the main reason is that the instance of the variable "c" later in the code would have been undefined - the compiler would not have been able to allocate storage for it, since c could be anything - an int, a char, float, or even an instance of a class.
sorry, missed the point - initializing a variable is important at establishing an initial value. when compiled, a variable that is declared but not defined would have an "arbitrary" value. declaration only allocates storage for an object, and does not apply a value.
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
- Calvin & Hobbes