The Nuremberg Trials Essays (2078 words) - Nazism,

The Nuremberg Trials The Nuremberg Trials The Nuremberg trial was built up to be the trial of the century. In the words of Norman Birkett, who served as a British alternate judge: it was the greatest trial in history . The four most intriguing characters of this trial were of vast contradiction to each other; there was Herman Georing the relentless leader, Joachim von Ribbentrop the guilty and indecisive follower of Hitler, Hjalmar Schacth the arrogant financial wizard of the Rich and Albert Speer the remorseful head of armament and munitions. Three of the four allies wanted the Nazi leaders to be executed without a trial Winston Churchill said, They should be rounded up and shot like dogs but the Americans persuaded the other allies that a trial would be most beneficial from a public relations standpoint, so now with the allies agreed the stage for Nuremberg was set. The four most fascinating leaders of the Nazi party that were put on trial were Georing, von Ribbentrop, Schacth and Speer, not so much individually but together. Georing was presumably the most famous and high ranking of all the defendants tried at Nuremberg. He had joined the Nazi party in 1922 and ascended to the post of president of the Reichstag in essence Hitlers number two man. He like many of the others tried was very intelligent, but seemed to be much too aware of it. He defend himself and Hitler vigorously saying the victor will always be the judge and the vanquished the accused. Von Ribbentrop was the German foreign minister in theory, but in reality he was just a messenger of Hitlers will with no real power. He was said by all Nazi leaders to be very week and indecisive to the point of asking prison barbers and guards for advice for his defense. The once powerful man who made foreign policy decisions that cost millions there lives could not even decide if he felt remorse or if he was correct in his actions. Schacth the German in charge of finances and the Reichsbank considered himself to be innocent in the absolute. He stated that he did help rearm Germany but that was hardly a crime because the allied military inspectors watched as we broke the treaty of Versailles. He said his proof of being innocent was that he served time in a German concentration camp for disagreeing with Hitler. The most repentant of all the Nazi higher ups was Albert Speer. He wanted to take responsibility for actions, and wanted the others to do the same. Speer was in charge of munitions and armament. The defendants all pleading not guilty, they were now left with the task of waiting for there fate. With the defendants all in custody the next step of the trial would be for the allies to organize their prosecution and manufacture the charges agents the defendants. The allies indicted the Nazis under four counts with each allied country dealing with one count. Committee (1) Conspiracy to commit crimes alleged in other counts (United States) Committee (2) Crimes agents peace (England) Committee (3) War Crimes (France) Committee (4) Crimes agents humanity (Russia) The United States alleged that the Nazi party as a whole committed conspiracy to start an aggressive war, to commit crimes agents humanity (slave labor and the stealing of resources) and to cleanse the world of various ethnic groups. After the Nazi party acquired governmental control over Germany they conspired to:(a compressed version of the indictment as a whole by all four countries) Conspiracy to Commit Crimes Agents the peace -Re-arm and reoccupy the Rhineland in violation of the treaty of Versailles (World War II surrender terms, limitations on Army, Air Force and Navy) -On 5/21/1935 the Germans falsely announced to the world that they would fallow the Versailles and Locarno Pacts (Territorial and weapons treaty) -Aggressive action agents Austria and Czechoslovakia. -As of 1937 plans were made for the conquest of Austria and Czechoslovakia contrary to what Hitler said Germany neither intends, nor wishes to interfere in the internal affairs of Austria -The planning to start war with Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Yugoslavia, Greece, England and Russia. Conspiracy to Commit War Crimes and Crimes Agents Humanity. -The Nazi party conspired to commit ethnic cleansing. -The Nazi