Introducing the subject of wartime destruction of architecture and historic monuments, Nicola Lambourne compares the damage inflicted upon Germany, Britain, and France and considers the use and abuse of this type of destruction in the lowering of morale and for propaganda purposes. Including much fascinating detail, this book spans the areas of military, social, cultural, and architectural history, placing the subject within the overall history of the Second World War in Europe and the longer-term perspective of events between the 1870s and 1990s.