On January 27, 1945, the death camp of Auschwitz II – Birkenau was liberated by the advancing Soviet forces. Did the allied forces prior to that day, what the hell is on this earth at this camp and there is something to be able to do this?
the death Camp of Birkenau, photographed from an American bomber, the 13th of september 1944. (Photo: National Archives).
the Above photo was taken during a bombing attack on a factory of the IG Farben on september 13, 1944. The purpose of the state is not in the picture, with the facilities of IG Farben were a couple of miles from the death camp of Birkenau, which, in turn, almost entirely in the picture. The photo on the left, a few American bombs, which it probably is to soon be paid off.
for example, If the allied bombers were so close to the death camp, came back, and why this was a terrible, complex, with its gas-chambers and crematoria in itself not be destroyed?
What did the allies about the Holocaust?
We’re going to go back to december, 1942. Anthony Eden, the British Foreign minister, said in a statement to the league of nations, of the following:
“From all the occupied countries, the Jews are under terrible conditions to the East of Europe. In Poland, by the Nazis to slaughter has been taken, all of the projects is systematically drained. A couple of professionals to be in war work. One of the others that have to be taken away, it will never be heard. The people who have reduced mobility, are slow to doodgewerkt in the country. The poor people are dying of starvation, or are deliberately massacred in mass executions. The number of victims of these atrocities, could run into the hundreds of thousands, all of them completely innocent men, women, and children.”
for A year or so ago, shortly after nazi Germany invaded the Americas in the second world war has been declared, speaking by Hitler on 12 december 1941, in a room full of nazileiders to. It is said that the destruction of the Jews, in consequence of this, during world War ii.
In January 1942, following the Wannseeconferentie in Berlin where the “final solution of the jewish question” is to be determined. The dire consequences are well known.
Information about the murdered Jews seeping through to the allied
that Same year, it is immediately the leading cause of the years in the Holocaust, hundreds of thousands of murdered Jews in death camps like Belzec and Treblinka.
as This information trickles down through the escaped prisoners, the resistance, and, in England, the established governments of, for example, Poland and the Slovak republic by the allied powers.
In the course of the war, and created an ever-clearer picture of the massive genocide that is taking place in the occupied territories. In april, 1944, appears in the ooggetuigenrapport of the Slovak Jews, Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler, who is himself from the Auschwitz escape.
And so it will be a lot of pressure on the allies were getting stronger for what you can do about it. Why is it, then, a factory in Auschwitz to be bombed, but the adjacent death camp of Birkenau’t it?
the death Camp of Birkenau on a reconnaisance photo of the Royal Air Force, from 23 August, 1944. (Photo by RAF)
the Allies wanted first and foremost to the war as soon as possible and win
The fastest solution to all the suffering in the occupied territories to nazi Germany as quickly as possible so as to defeat, the Americans and the British. Two months after that, the eyewitness account from Auschwitz and displayed, covered more than a million allied soldiers in Normandy, in.
The name of the plants which are an integral part of the German war industry, such as IG Farben, will be handled in accordance with the American doctrine.
This is the easiest way to get the nazis on their knees, to get, to make sure that they have no tanks, no weapons, no supplies, no oil to have to fight with them.
Was the bomb, however, is a serious option?
in Addition, it is just a question of how effective the bombing had been. In the years before world war ii, running from precisiebombardementen is still a utopia, so the only option is really to Auschwitz in the sunshine lay. To be a moral issue, because there are, anyway, every human being, that is, on the other hand, still, though in death, are recorded.
The use of military resources in the battle to win the war is necessary, it is, after all, is not popular with a large section of the allied high command.
for example, the bombing of the railway lines to the camps, and on several occasions have done, because it is A: it is hard to find, and B: they can be quickly repaired by the Germans.
anti-semitism, and propaganda, as
Among others, with Jewish organizations in the united states, but also within a two-top, it is feared, moreover, that by means of targeted actions against the voltrekkende the holocaust, the battle of the Americans and the British, known as the “Jodenoorlog’.
This would be grist to the mill of the nazi propaganda machine, but also a bad attack, when anti-semitic elements in the Us government.
the American bombers were able to Auschwitz, in 1944, coming from Italy, reach the Picture: )
So close, yet so far away
As for the bombs in september, 1944, so close to Auschwitz-Birkenau, this is an effective to take action against the Holocaust, far, far away. In addition, the poor themselves, for the most part is carried out.
now, The question is how the SS would react to the bombing and whether or not they do not fast, in other ways, had sought to have their terrible work still to do.
now, the question is, in a sense, answered some of the nazis on 17 January 1945: With the soviet troops on the way it will be 58.000, prisoners of the Auschwitz complex, at first on foot and later on an open, trains were transported to other camps in the west. A gruweltocht of which many are still with the living costs.
No more resources for the great goal, are referred to as
, That of the Auschwitz-kampencomplex on the 27th of January, the Russians are liberated, and is, ultimately, just as the united top, the end of the Holocaust and, ultimately, for himself: because of nazi Germany’s defeat and the war’s end.
Although, in particular, with the Americans a few times, close to the targeted missions were, could, ultimately, no military means to achieve this goal, and because of this, the main aim would be better. The debate on whether this is the right approach, it will probably never be finally settled.
Auschwitz: a 75-year delivered: Who was the kampbeulen? See also: 75 years in Auschwitz,: the faces of the victims