Reports of German atrocities in their concentration camps began leaking out of Europe (and decoded from intercepted messages) almost immediately after their setup, and in the middle of the war, the Allied nations held a meeting to address their response. It was not enough to defeat Germany, they concluded, but to punish those who used it as a pretext to begin an ethnic cleansing campaign. This would be the precursor to the Nuremberg Trials, and one of the earliest tenets of the fledgeling United Nations organization.

On this day, October 7, in 1942 President Roosevelt announced his willingness to work with the British to created a “United Nations Commission for the Investigation of War Crimes”.

Roosevelt announced “With a view to establishing responsibility of the guilty individuals … this Government is prepared to cooperate with the British and other Governments in establishing a United Nations Commission for the Investigation of War Crimes.” He noted the goal is not “to resort to mass reprisals” but to ensure” that just and sure punishment shall be meted out to the ringleaders responsible for the organized murder of thousands of innocent persons and the commission of atrocities which have violated every tenet of the Christian faith.”