“But, I was just following orders…”
The Nuremberg Trials were military tribunals (court cases), held by
the Allied forces of WWII, for the prosecution of members of the
political, military, and economic leadership of Nazi Germany.
“We must establish incredible events by credible evidence.”
—U.S. Chief Prosecutor Robert Jackson
Accusation:
• Crimes Against Humanity
• War Crimes (War Atrocities)
“One death is tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.”
- J. Stalin
The Crime
Poland: 3 million killed (91%)
Romania: 290,000 killed (84%)
Hungary: 600,000 killed (74%)
…
France: 290,000 killed (22%)
TOTAL:
65% of Jewish population in Europe was killed.
+ gypsies, homosexuals, Communists, enemies, other…
The Accusation:
(summarized here)
• Crimes Against Humanity
• War Crimes (War Atrocities)
The Accused:
• Who should be charged?
• The Top Officers?
• Lower level military officials?
• Non-military workers?
• Nazi party members?
• Workers, teachers, custodians?
• Hitler Youth members?
• All Germans?
• No one?
Prosecutors: you need to write an argument for why your defendant
is guilty, and what his punishment should be
Remember Article 8!
Defense Attorneys: You need to write an argument for why the
defendant is not guilty of the crimes.
Find plausible reasoning for innocence!
Jurors: You must explain why a court case was necessary following
the Holocaust/WW2, and why every defendant is entitled to a
lawyer in a free society
Wilhelm Frick
Minister of Interior
(in charge of Germany’s internal
operations/infrastructure)
- Controller of the concentration camps
- Helped write the Nuremberg Laws
- Helped plan and organize logistics for
war in Europe
- Attempted to become police commander,
but failed
- Was largely a ceremonial officer with no
real power
Hermann Goring (Goering)
Hitler’s Second in Command
- Commander of the Luftwaffe
- Highest ranking official on trial
- Ordered lieutenants to carry out the
“Final Solution”
- Claimed not to be anti-Semitic
Rudolf Hess
Personal Aide to Hitler/Party Leader
-
Prominent in Nazi Party during rise of Hitler
Helped write and carry out Nuremberg Laws
Represented Nazi Germany to foreign leaders
Very educated
In 1941, Hess flew to Scotland hoping to make
peace between Germany and Britain- was
arrested then (not after the war)
- Seen as unstable during the trial, often
laughing for no reason or counting on his
fingers randomly
Hans Fritzsche
Propaganda Official
(Head of the radio division of the German
propaganda ministry)
- propaganda ministry official who
had not held a policy-making
position
- Was an on-air personality for news in
Nazi Germany
- Was head of German radio prior to
Hitler’s rise
Baldur von Schirach
Head of Hitlerjugend (Hitler
Youth/“Boy Scouts”)
- Joined military cadet troops as ten
year old
- Moved up the Nazi ranks through
fascist years
- Helped deport Jews from Vienna
- Reports that he also helped Jewish
children escape occasionally
Has the jury reached a verdict…?
We have, Your Honor…
Wilhelm Frick
Guilty on three counts against him (crimes against
peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity)
Sentenced to death.
He was executed on October 16, 1946.
Hermann Goring (Goering)
Was overheard at the trial saying, “There are Jews
here? I thought we knocked them all off”
The International Military Tribunal charged Goering
on all four counts (crimes against peace, war crimes,
crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit
crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against
humanity). He was convicted and sentenced to
death.
On the eve of his scheduled execution, he
committed suicide in his prison cell.
Rudolf Hess
Personal Aide to Hitler/Party Leader
- He was immediately arrested and imprisoned.
Hess was found guilty on counts one (conspiracy)
and two (crimes against peace) and sentenced to
life imprisonment.
Hans Fritzsche
Acquitted (found not guilty) of any wrong-doing.
Baldur von Schirach
Head of Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth/“Boy Scouts”)
- Schirach was found guilty on count four (crimes
against humanity) and sentenced to 20 years
imprisonment.
- He was released in 1966 and died in 1974
Legacy of the Nuremberg Trials:
- While some may accuse the courtroom of being a “show
trial,” the defense allowed for the Nazis was widely
seen as a triumph for liberty and democracy
- The world had announced that carrying out immoral
commands would be punishable, and “I was just
following orders” is NOT an excuse
Exploding Swastika: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJzdgZ1lOTA