July 1938, Representatives from 32 Countries Attending a Conference on the International Refugee Problem in Evian, France

In July 1938, representatives from 32 countries met in Evian, France to discuss the international refugee problem. The various countries’ delegates explained why they could not take in masses of refugees from Germany and Austria. The conference achieved almost no success in opening any country’s gates to the refugees, and by the time it adjourned, there was a public consensus that it had failed to find them a safe haven.