When it comes to bombing civilian populations, the Germans "had form", starting with the bombing of Guernica in Spain in 1937. Warsaw was bombed extensively in September 1939. In May 1940, Rotterdam was almost destroyed, with the threat to do the same to Utrecht should the Dutch government not capitulate. In addition to the UK cities mentioned above, from the summer of 1944, London was being bombarded by V1s and then V2s, killing thousands - albeit not on the scale of Dresden.
War involves making hard choices; however, for much of the war, Bomber Command's strategy was the only choice for taking the fight to the enemy and to keep Stalin at least partially happy.
It was right that the Natzis should thus have "reaped the whirlwind". Churchill's stance regarding Bomber Command at the end of the war was a disgrace.