“Laws control the lesser man… Right conduct controls the greater one (Plato).” World War II was the deadliest conflict in world history, on and off the battlefield. The genocide performed by Nazi Germany was something that had never been seen before, and shocked mankind across the world. This atrocious behavior punished those for what they believed in, in the most inhumane ways possible. The trials that followed, which made those who participated in this behavior answer for their actions, were some of the most historic trials in legal history, not just because of what was being judged, but also because of the viewpoints that came about because of them. These trials, which occurred in Germany, were viewed across the world with opposing viewpoints; had many call into question the justification of the trials, and continue to impact us today. The Nuremberg Trials, which occurred from 1945 until 1946, put on trial those who were responsible for the actions of what occurred during the Holocaust. Judges from Great Britain, France, The Soviet Union, and the United States presided over the hearings that occurred during this time period. The defendants were charged with four crimes- crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit all of these …show more content…
These trials were the first to show that international law trumps all domestic law. Because of this, Germany’s laws at the time of the war could not be argued during the cases, as the trials were basing developing international law created by the IMT. Also, during this time period, international law addressed rules for states, while domestic law dealt with individuals. Since the IMT was putting certain individuals on trial, the use of international law instead of the laws of Germany is hard to justify. While the trials are somewhat controversial, they play an important role in today's