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Background
The Trials were held using the adversarial system of law, granting the perpetrators a fair trial.
As many perpetrators claimed that they had no personal control over their decision, the International Military Tribunal declared that defendants could not say they were only following orders. All of the trials were translated into English, French, German, and Russian. The Palace of Justice in Nuremberg was picked as the location of the trial. -
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Background 2
The Holocaust began when Hitler came into power in 1933. From 1933-1945, Jews, Political Opponents, Jehovah's Witnesses, Gypsies, Afro-Germans, people with disabilities, and any others who could be damaging to the pure German race (Aryan) were systematically persecuted by the Nazi party. Persecution against Jews measured from antisemitic laws, displacement into Ghettos and camps, forced labor, and the murder by gas and shooting of six million European Jews in the "Final Solution." -
Declaration of Atrocities Signed
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin declare that the perpetrators of atrocities will be punished under the liberated countries' laws. -
Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson is appointed as Chief U.S. Counsel
By President Truman, Jackson will be the Chief U.S. Counsel for prosecution against the Nazi war criminals. Jackson plays a giant role throughout the entire Nuremberg Trial. -
Britain captures multiple Nazis
Karl Doenitz, Alfred Jodl, Wilhelm Keitel, Alfred Rosenberg, and Albert Speer are all captured to be tried during the Nuremberg Trials. -
International Military Tribunal is formed
The Allies sign the London Charter, agreeing to lay rules for the Nuremberg trials with the formation of the IMT. All the allies picked a judge and prosecution team. Primary Judges:
+ American Francis Biddle
+ British Sir Geoffrey Lawrence (Lord Justice, IMT President)
+ French Henri Donneriez de Vabres
+ Soviet Iona Nikitchenko Prosecutors:
+ American Robert H. Jackson
+ British Sir Hartley Shawcross
+ French Francois de Menthon (Replaced by Champetier de Ribes)
+ Soviet Roman Rudenko -
24 Nazi Leaders and Nazi parties accused of conspiracy to wage aggressive war, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Defendants:
+ Martin Bormann
+ Karl Dönitz
+ Hans Frank
+ Wilhelm Frick
+ Hans Fritzsche
+ Walther Funk
+ Hermann Göring
+ Rudolf Hess
+ Alfred Jodl
+ Ernst Kaltenbrunner
+ Wilhelm Keitel
+ Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach
+ Robert Ley
+ Konstantin von Neurath
+ Franz von Papen
+ Erich Raeder
+ Joachim von Ribbentrop
+ Alfred Rosenberg
+ Fritz Sauckel
+ Hjalmar Schacht
+ Baldur von Schirach
+ Arthur Seyss-Inquart
+ Albert Speer
+ Julius Streicher -
International Military Tribunal convenes for the first time, officially beginning the Nuremberg Trials
All of the Defendants plead not guilty. -
Photo evidence of liberated camps Dachau, Buchenwald, and BergenBalsen was shown in the courtroom by the Allies, leaving many in tears and shock.
The film "The Death Mills" was one of the pieces of evidence shown to the courtroom. The defendants had very different reactions. Some were in shock, even crying like Frank. Some wouldn't look at the screen like Goering. Streicher viewed the evidence with pleasure. Henry Kellermann description of reactions -
Propaganda and More Concentration Camp Evidence Presented
A 45 minute Nazi Propaganda and atrocities film called the Nazi Plan was showed to the court. Along with this evidence, tattooed human skin from Buchenwald Concentration camp and a Polish Worker's shrunken head that was used as a paper weight was shown in court. -
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11 of the 12 additional Nuremberg Trials are executed
Of the 177 physicians, judges, industrialists, SS and Police commanders, military personnel, civil servants, and diplomats accused, 24 were sentenced to death, 20 to life in prison, 98 to other prison sentences, and 25 not guilty. Trials:
+ Doctors' Trial
+ Milch Trial
+ Judges' Trial
+ Pohl Trial
+ Flick Trial
+ IG Farben Trial
+ Hostages Trial
+ RuSHA Trial
+ Einsatzgruppen Trial
+ Krupp Trial
+ Ministries Trial
+ High Command Trial -
Eyewitness testimony of Auschwitz atrocities was given by French journalist Marie Claude Vaillant-Courturier
Marie provided testimony of experiences at Auschwitz and Ravesbruck camps. The selection process for the gas chambers at these concentration camps was described, mentioning Dr. Mengele for the first time yet in the trial. -
Goring, Jodl, and Keitel are incriminated by Field Marshal Friedhrich Paulus.
Paulus's examination says that Goring, Jodl, and Keitel waged an aggressive war. After Paulus's statements, Goring screams "Ask that dirty pig if he's a traitor! Ask him if he has taken out Russian Citizenship papers!" -
Auschwitz Commander Rudolf Hoss testifies
Hoss states "Hundreds of thousands of human beings were sent to their death." Hoss's testimony claims that SS men were trained to not think, but to just follow orders. Their priority was following orders correctly, not concerned with whom they were affecting. -
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Defendants deliver their final statements and the I.M.T Judges being to discuss their final verdict
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The Verdict is announced: Three are acquitted, seven are sent to prison, and 12 are given the death penalty.
- Erich Raeder: Lifelong imprisonment
- Joachim von Ribbentrop: Death by hanging
- Alfred Rosenberg: Death by hanging
- Fritz Sauckel: Death by hanging
- Hjalmar Schacht: Not guilty
- Baldur von Schirach: 20 years imprisonment
- Arthur Seyß-Inquart: Death by hanging
- Albert Speer: 20 years imprisonment
- Julius Streicher: Death by hanging
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The Verdict is announced: Three are acquitted, seven are sent to prison, and 12 are given the death penalty.
- Martin Bormann: Death by hanging
- Karl Dönitz: 10 years imprisonment
- Hans Frank: Death by hanging
- Wilhelm Frick: Death by hanging
- Hans Fritzsche: Not guilty
- Walther Funk: Lifelong imprisonment
- Hermann Göring: Death by hanging
- Rudolf Hess: Lifelong imprisonment
- Alfred Jodl: Death by hanging
- Ernst Kaltenbrunner: Death by hanging
- Wilhelm Keitel: Death by hanging
- Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath: 15 years imprisonment
- Franz von Papen: Not guilty
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Goring commits suicide by ingesting cyanide
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Ten war criminals are hanged in Nuremberg
Before being cremated, the bodies were photographed. The photos of the executions caused some disproval from viewers. Executed:
+ Joachim von Robbentrop
+ Wilhelm Keitel
+ Ernst Kaltenbrunner
+ Alfred Rosenberg
+ Hans Frank
+ Wilhelm Frick
+ Julius Streicher
+ Fritz Sauckel
+ Alfred Jodl
+ Arthur Seyss-Inquart -
Military Tribunal 1 tries 23 nazi physicians in the Doctors' Trial
The United States Military Government in Germany created the Military Tribunal 1, finding 16 doctors guilty for the Nazi Euthanasia program and unethical medical experiments on thousands. This is the start of 12 Nuremberg trials led by only the United States Military Tribunal 1. Thousands of concentration camp prisoners were tortured, killed, or affected for the rest of their life. -
Nuremberg Principles is adopted by the United Nations International Law Commission
The Nuremberg Principles state that no matter someone's rank and position, they are allowed a fair trial and subject to the prosecution of international crimes. This shows the impact of the Nuremberg Trial on international law, adopting the same principles used in the trial and holding everyone to the same standards, as long as a moral choice was available. Principles -
Aftermath
A lot of the perpetrators of Nazi crimes were never punished, with a lot of interest in finding justice shrinking by the late 1950s. However, there were thousands of smaller trials executed in individual countries where the atrocities committed. An example is Poland convicting 49 major Nazi Officials during their time occupying Poland. -
So What part 3?
In all, the Nuremberg trials helped create national laws, bring some justice to the victims, and help show that it is the human race's job to prevent future atrocities from happening. Despite the Holocaust being one of the darkest times in human history, the Nuremberg trials serve as an eternal reminder to prevent future atrocities. The Trials were broadcasted to the entire world, giving a fair trial to those that did not give a fair trial to their victims. -
So What part 2?
Although justice will never be created for the millions of victims, the Nuremberg trials are so important to show that humans will do whatever we can to get as much justice for the victims. It also shows that human morals still exist, even when atrocities as barbaric as the holocaust exist. The Nuremberg Trials uphold what it means to be a human, giving every single person a fair trial and evaluation, exactly what the victims wish they had gotten. -
So What?
With the United Nations adopting the Nuremberg Trials, you can see the effect these trials had on international law. These trials were vital for showcasing the atrocities to the rest of the world, and enacting laws to help prevent something like the Holocaust from happening again.- The real question is if the victims of the Holocaust got the justice they deserved. I believe that you can not create justice that is as valuable as a human life, especially six million of them.