© 1990 by United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Articles |
‘The Western Allies and the Holocaust’
RULES OF THE GAME: BRITAIN, AMERICA AND THE HOLOCAUST IN 1944
University of Southampton United Kingdom
In the study of Allied responses to the Holocaust there has been little detailed comparative work. The absence of such research is unfortunate, especially as in the latter stages of the war British and American responses were markedly different. This paper examines why this was the case, exploring in particular the relationship between state policy and public opinion with regard to helping the Jews of Europe. The failure of the British government to create an equivalent body to the American War Refugee Board is analysed. Ultimately It is argued that neither ‘indifference’ or ‘antisemitism’ explain the paucity of the British response in 1944 — the explanation lies in the domination of a monolithic liberal ideology in government circles.