Plumes of Smoke

Explores the controversial 1944 destruction of the Montecassino Abbey, questioning the motives behind such wartime decisions and their enduring impact on military ethics.

On 15 February 1944, one of the most iconic buildings in European history was destroyed by allied bombers. Plumes of Smoke: The Destruction of Montecassino 1944 is about the consequences of war, written as war again comes to Europe. It is also about what wars are fought for and about those who make the fundamental decisions that affect us all. The tragic aerial destruction of the Abbey of Montecassino was and remains highly controversial. Why was this historic edifice of inestimable cultural value so wantonly destroyed? Was it to achieve a campaign victory or to prove the legitimacy of American bombing theory? It is not a story of individual bravery, although this existed aplenty on both sides in the mountains of Italy in 1944, but a tale that has no winners and no heroes. Occurring more than eighty years ago, it still resonates clearly through the decades. In a time filled with arguments concerning the laws and morality of war, this event from the last major war in Europe may result in the conclusion that humanity has not progressed since then. Military necessity remains the principal excuse for unnecessary devastation. When politicians and generals are faced with difficult decisions, when victory becomes more important than the ideals they fought for in the first place, then legal and moral boundaries are often forgotten in the fog of war. It appears that little has changed today when political convenience trumps moral courage and the importance of our human heritage.