Lesson 13. The Nuremberg Trials 1945-1949

Question 1

Significance of Reasons the Nuremburg trials

Answer 1

First international war crimes tribunal in history – changed international law in long term

Created new crime: Crimes against humanity = established that all of humanity
was guarded by international legal shield
Nazi’s secrets were revealed to the world

w/o the trials the allies would look like the bad guys b/c the soviets and UK were initially going to execute them straight away which would be completely unfair and make German Nazi leaders possibly being a martyr

71% of the German public learned something new from the trail
however many Nazi leaders either fled the country or returned back to normal civilization

Question 2

❑Reasons why the Nuremburg trials are controversial

Answer 2

Allied personnel would not be tried for war crimes in Nuremberg
Given the one sided nature of the charter, it was considered very controversial at the time
Actions committed before laws were made
* Fear of reprisal if orders were not followed
Victors justice therefore unfair

• Justice Robert H. Jackson – main US judge sent to Nuremberg
• Wrote in letter to Truman – ‘Allies have done or are doing the same things they are
  persecuting Nazis for…’ in reference to the treatment of African Americans

Question 3

❑ The events + outcome Major War Criminals trials (1945-46)

Answer 3

EVENTS:

The first of the Nuremberg Trials were labelled “The greatest trial in history…”
* 24 individuals tried
* 18 found guilty on one or more charges
* 4 acquitted / 1 died + 1 declared mentally unfit
* Major War Criminals = Goering, Hess (major Nazi officials)
12 sentenced to death
* Goering = sentenced to death (took cyanide night before execution)
* Hess = 10-20 years in prison (Nazi Deputy who flew to Scotland in 1941 to try and make peace)

Commander
of Auschwitz Rudolf Hoess
who was tried by the Polish
govt. and was hanged at the
entrance to a gas chamber in
Auschwitz.

Harlan Fiske Stone (Chief Justice of US Supreme Court 1945) strongly disagreed with them and
refused to take part in the swearing-in ceremony for US appointed judges
* Saw them as “High-grade lynching party”

• Justice Robert H. Jackson – main US judge sent to Nuremberg
• Wrote in letter to Truman – ‘Allies have done or are doing the same things they are
  persecuting Nazis for…’ in reference to the treatment of African Americans

IMPACTS:

As the trial was filmed + open to the media → educated German public + the
world about Nazi atrocities
* 71% of Germans surveyed confirmed they had learned something new from
the trial
* However, most Nazis were not punished for their crimes as they fled Europe or slipped
back into civilian life