touches of the famed British sarcasm. A sign outside a shop that had its windows blown out declared that it was ‘more open than usual’. A house with no door had a sign that read ‘Don’t bother to knock.’

The King and Queen walked the ruins of bombed streets, offering comfort. Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s speeches, broadcast over the radio, rallied the nation with stirring words: “We shall never surrender.”

By November 1940, Hitler realised that Britain wasn't about to concede defeat. So, his strategy changed…

Joshua Levine, historian and author of several books, including The Secret History of the Blitz.

Beyond London

One of the most infamous raids occurred on 14th November 1940, when Coventry, a vital industrial city, was bombed in a concentrated and ferocious assault. Over 500 civilians were killed, and much of the medieval city centre, including its iconic 14th-century cathedral, was reduced to ruins. The scale of destruction shocked the country. “To Coventrate” even became Luftwaffe slang for total obliteration.

Other cities endured week-long bombardments, including Liverpool — the most bombed city after London. In early 1941, Hitler issued Directive 23, refocusing attacks on ports and shipping hubs.

To hamper British efforts to stop them, the Germans aimed their navigational beams at false targets they had no intention of hitting, switching to the true objectives only at the last possible moment. Luftwaffe pilots also maintained radio silence until after their bombs had been dropped.

The End of the Blitz

By spring 1941, British resilience had not crumbled. Night-time defences had improved, with better radar, searchlights, and anti-aircraft fire, and German aircraft losses were rising. On 10th–11th May 1941, London endured its final and most destructive raid. Over 1,400 people were killed in one night.

Shortly afterwards, Hitler shifted his attention to the Soviet Union. With Operation Barbarossa launched in June, most of the Luftwaffe was redeployed eastward. The Blitz, as it had come to be known, was over.

In total, around 43,000 civilians lost their lives. While the damage was severe, it fell short of the pre-war fears voiced by politicians like Baldwin. Ironically, the later Allied bombing of German cities — such as Hamburg and Dresden — would eclipse the Blitz in scale and devastation.

The Blitz left an indelible mark on British society. It transformed the urban landscape, hastened social change, and influenced postwar rebuilding efforts.

The spirit of the Blitz, often romanticised as the “Blitz spirit”, became part of national mythology. It evoked images of stoicism, neighbourliness, and quiet courage. While some historians argue that this image oversimplifies or idealises the past, it remains a powerful cultural touchstone in the British imagination.