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Should the Allied powers in World War II have bombed Auschwitz? The easy answer is, "Why would they?" Breaking it down to it's roots, however, makes more sense. Historians of the era say that America was not even aware that Auschwitz was a Concentration Camp until rumors started flying around about it from 1941-1944. It was not until that point a strategic point for the Allies, nor would it have made much sense to bomb a random compound that doesn't seem to have any German war effort, such as troops, supplies, etc.

In 1944, however, a couple of escaped Auschwitz prisoners told the gruesome tale that was Auschwitz, and pleaded that the camp be bombed, and if not tha camp, then the railways leading to the camp. Ethically speaking, knowing that it is a Concentration Camp means that bombing it would, in fact, kill the prisoners being detained there. If we were to bomb and kill them, then we would be prolonging the genocide by killing more of those people.

Winston Churchill actually ordered a plan of that nature to be brought up, but was dissuaded after he was informed that it would "most likely kill prisoners without disrupting the killing operation, and that bombing the railway lines was not technically feasible." He did, in fact, order a bombing near that area, and a stray bomb hit the camp killing some of the prisoners.

Ethically, the plan was flawed, and strategically, it made no sense whatsoever. In not bombing Auschwitz, the Allies saved both lives and time to fight on different fronts.

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