Question

Regarding early reports of the Holocaust during World War II, the immediate response by President Roosevelt and the United States government was

a. to focus on winning the war as quickly as possible.
b. to allow greater numbers of refugees into the United States.
c. to notify the public of the reports of German actions against the Jews.
d. to begin taking steps to invade concentration camps to free those held there.

Answer 1

Answer: a. to focus on winning the war as quickly as possible.

When reports regarding the Holocaust became public during World War II, the government's reaction was to focus on winning the war. The government did not release the information immediately, and when they did so, newspapers did not give the Holocaust much attention or publicity. Moreover, visa regulations remained very similar. Finally, there was no plan to liberate the concentration camps. This only became a concern once Germany was clearly unable to win the war.