The Nuremberg Trials and Nazi War Criminals
Isabella Pasquariello
CHY 4U1
Ms. Burke
May 15, 2015 The Nuremberg Trials effectively brought a number of Nazi War Criminals to justice; many of those who committed crimes against humanity during the Holocaust of World War II were punished for their actions. From 1945-46, in the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, a number of high official Nazi’s were tried by the International Military Tribunal for their crimes against humanity. The International Military Tribunal was made up of eight judges, one primary and one alternate judge from each of the Four Power Nations; Britain, the United States, France, and the Soviet Union. Nazi criminals were indicted against four counts: (1) crimes against
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Crimes against humanity according to the International Military Tribunal are, “crimes such as murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts against civilian populations.” Crimes against humanity are involved in International Law if they had been executed before or in relation to an international problem or war. Crimes against humanity can include war crimes or aggression during war. During the Nuremberg Trials it was made clear …show more content…
After two-hundred and sixteen court sessions, twelve of the Nazi War criminals were sentenced to death for their heinous crimes, three were sentenced to life imprisonment, two for twenty years, one for fifteen years, one for ten, the remaining three of the tried twenty-two were acquitted. Two of those sentenced to death by hanging had not died this way. Martin Bormann’s death had been declared death in absentia, it is assumed that he had committed suicide by jumping off of a bridge, he had been sentenced to death for two counts, one against war crimes and one crimes against humanity. Hermann Goring had also committed suicide the night before his scheduled execution. He had been guilty on all four counts.Each man who had committed crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity before and during the Holocaust received justice for their outrageous acts against the Jewish population, and other minority groups. They were involved in the estimated termination of approximately 11 million people. The Nuremberg Trials were an important part of putting to justice those who were a part in planning, or participating in the mass genocide of the Holocaust. Many of those who committed crimes against humanity, crimes against peace and war crimes were punished for their