I. Introduction This paper focuses on the first Nuremberg trial that took place from 1945-1946 in Nuremberg, Germany, known as the “greatest trial in history” by Associate British Judge Norman Bickett because of the precedent it set in international tribunals. More specifically, this paper aims to answer the question: “Which factor was the most significant in determining the sentences of Hermann Goering and Rudolf Hess in the Nuremberg War Trials?”. The purpose of the trial was to prosecute significant Nazi leaders such as Hermann Goering, who was the chief of the Luftwaffe and the successor designate to Adolf Hitler. In the first of thirteen trials, twenty-four Germans were indicted; twenty-one defendants were present in court. The defendants …show more content…
Pohl, et al, one of the later Nuremberg Trials that was aimed at prosecuting individuals involved with the Final Solution. The trial of 1945-1946 also established that individuals may be accountable for crimes committed due to superior orders and the entitlement to a fair trial, known commonly as the Nuremberg Defense. This defense claim, which states that those who committed crimes and were acting under their superiors are not to be punished because they did not act freely, became popular because of this trial. Therefore an evaluation the question will allow for a comprehension of the established precedent. By examining the most significant factor of the sentences and forming a conclusion, one will possess a greater understanding of the precedent the verdicts set for international tribunals. The concepts that emerged from the trials are important in a larger academic and historical context as the Nuremberg Trials represent one of the largest, most criticized, and one of the most influential military tribunals in history. In short, the question is important to study in order to understand the reasoning behind the precedent established by this