Nuremberg Trials: 1945-1949
After the war, twenty-two major Nazi criminals were brought to trial because of the crimes they committed during the Holocaust. The Nuremberg trials were a series of thirteen trials held in Nuremberg, Germany, between 1945 and 1949, and aimed to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. Joseph Stalin, the Soviet leader at that time, proposed the execution of 50,000 to 100,000 German staff officers. With this proposition, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill discussed the possibility of execution of high-ranking Nazis, but was convinced by American leaders that criminal trials would be more effective. After many meetings, the Allies eventually created the laws and procedures for these trials with the London Charter of the International Military Tribunal. This charter was created on August 8, 1945, and outlined the three categories of crimes: crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The Allies then selected Nuremberg, Germany as the location for these trials because it was undamaged by the war and had a large prison area. Twelve major Nazi leaders were sentenced to death as a result of these trials, and many of the others received a range of severe sentences, short prison sentences, or no penalty at all. Although these trials helped bring the Nazi criminals to justice, many of the criminals were never tried. Some fled Germany and moved to other countries, while others committed suicide before the trials. Adolf Hitler, the Nazis’ highest authority, was missing at the trials because he had committed suicide in the final days of World War II. The Nuremberg trials were significant in World War II because they expressed the public’s outrage over the crimes that the Nazis committed. This event, which was the last official act during World War II, provided closure for the people and ensured that justice was served by the criminals.
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