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"Of course," bombing the city "was a blatant violation of human rights and had a terrorist character. It was accepted that civilians would be harmed."
It was worse than that. They were deliberately targeted to inflict mass casualties.
A third or more of the population of 5,000 was either killed or wounded. Almost three-fourths of Guernica's buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged. Fires engulfed the city. They burned for three days. Area farms were bombed.
A survivor said:
"The air was alive with the cries of the wounded. I saw a man crawling down the street, dragging his broken legs.""Pieces of people and animals were lying everywhere."
"In the wreckage there was a young woman. I could not take my eyes off her. Bones stuck through her dress. Her head twisted right around her neck. She lay, mouth open, her tongue hanging out. I vomited and lost consciousness."
Guernica had no strategic significance. Hitler's bombed it for target practice. It was dress rehearsal for WW II. Wehrmacht generals flexed their muscles. They signaled what lay ahead.
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