The Nuremberg Trials The Allies and the

The Nuremberg Trials

The Allies and the Trials • Winston Churchill did not want a trial – Thought all should be hung • Americans and Russians wanted a trial • How do you try people for the murder of millions of people that had been made “legal” under Hitler?

The Lieber Code • Compiled by Frances Lieber and given to American soldiers during the Civil War – It detailed how civilians, prisoners of war, and spied were to be treated – Other nations, including Britain, France, and Germany prepared similar manuals – View the code – See important parts of the code

The Hague • Held in 1907 in Hague, Netherlands – Focused on the rights of civilians and soldiers who have surrendered

Geneva Accord • Established how prisoners of war were to be treated and called for the protection of the wounded.

Previous Violations • World War I- Germany while unprovoked, invaded Belgium – Treaty of Versailles said Kaiser Wilhelm was to be tried for aggression, but those trials never took place • 1915 - Turks massacred the Armenians in genocide- no trials took place • Video of Armenian Genocide

The Crimes • Crime of conspiracy – Leaders, organizers, instigators, and accomplices in the formulation or execution of a common plan, or a conspiracy to commit any of the following crimes are responsible for all acts performed by any persons in executing such a plan.

The Crimes • Crimes against peace – Planning, preparing or initiating a war of aggression. • War Crimes – This meant breaking the rules of war. It included killing prisoners or war and destroying homes and property

The Crimes • Crimes against humanity – The murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population before or during the war.

Who should be tried? • The first job facing the court at Nuremberg was to decide who should be tried. • 24 Nazi’s were indicted • 22 stood trial • The rest were turned over to local trials

How the trials were set up • Allies formed the International Military Tribunal (IMT) to bring the Nazi leaders to trial – Tribunal is a court of justice • The defendants were made aware of all charges, each was entitled to a lawyer and had the right to plead his own case, offering witnesses and evidence on his behalf.

The Nuremberg Trials • Began Nov. 20, 1945 and lasted 10 months • Chief prosecutor was Robert H. Jackson, justice on United States Supreme Court – Opening Statement by Jackson

Statement by Jackson • “We must never forget that the record on which we judge these defendants today is the record on which history will judge us tomorrow. To pass these defendants a poisoned chalice is to put it to our own lips as well. ”

The Prosecution • Used the Nazi’s own records • Tried to show the Nazis planned a war and planned to conquer the world if they could – A crime against peace • A minor part of the prosecution was documents and witnesses of the Holocaust

The Defense • Too much evidence to claim the Holocaust didn’t happen – Had to make case on other issues • Said tribunal had no legal authority • Said they were just following orders

The Defense • Vehemently denied responsibility for crimes against humanity

The Defense • Used the argument Fuhrer-prinzip – Nazi “leadership principal” – All orders given in Germany were Hitler’s orders and the punishment for not obeying was death.

The Nuremberg Trials • The details of what the Nazi’s had done became vivid to the rest of the world

Sentences • Martin Bormann – Hitler’s secretary, was tried in absentia, never captured, sentenced to die

Sentences • Hermann Goering– Highest ranking official, 2 nd to Hitler – Commanded the Luftwaffe – Set up the Gestapo – Sentenced to death, but took poison hours before he was to be hung

Sentences • Jochaim von Ribbentrop – Hitler’s foreign minister – Deported Jews from occupied countries “to the East”

Sentences • Julius Streicher – Published Der Stuermer, an antisemitic newspaper – Found guilty of “inciting the population to abuse, maltreat, and slay their fellow citizens. ”

Later Trials • The first Nuremberg Trials were followed by a dozen others. • Those accused – Military leaders – High-ranking SS and police officers – Doctors who performed selections and medical experiments – Businessmen who used slave labor

Later Trials • The Allies extradited many Nazis to nations once occupied by Germany • Norwegians convicted Prime Minister Vidkun Quisling • French convicted Henri-Philippe Petain

Later Trials • Rudolf Hess – Tried by the Poles and the Czechs – Was the Commandant at Auschwitz – Sentenced to life in prison

Results of the Nuremberg Trials • Told the world in great detail about the Holocaust • Established the principle that individuals can’t escape responsibility for their actions by saying they were following orders • Set the standards for judging the actions of nations in the future

Adolf Eichmann Trial • Some high ranking Nazis escaped from the Allies – One was Adolf Eichman • Did more than any other Nazi to persecute Jews • Was in charge of deporting Jews from all over Europe to death camps

Tracking Down Eichmann • Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor, was instrumental in tracking Eichmann to Argentina • Found in 1949, but by then, most countries had lost interest and would not extradite Nazis

The Trial of Adolf Eichmann • April 11, 1961 Eichmann walks into a courtroom in Jerusalem, Isreal – Put in bulletproof glass booth, for his protection • Main focus was crimes against the Jewish people

Eichmann’s Defense • His main defense was “just following orders” • He also lied about how much authority he had, what he knew, and what he did.

Eichmann’s sentence • Was sentenced to death • He is the only person executed by the State of Israel

Effect of Eichmann Trial • More Holocaust survivors came forward to tell their stories • More scholars studied the Holocaust

“Nazi Hunters” • Individuals and organizations known as “Nazi Hunters” still actively seek to bring Nazis to trial. • The Butcher of Lyons was sentenced to life in prison in 1987.