Nuremburg Trials
Held at the Palace of Justice in Nuremburg, Germany through 1945 to 1946, the Nuremburg Trials were designed by the Allies to prosecute war criminals. The trials began on November 20th of 1945, and ended on October 1st of the following year. Although some of the main leaders, such as Adolf Hitler, that were to be prosecuted committed suicide before the trials began, many of the criminals were successfully brought to justice. The intention of the Nuremburg Trials was to seek out and prosecute participants in the war that had committed atrocities, and to give them an actual trial, rather than simply carrying out mass executions without any investigations or questions asked. The accused were indicted of one or more of the following: crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit these crimes. There were several parts to the prosecution. One part was focused on the crimes committed by the broader Nazi regime, while the other part focused on proving the guilt of an individual defendant. First-hand accounts and tangible evidence helped build a strong prosecuting case. Concentration camp survivors shared their experiences, their stories, and what they witnessed. Experiments that were performed on concentration camp inmates were brought to light. All but 3 of the defendants were found guilty, 12 were sentenced to death, though only 10 were actually executed, as two of the accused committed suicide before the execution. The ten remaining were hung on October 16, 1946. Although many agree with the sentences that were reached in the Nuremburg Trials, it is still debated whether or not the trials and the final verdicts were conducted appropriately. Both arguments touch on rather sensitive subjects, as the horrors of the holocaust are shocking.