On This Day, 1942: President Roosevelt vowed to try Nazis for war crimes. Learning of atrocities against Jews in Nazi-controlled Europe—the Holocaust—FDR said “the ringleaders responsible for organized murder” would be held accountable /1
Roosevelt died before World War II ended, of course, but the Nuremberg Trials—a series of military tribunals—prosecuted 22 top Nazi officials. Roosevelt was later criticized by some for not doing more to stop the direct extermination of Jews /2
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Critics said FDR could have bombed railroad tracks that led to death camps, but FDR thought the fastest way to stop the Holocaust was to win the war as quickly as possible—by bombing Germany itself (Here: reconaissance photo of Auschwitz w/smoke from burning bodies)
Critics said FDR could have bombed railroad tracks that led to death camps, but FDR thought the fastest way to stop the Holocaust was to win the war as quickly as possible—by bombing Germany itself (Here: reconaissance photo of Auschwitz w/smoke from burning bodies)
On This Day, 1963: John F. Kennedy signed a Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The pact with Britain and the Soviet Union—the only other nuclear powers at the time—capped eight years of negotiations, resulting in a ban of weapons testing in the atmosphere, space and underwater
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Underground nuclear tests would be allowed, as no radioactive debris fell beyond the boundaries of nations conducting the tests. The U.S., Britain and Soviet Union also pledged to work towards complete nuclear disarmament, a goal that has proven to be elusive
Underground nuclear tests would be allowed, as no radioactive debris fell beyond the boundaries of nations conducting the tests. The U.S., Britain and Soviet Union also pledged to work towards complete nuclear disarmament, a goal that has proven to be elusive
