WWII Documents Revive Holocaust Questions
W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 8 -- Half a century after the end of World War II — one of the most recorded events in history — researchers are uncovering new details about just how much U.S., British and Russian intelligence knew about Nazi operations and the Holocaust.
More than 400,000 pages of declassified documents from the records of the Office of Strategic Services — the predecessor to the CIA — are helping historians at the National Archives understand many events for the first time.
Under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act of 1999, all U.S. government agencies with any documents on possible Nazi war crimes are scouring their files and releasing to the public as much material as possible.
Soon, they may have even more to sift through.
Researchers and historical experts at the National Archives say some of the most interesting details may emerge later this fall, when they hope the CIA will release an additional set of documents.
It is widely expected that the CIA may finally declassify its long awaited files on Adolf Hitler and his SS chief Heinrich Himmler. Those files are expected to contain psychological profiles of both men written at the time by U.S. army doctors for the OSS.
And this week, an American government official announced a development that should make even more World War II-era records available. The official said the United States and Russia had reached an accord on opening archives to help find property looted by the Nazis during WorldWar II.
May Provide Explanations
Scouring through the hundreds of thousands of already-released U.S. documents is taking months, and historians are cautioning there are probably no massive new revelations.
Much of the material may simply add more details to already well-known events.
For example, researchers hope the documents will finally put to rest decades-old rumors that Gestapo chief Heinrich Mueller may have survived the war.
They are also poring over documents detailing a previously known Nazi plan to send Hungarian Jews to the Allies in Istanbul to convey a Nazi offer to trade one million Jews for 10,000 trucks.
Related Stories
ABC News Live