The Nuremberg Trials were a series of 13 trials given by the allied forces after WWII. The defendants were previous Nazi Party leaders, high ranking officials from the axis powers, and anyone else who had committed crimes against peace and humanity. The trials were carried out by the US, USSR, France, and Great Britain. This was initially a challenge because there had not been many international trials (there were no widespread understandings about how they would be carried out) and each country had different laws and traditions. The allies eventually solved the problem:
Laws and Procedures for the Trials (set through the London Charter of the international Military Tribunal Aug. 8, 1945)
Crimes Against Peace: (including planning, preparing, starting or waging wars of aggression or wars in violation of international agreements)
War Crimes: (including violations of customs or laws of war, including improper treatment of civilians and prisoners of war)
Crimes Against Humanity: (including murder, enslavement or deportation of civilians or persecution on political, religious or racial grounds)
(*Civilian officials could be accused of war crimes as well as military officials*)
This information is taken from and sometimes quoted from http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nuremberg-trials
The trials took place in Nuremberg, Germany. The most famous of the trials was the Trial of Major War Criminals. This trial took place from Nov. 20, 1945 to Oct. 1 1946. Twenty four people were indicted and they were allowed to find their own lawyers who developed various ways to defend them. Some of these defenses were that the London Charter was created after the crimes had been committed and therefore focused too much on them. It was also argued that there was some discrimination occurring (Germans were being punished for crimes that Allie soldiers also committed). Only three of twenty four indicted were found innocent. The other twenty one were guilty. The Gestapo, as well as 5 other organizations, were determined criminal as well. Ten were given sentences from 10 years to life in prison and twelve were sentenced to death.
Twelve more trials were held throughout 1946 to 1949. These are called the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings. These trials were conducted by the US as opposed to all of the Allies because the countries had begun to have different opinions. However they were still conducted in Nuremberg, Germany. Some of the trials carried out were the Doctors Trial and the Judges Trial. One hundred and eighty seven people were indicted into the Subsequent Proceedings and twelve were given the death sentence, eight received life in prison, and seventy seven received other prison sentences of various lengths.
Laws and Procedures for the Trials (set through the London Charter of the international Military Tribunal Aug. 8, 1945)
Crimes Against Peace: (including planning, preparing, starting or waging wars of aggression or wars in violation of international agreements)
War Crimes: (including violations of customs or laws of war, including improper treatment of civilians and prisoners of war)
Crimes Against Humanity: (including murder, enslavement or deportation of civilians or persecution on political, religious or racial grounds)
(*Civilian officials could be accused of war crimes as well as military officials*)
This information is taken from and sometimes quoted from http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nuremberg-trials
The trials took place in Nuremberg, Germany. The most famous of the trials was the Trial of Major War Criminals. This trial took place from Nov. 20, 1945 to Oct. 1 1946. Twenty four people were indicted and they were allowed to find their own lawyers who developed various ways to defend them. Some of these defenses were that the London Charter was created after the crimes had been committed and therefore focused too much on them. It was also argued that there was some discrimination occurring (Germans were being punished for crimes that Allie soldiers also committed). Only three of twenty four indicted were found innocent. The other twenty one were guilty. The Gestapo, as well as 5 other organizations, were determined criminal as well. Ten were given sentences from 10 years to life in prison and twelve were sentenced to death.
Twelve more trials were held throughout 1946 to 1949. These are called the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings. These trials were conducted by the US as opposed to all of the Allies because the countries had begun to have different opinions. However they were still conducted in Nuremberg, Germany. Some of the trials carried out were the Doctors Trial and the Judges Trial. One hundred and eighty seven people were indicted into the Subsequent Proceedings and twelve were given the death sentence, eight received life in prison, and seventy seven received other prison sentences of various lengths.
"So grotesque and preposterous are the principle characters in this galaxy of clowns and crooks that none but a thrice double ass could have taken them for rulers." (Officer in the Allied Control Commission.)
There were 24 leading Nazi war criminals who were convicted in the Trial of Major War Criminals. Press the buttons to the left to view each criminal and read about what they did. The red one explains what each man did and what their punishment was. The black one also explains what each man did, but it also has the defendants words and prosecutor's points.
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Click the Button to the right to see the judges from each country and read a short description about them.
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Here is a picture of where Nuremberg is located in Germany. This is where the trials took place, even when only America was still conducting them.