The aim for this paper is to elaborate on what characterizes the Nuremberg Trials and the importance of the trial to international criminal justice. To understand what the Nuremberg Trial entails, I will construe and provide a brief on the crimes prosecuted within the trial. Some of the worst crimes occurred in the early years of the 30’s to innocent children, mothers, and families, specifically to Jewish, allied prisoners of war, and Russians during the Holocaust of World War II. During this time Nazi war criminals were in power and commanding “their” people to eliminate any whom were of different ethnicity.
Adolf Hitler, Hernish Himmler and Joseph Goebbels were only three of various masterminds of the World War II (Ebbe, Obi N. I. , 2013, pp 188). The most frequent crimes against the Jews and Russians were enslavement, deportations, mass extermination, mass killings due to the gas chambers held within the concentration camps, and starvation (World Wars Channel, 2014). Millions were killed and tortured by these Nazi leaders’ soldiers. High level German officials, the SS, Concentration camp staff members, and Business Executives were also to blame with respect to the killings (History. com Staff, 2010).
It wasn’t until November 20, 1945 that one of the many trial hearings began, in what came to be known as the Nuremberg Trials, in Nuremberg Germany (Ebbe, Obi N. I. ,2013,pp. 187). It held the purpose of bringing Nazi war criminals to justice. In a likely matter, trying those war criminals that weren’t able to be pinned down by one country particularly of their crimes (Ebbe, Obi N. I. ,2013,pp. 187). It was the first chance to bring crime to justice without vengeance. The International Military Tribunal believed there had been enough blood and the Germans had gone on way too long without punishment.
Four principal allied countries set up the IMT: the United States, Great Britain, France and Russia before the war ended (World Wars Channel, 2014). One judge and one alternating judge would be appointed from each prosecuting country (Ebbe, Obi N. I. ,2013,pp. 187). It was time to take down those who engineered these mass executions. In essence the trial would leave a record and be recognized in history. However, the trials were quite problematic and controversial as they progressed. For instance the dispute lied on how one could convict leaders with no ICJ Court, no judges, and no body of law instruments (World Wars Channel, 2014).
The final analysis was to succeed on trying these leaders on three types of crimes in court. The three crimes were the crime of waging an aggressive war, ordinary war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the war (World Wars Channel, 2014). Indeed, this would be the first time in history that anyone was held accountable on an international level for such crimes. Regardless the trial addressed at it’s core International crime. According to Ebbe, Obi N. I. , International Criminal law violations consist of crimes against humanity, genocide, violations of human rights, and wars of aggression (2013,pp. 186).
In addition, peace and war crimes. The trials were conducted under the adversary system and Continental System. After all, the first trial addressed the Major War Criminals and was held from November 20, 1945, to October 1, 1946 (History. com Staff, 2010). Truemen (the Americans) urged for a real criminal trial, where as the prosecutors would contend the defense council and the judge would receive evidence (World Wars Channel, 2014). The Judge would then make a decision rather than the jury. Ultimately, this would execute defiance. Trueman made it quite clear that the trial could result in acquitting a defense if evidence didn’t prove guilt.
Justice Jackson was appointed by Trueman and became the chief of council (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016). In simple terms, he became the leader of the four prosecutors. It was agreed upon by the four prosecution teams that twenty-two people would be indicted. The prosecutors to their surprise didn’t expect the mass amounts of evidence that came about. Diplomatic papers, films, and books full of letters during the Nazi regime lead the prosecutors to solely depend on the physical evidence instead of witnesses evidence (World Wars Channel, 2014).
The total number of documentation collected made it quite apparent the intentions of the Nazi’s. All letters issued and shared among the Nazi leaders entertained Hitler’s philosophy of mass killings or cleansing against Jews and the Russians. The evidence entailed and exposed all future attacks. Consequently, Germany never declared War under International Rules, but struck anyways despite no warning and Treaties in place (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016). Moreover, verifying there were direct motives and goals. Subsequently making it rather difficult for the German attorneys.
Jackson also examined Hitler’s secret meetings that were held with other Nazi Leaders and businessmen for the purpose of shedding light on him influencing and dictating the seizing of Jews. This all benefitted Jackson’s case on being able to provide valid concrete evidence. He even went further in dissecting into the many rights these people were being excluded from. The testimonies of civil rights movements, and symbolic speeches on the cruelness of churches being burned down, random Nazi pickups, and preached on how these people lived in terror.
The media had an immense impact on the trial as well. Photos published in newspapers of the concentration camps, the form of the Jews being treated, the millions of bodies being burned, the malnourished bodies, and the burning of bodies helped Justice Jackson bring emotions into play by illustrating them within the Court room. Following the trial of Major War Criminals, there were twelve additional trials held at Nuremberg. Despite the fact that the trial of Major War Criminals highlighted the Nuremberg Trials the second set of Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings were just as important (Ebbe, Obi N. I. ,2013, p. 187).
These proceedings, lasted from December 1946 to April 1949 (World Wars Channel,2014). Although only twenty two were charged of Nazi war crimes, three were acquitted, twelve sentenced to be hung, and the remaining sentenced to be imprisoned, marking an immense role of justice to those unfairly assassinated during World War Two. Hitler Adolf Hitler, Robert Ley, Hernish Himmler and Joseph Goebbels committed suicide prior to the end of the war (Ebbe, Obi N. I. , 2013, pp. 188 & History. om Staff, 2010).
These Nazi criminals escaped trial and punishment by committing suicide. This second set of trials addressed the lesser war criminals and was conducted under the Control of Council La N0. 10, at the U. S. Nuremberg Military Tribunals (Ebbe, Obi N. I. ,2013, pp. 188). In all, one hundred forty five of the one hundred eighty five defendants were found guilty, twelve received the death penalty, seven were sentenced to life imprisonment and seventy seven received prison terms (History. com Staff, 2010).
However many of these sentences were later reduced. In my opinion, I believe all who understood the concept of killing a Jew, a Russian, or a hostage under the Nazi regime should have been sentenced to be hung. All those alongside the SS individually understood the notion of genocide. They collectively took part in this criminal conspiracy. I believe that Jackson along with the three prosecutors should have concentrated focus on the witnesses and their testimonies at a larger scale in spite of the physical evidence.