Confronting the Holocaust: American Responses

The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators. This occurred during World War II (1939-1945), although Nazi Germany began implementing antisemitic measures as early as 1933, when Adolf Hitler rose to power. I have been asked more than once, "Why didn't the United States help stop the Holocaust sooner?", and the answer to that question is a bit more complex than you think.

Despite the power and might of the United States at the time, there were some domestic and foreign issue concerns that the country was dealing with. As such, the response of the United States to news of the Holocaust was influenced by economic concerns, xenophobia, and antisemitism. American attitudes towards foreign policy and war also shaped the response of the United States. By December 7, 1941, with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States was thrust into World War II and still the War Refugee Board wasn't established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt until January 1944. The War Refugee Board was a United States executive agency created to provide aid to civilian victims of the Axis powers, which was Nazi Germany. A main factor as to why the War Refugee Board was ultimately created was that the Roosevelt administration was receiving a high level of significant publicity and pressure to help the abandoned Jews of Europe. 

Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that the United States allowed more refugees to enter the country than any other nation in the world. Speaking in terms of numbers, between 180,000 and 225,000 Jewish and non-Jewish refugees were admitted to the United States between the years of 1933 and 1945. And during the final year of World War II, rescue efforts by the United States led to tens of thousands of lives being saved. By the spring of 1945, Allied forces, including millions of American troops, defeated Adolf Hitler, Nazi Germany and its Axis collaborators. The Second World War was finally over and so was the Holocaust.

I certainly do not claim to be an expert of U.S. domestic and foreign policies between the years of 1933 and 1945 so please, I urge you to watch the video below, created by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The video provides more details about the response of the United States to the Holocaust, as well as interviews with survivors of the Holocaust.