The Bombing of Auschwitz: Should the Allies Have Attempted It?

Destined to become the standard reference work on one of the most hotly contested issues of World War IICould the Allies have destroyed the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, saving the lives of tens of thousands of Holocaust victims?Could the Allied forces have cut the railway lines leading to Auschwitz, disrupting the transportation of the Hungarian Jews to their deaths?Or are these questions just speculative exercises in "what if" history, reflecting mostly our concerns, not those of 1944?For years these questions have been debated heatedly by historians, ethicists and military experts (though seldom in the same forum).Inspired by a conference held to mark the opening of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Bombing of Auschwitz: Should the Allies Have Attempted It? brings together the key contributions to this debate, with new and original articles by eminent historians of World War II and the Holocaust, and a selection of the most important documents and aerial reconnaissance photos from 1944.Among the issues discussed are: How much knowledge of Auschwitz did Allied intelligence agencies have? What British and American aircraft might have been used to carry out attacks against the gas chambers and rail lines, and when would they have come within range? Would bombing missions have had a reasonable chance of success? Would even a successful mission have been a diversion of military forces at a crucial juncture of the war? What about our Soviet ally? Why were the appeals of Jewish groups rejected in 1944?Published in association with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and jointly edited by an aerospace historian and an historian of the Holocaust, this book provides a balanced and comprehensive guide to these and other questions, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.Stimulating and easy to read, this book will become an invaluable reference source for general readers, scholars, and students alike.