The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials that brought many Nazis to justice for crimes they committed during the war. There were thirteen of the trials, held between 1945 and 1949. The court tried them on four counts. These were crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit other crimes. The judges that presided over the hearings were from Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States. The names of these judges were as follows: Roman Rudenko (Soviet Union), Henry Donnedieu de Vabres (France), Robert Falco (France), Frances Biddle (USA), John Parker (USA), Norman Birkett (Britain), and Geoffrey Lawrence (Britain). Three official artists were at the Nuremberg Trials, these people were David Low (Britain), Joseph Flatter (USA), and Kukryniksy (Soviet Union). Due to the variety of nationalities among the judges and all in attendance, instantaneous translation was provided by IBM through the use of headsets (Simkin).
Twenty-two major Nazis were tried, twelve of which were sentenced to death. Penalties as severe as the death penalty were normally given out to those were more directly involved in the killings. Some Nazis who were guilty of less severe acts were given short prison sentences, or even no punishment at all. Many Nazis either fled the country or committed suicide before the trials began. One such person was Adolf Hitler, who committed suicide just days before the end of the war. Many of the Nazis that fled were later captured. One such person was Adolf Eichmann, who was captured in Argentina and brought to trial in Israel (Simkin).
The Nuremberg Trials made huge advances in the establishment of international law. They led to many things such as the United Nations Genocide Convention, the Geneva Convention on the Laws and Customs of War, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The trials at Nuremberg are an important precedent for later crimes against humanity (Simkin).
Twenty-two major Nazis were tried, twelve of which were sentenced to death. Penalties as severe as the death penalty were normally given out to those were more directly involved in the killings. Some Nazis who were guilty of less severe acts were given short prison sentences, or even no punishment at all. Many Nazis either fled the country or committed suicide before the trials began. One such person was Adolf Hitler, who committed suicide just days before the end of the war. Many of the Nazis that fled were later captured. One such person was Adolf Eichmann, who was captured in Argentina and brought to trial in Israel (Simkin).
The Nuremberg Trials made huge advances in the establishment of international law. They led to many things such as the United Nations Genocide Convention, the Geneva Convention on the Laws and Customs of War, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The trials at Nuremberg are an important precedent for later crimes against humanity (Simkin).
Citations
Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. N.p., Aug. 2014. Web. 11 May 2016.
<http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWnuremberg.htm>.
Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. N.p., Aug. 2014. Web. 11 May 2016.
<http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWnuremberg.htm>.