Nuremberg Trials
November 20th, 1945 began the four year trial of twenty-four major political and military leaders of Nazi Germany. The charges against these figures range from crimes against humanity to aggressive war. The indicted were brought into a court room for their cases to be heard by the International Military Tribunal.
It was decided that the trials would be held where they were committed- Germany. They were held in Nuremberg, Germany in the Palace of Justice. Nuremberg was chosen specifically because it was said to be the "birthplace" of the Nazi Party since there were annual propaganda riots and meetings held there for the Nazis. The Palace of Justice was chosen because it was one of the only buildings that had sustained minimal damage, was very big so it could hold a lot of people, and there was coincidentally a prison in the building as well.
The four allied countries each contributed to the trial by suppliying a chief prosecutor as well as a judge with an alternate:
Judges:
-Francis Biddle (United States)
-John J. Parker (United States alternate)
-Colonel Sir Geoffery Lawrence (Britain)President of Tribunal
-Sir Norman Birkett (Britain alternate)
-Professor Henri Donnedieu De Vabres (France)
-Robert Falco (France alternate)
-Major General Iona Nikitchenko (Soviet Union)
-Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Volchko (Soviet Union alternate)
Chief Prosecution:
-Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson (United States)
-Attorney General Sir Hartley Shawcross (Britain)
-Francois de Menthon (France)
-Lieutenant General Roman Andreyevich Rudenko (Soviet Union)
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/Nuremberg_trials.html.
Federal Research Division; Library of Congress, n.d.
It was decided that the trials would be held where they were committed- Germany. They were held in Nuremberg, Germany in the Palace of Justice. Nuremberg was chosen specifically because it was said to be the "birthplace" of the Nazi Party since there were annual propaganda riots and meetings held there for the Nazis. The Palace of Justice was chosen because it was one of the only buildings that had sustained minimal damage, was very big so it could hold a lot of people, and there was coincidentally a prison in the building as well.
The four allied countries each contributed to the trial by suppliying a chief prosecutor as well as a judge with an alternate:
Judges:
-Francis Biddle (United States)
-John J. Parker (United States alternate)
-Colonel Sir Geoffery Lawrence (Britain)President of Tribunal
-Sir Norman Birkett (Britain alternate)
-Professor Henri Donnedieu De Vabres (France)
-Robert Falco (France alternate)
-Major General Iona Nikitchenko (Soviet Union)
-Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Volchko (Soviet Union alternate)
Chief Prosecution:
-Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson (United States)
-Attorney General Sir Hartley Shawcross (Britain)
-Francois de Menthon (France)
-Lieutenant General Roman Andreyevich Rudenko (Soviet Union)
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/Nuremberg_trials.html.
Federal Research Division; Library of Congress, n.d.