Bombardment facts for kids
A bombardment is a powerful attack using weapons like artillery against places like forts, towns, or groups of soldiers. The word comes from an old medieval weapon called a bombard. This huge cannon was used to fire heavy stones during a siege, which is when an army surrounds a place to try and capture it.
Before World War I, the word "bombardment" usually meant attacking places that couldn't defend themselves, like houses or public buildings. But since then, its meaning has grown. Now, it can mean any big attack using artillery or short-range missiles. It also includes "aerial bombardment," which is an attack from the sky using bomber planes or long-range missiles.
The word "bombardment" is also used in science. For example, scientists might "bombard" atoms with tiny, fast-moving particles like electrons to study nuclear reactions. You can even use the word in everyday talk, like if someone asks you a lot of questions very quickly, you might say you were "bombarded" with questions!
What is a Bombardment?
A bombardment is a strong attack. It uses many weapons at once. These weapons often include artillery, which are large guns that fire shells over long distances. The goal of a bombardment is to damage buildings, destroy defenses, or weaken the enemy.
Early Bombardments
In the past, bombardments were mainly used against places that couldn't fight back easily. The idea was to scare people living in a surrounded town. If civilians felt unsafe, they might pressure their leaders to give up. This way, the attacking army could win without a long fight.
This type of attack was very common before World War I. Large cannons would fire shells into towns. This caused a lot of damage and fear.
Modern Bombardments
After World War I, the meaning of bombardment changed. It started to mean any large-scale attack. This included attacks on military targets, not just undefended places.
With new technology, bombardments also began to happen from the sky. This is called aerial bombardment. Airplanes called bombers drop bombs. Long-range missiles can also be used for aerial bombardments. These modern attacks can cover huge areas and cause a lot of damage.
Images for kids
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An illustration of the unsuccessful Bombardment of Algiers by the Spanish admiral Antonio Barceló y Pont de la Terra.
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Bombing destruction in Helsinki, Finland, the night of February 6–7, 1944 (during the Continuation War).
