by Rosemary Redfern

Created on: July 12, 2010

For what reason should the Allied powers in World War ll have bombed Auschwitz?  The outcome would have been to kill those prisoners who the Nazi’s were planning to kill anyway. Some guards would have died but no one who was of importance to the organization itself.  It would have shortened the misery of the inmates a little, but it would not have stopped the system of concentration camps because it was only one. There were many others, scattered over a number of countries and therefore a long way from each other. Bombing Auschwitz would have merely been another area flattened by war, but would not have affected the other concentration camps. The people who built these structure were ruthless and without mercy to those they want to get rid of. 

Nor would this act would have deterred the organization from their stated objective of genocide of Jews, gypsies and gays among others. This was a fairly secret, but thought out agenda, well supported by the hierarchy of the Nazi party.  These places were no accident. The bombing of one camp would have been no problem for the Nazis, just that their job would have been done for them. As one camp was destroyed, other unfortunate prisoners would have been drafted in to build another and the program would have continued.  To try to destroy a physically widespread entity, which has considerable support, by bombing one small location, would have made no impact at all. 

Auschwitz has left a terrible memory which brings an unpleasant reaction of horror to anyone who has read anything about it. The documentation alone offers horrific confirmation of what went on there. The complete lack of humanity to men, women and children, regardless of their ability or contribution to their communities, is almost unbelievable. The proof, however, is available. 

The only way to stop something like that agenda happening again is for us to recognize and value the differences in humans.  To learn to be tolerant of others beliefs and way of life. There will always be small groups of people who think they have the right to dictate to others and remove those they don’t agree with.  However, it is up to us to ensure that they never, ever, gain any degree of power politically.  That can only happen if we ensure that our societies are stable and the members are cared for by the community.  Whatever we do has an effect on someone else.  When those effects are on a large scale, as happened in Germany after the first world war, there is a situation ready to develop into a disaster. 

There is a lesson for all of us, but bombing Auschwitz was not the answer.

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