The Nuremberg Trials

The International Military Tribunal was formed according to the London Agreement (1945, August 8), concluded between the USSR, France, Great Britain, the United States. This judicial body was formed to prosecute and punish those guilty of war crimes committed during World War II of 1939-1945.

The government of the USSR was the first to initiate an international trial . But the Soviet state did not receive world support at once. In particular, the Government of England expressed dissatisfaction with this proposal.

It should be noted that the victories won by the Soviet troops in the battles near Kursk, on the Volga, the breakthrough of the Leningrad blockade, as well as the expulsion of the invaders from the vast territory of the Soviet state and the beginning of active action by the Allied forces in Italy and North Africa radically changed the course of military operations. At that time, the outcome of the war was already clear. In addition, the military alliance of the USSR, Britain, America and other countries has strengthened. All this gave the initiative of Russia international support. As a result, the proposal for an international trial was consolidated in the Moscow Declaration.

The idea of punishing war criminals was first supported by Franklin Roosevelt (president of America) in the beginning of November 1942, the first of the entire anti-Hitler coalition . By the spring of 1943, the initiative of the government of the USSR was supported by England. However, Churchill (Prime Minister of England) in discussing the Moscow Declaration proposed simply to shoot all war criminals without conducting consequences.

The Nuremberg trial began in 1945, on November 20. Before the court appeared almost the entire ruling elite of Germany. Among them were industrialists, leading Nazi politicians, ideologists, diplomats, military leaders. All of them were charged with crimes committed by the Hitler system during the Nazi regime.

It should be noted that the materials of the Nuremberg trials were promulgated by the USSR back in 1943, in the spring. To the attention of all the peoples of the world, facts and documents about the Nazi atrocities were committed against peaceful Soviet people who were hijacked to Germany.

The list of accused at the international court was Fritz, Neurath, Speer, Papen, Bormann, Iodul, Sauckel, Shirach, Raeder, Galbach, Schacht, Funk, Streicher, Frick, Deniz, Frank, Rosenberg, Ribbentrop, Lei, Hess, Gering and others. .

The Nuremberg trial was built on a combination of procedural norms and orders of all states represented on it. Decisions were made by a majority of votes.

The Nuremberg trial ended with the announcement of the verdict in late September 1946. The decision was made in accordance with the principles of international law, taking into account the arguments of the parties. The verdict reflected the criminal activity of the entire Nazi regime, which was more than twelve years old.

The International Tribunal sentenced Bormann (in absentia), Seyss-Inquart, Jodl, Sauckel, Streicher, Frick, Frank, Rosenberg, Kaltebrunner, Keitel, Ribbentrop and Goering to death by hanging.

Lifetime imprisonment was granted to Raeder, Funk and Hess.

By ten years in prison, Deniz was sentenced, to fifteen - Neurath, to twenty - Speer and Shirah.

Justified were three (Shacht, as well as Papen and Fritsche). He committed suicide (hanged himself) Lei shortly before the trial, the industrialist Groats were found incurably sick and stopped further investigation of his case.

The Nuremberg trials recognized aggression as the worst international crime . At the trial, statesmen appeared as criminals. All of them were guilty of preparing, initiating, conducting aggressive military operations. The court punished both organizers and executors of the inhuman plan directed against all civilians.