Nuremberg War Crimes Trial
•Leading Nazi’s Tried for
Crimes Against Humanity
•Revealed the full extent
of Nazi atrocities
•22 Defendants
12 death sentences
Proved crimes committed
during war will not go
unpunished
Goring
commits
suicide
“A Thousand Years will pass &
still this guilt of Germany will not
be erased”
-Hans Frank
Slayer of the Poles
The only Defendant
to express remorse
Unparalleled Destruction
•Total War
•Fought in Europe,
N.Africa,
East Asia, Atlantic &Pacific
•60 Million people died
•Europe & Asia lay in ruins
•Cost over 2 trillion dollars
Defeat of Dictatorships
•Germany, Italy, & Japan turned
towards Democracy
Germany divided into West
(Democratic) & East (Communist)
Decline of
Colonial Powers
•African & Asian
Colonies desire
self
determination
•Britain, France,
could no longer
afford to
maintain
colonies
Emergence of
Superpowers
U.S. & Soviet
Union emerge as
leading Superpowers
•Differences in
Viewpoints lead to
the Cold War
•Democracy
Vs. Communism
1945 Birth of The United Nations
•International Peace Keeping
Organization
•General Assembly Members (180)
•Maintains peace in
the world
•Works to eliminate
hunger,
disease
•Promotes Human Rights &
economic Development
Security Council
U.S., USSR, G. Britain,
France, China (Permanent
Members) *Each has veto power
10 elected temporary members
Responsible for
deterring aggression
Economic Sanctions
or military power
Germany Divided into
4 Occupational Zones
Britain, France,
Soviet Union, & U.S.
West Germany (Democratic)
East Germany (Communist)
Berlin also divided into Zones of
Occupation
Lays groundwork for Cold War