How Eisenhower's World War II Decision Forever Preserved The Memory of The Holocaust

In World War II, General Dwight D. Eisenhower directly observed the atrocities carried out by the Germans in concentration camps, particularly during his visit to the recently liberated Ohrdruf. The magnitude of the horrors he witnessed reinforced the need to inform the American public and safeguarding the truth. His swift actions played a crucial role in averting a scenario where the Holocaust's atrocities could have been overlooked or misrepresented.

Ohrdruf concentration camp

Established in November 1944 near Gotha, Germany, the Ohrdruf concentration camp functioned as a satellite-camp of Buchenwald , situated just 30 miles away. Its primary objective was to provide forced labor for the construction of a railway intended to connect to a planned communications center located in the basement of Mühlberg Castle.

Prisoners at Ohrdruf were tasked with building the railway, which began with excavating tunnels through nearby mountains. Local workers were employed to set off explosions to facilitate mountain clearance, following which prisoners would gather rocks and continue digging. These tunnels also served as contingency shelters for the Führersonderzug , the Führer's train and headquarters, in the event of an evacuation from Berlin.

The forced labor endured by Ohrdruf prisoners exposed them to numerous dangers as they toiled under harsh conditions without protective equipment. In addition to physical risks, many suffered from malnutrition and weakness, often resulting in severe injuries or death during their grueling work assignments.

Death march to Buchenwald

By March 1945, the Ohrdruf concentration camp housed approximately 11,700 prisoners, encompassing individuals from various nationalities such as French, Belgian, German, Polish, Hungarian, Czech, Russian, Latvian, Italian, Ukrainian, and Yugoslavian backgrounds. The camp also held homosexuals and Jewish people.

In early April 1945, when Allied forces advanced into the area, the camp's large number of prisoners was forced to move. The German guards started evacuating them, pushing them into a death march toward Buchenwald. Prisoners who were too weak, sick, or unable to continue were executed.

Eisenhower witnesses the horrors of the Holocaust firsthand

Ohrdruf was the first camp liberated by American forces. Led by units from the 602nd Tank Destroyers' Battalion, along with the 4th Armored and 89th Infantry Divisions, the initial entry exposed haunting scenes of decaying bodies and the emaciated figures of the last surviving prisoners, all in desperate need of medical attention.

On April 12, 1945, Gen. Eisenhower, accompanied by Gen. George Patton and Omar Bradley , traversed Ohrdruf completely unprepared for the sights that awaited them. Until that moment, Eisenhower had been unaware of the atrocities committed by the Germans and the grim reality of the Holocaust.

During their tour of the camp, the delegation encountered a smoldering pyre, its charred remnants evidence of the horrors inflicted on prisoners. It was clear that the guards had hastily attempted to conceal their barbaric acts. Survivors courageously recounted the torturous methods employed by their captors.

Patton couldn't enter one area of the concentration camp

A closer look at Ohrdruf led to the discovery of a shed containing about 30 emaciated corpses. The bodies were dusted with lime, seemingly an attempt to mask the overpowering stench. The sight and odor were so appalling that Patton could not bring himself to enter the room.

Eisenhower explained this in a cable, stating, "In one room, where they were piled up twenty or thirty naked men, killed by starvation, George Patton would not even enter. He said that he would get sick if he did so. I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to 'propaganda.'"

American soldiers and Congressmen were called to bear witness

Utterly shocked by what he'd witnessed, Eisenhower worried there may come a day when the atrocities committed during the Holocaust would be rewritten, forgotten or denied. In order to preserve the truth, he took extra steps to expose the conditions of Ohrdruf.

He invited American media and Congressmen to visit the camp and observe the conditions for themselves. He then had pictures taken, to preserve the grueling sights. Additionally, he ordered all nearby American units not engaged in battle to come and observe the enemy's crimes.

In what later became common practice for liberated concentration camps during the the Second World War , Eisenhower had German civilians living in the area tour Ohrdruf and bury the dead.

More from us: Looking Back At the Red Army's Liberation of Auschwitz

Following the discovery and liberation of the concentration camp, Eisenhower succinctly said, "We are told the American soldier does not know what he is fighting for. Now, at least, we know what he is fighting against."