4. Nuremburg War Crimes trials Flashcards
when were the trials?
Beginning in November 1945 and lasting until October 1946
who were tried?
21 top Nazi leaders, men of industry and prominent generals
tried infront of?
International Military Tribunal at Nuremburg, the German city Nazis had made their moral capital
who was it run by?
by legal representatives from the four main allied powers: the US, the Soviet Union, Britain and France
Charged on four counts:
conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity
Reason for trials:
seen as important to make the Germans realise the scale of destruction that had occurred,
the atrocities committed by the Germans were part of official government policy,
the idea that if it was shown that this behaviour would not go unpunished then such evil would not be repeated
the hope that International Justice would be a good sign for the future of the United Nations
Evidence presented by prosecution documented these crimes:
death factories, extermination of European Jewry, enslavement of forced labourers and barbarities committed against Russians and Poles
Trials, however, tainted by ?
‘victor’s justice’ as Allied war crimes were completely omitted
outcome of trial?
Of accused, ten hanged (Goering committed suicide in his cell), seven were given long prison sentences, and three were acquitted
However, trials of Nazi war criminals lasted for ?
decades after war
John Toland: when describing Goering?
“never put blame on others or hid behind the figure of Hitler” – he was defiant, defended his Fuhrer
John Man on how the victors were not punished for their crimes
“…only the victors possess the mans of bringing criminals such as (Goering) to justice. But it does not in any way diminish the crimes of the vanquished, nor the need to punish them”
