Origin of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg By January Godkin During the course of World War II multiple atrocities were committed by the German army that, when discovered, shocked the world. The governments of the allied forces that defeated the Nazis were divided on the proper approach to dealing with the leaders of the army and government of Germany. A compromise was reached in the creation of the International Military Tribunal. The United States, United Kingdom, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and France decided to prosecute, in a court of law, Nazi offenders in a court to be set at Nuremberg, Germany, former center for Nazi politics. The 24 defendants were, for the most part, well known Nazi officials and military leaders representing the major branches of the administration. The defendants included prisoners held by each of the four nations. Only 21 defendants made it to the trial - two committed suicide and one was thought to be dead but was tried in absentia just in case he should ever surface. The Nuremberg Trials, as they would come to be known, were based on the premise of international law. The London Charter, the document which created the International Military Tribunal, set out the four crimes that defendants would be charged with the following: Conspiracy to commit aggressive war, Crimes against Peace, War crimes, and Crimes against humanity (such as the extermination camps). The court was made up of representatives of each of the four countries and presided over by an elected President. Each country took charge of prosecuting the defendants on one of the four counts. The U.S. was in charge of presenting the most difficult count to prove: the charge of conspiracy to commit war before the war started. The British took control of the crimes against peace charge, while the French and the Soviets jointly presented the West-East sides of the remaining two counts. The controversial trial, the first to ever mass-prosecute people who could claim to simply have followed orders, set a precedent for the use of international law to punish those who commit atrocities in the name of nationalism. The defendants were punished with varying in sentences. Eleven defendants received the death penalty, eight were sentenced to long prison terms, and three were acquitted of the charges against them. The legacy of the trial is extremely important to the current attempts to establish an International Criminal Court. The legacy of Nuremberg, however imperfect the trial and the ideals behind may have been, remains unfulfilled. The prosecution of war crimes in an international court has been nonexistent for most of the half-century since the Nuremberg Trials. While the UN International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, have begun to proceed with the ideals set out at Nuremberg in their prosecution of war criminals, there is still much that is needed. One hundred and twenty nations have signed a treaty agreeing to the creation of an International Criminal Court. Only seven nations voted against creating a permanent International Criminal Court, among them the United States, Yemen, Qatar, Libya, Iraq and China. The establishment of the ICC is essential to creating and maintaining a defined set of rules and laws to regulate the behavior of governments and individuals around the world.
A comment to the above: German president seems to have weak memory so as not bother about his cry for military intervention of German troops in Goma as he did on november 18th 2008 21:10 Bundespräsident Horst Köhler hat ein Eingreifen der westlichen Staaten verlangt. «Wenn wir es ernst meinen mit Werten, die für uns alle stehen, müssen auch die Europäer Soldaten stellen, um diesem Morden Einhalt zu gebieten», sagte Köhler. Well Mr. President belongs to a party which claims to stick to christian values. One is: thou shallst not kill.- The conspiracy to wage war in Congo started with German troops in Kinshasa to animate Joseph Kabila to continue his bloody job in Congo. His international reputation was even warmed up by German Pope in Rome. If ICC is to be taken serious, the coming times will show several more war criminals not only with black colour from Africa as aides but also their masters. Fortunately civilization has emerged after WW 2 with this institution but mainstream politics have in context to present financial crisis, one may say the base for this, decayed into history blackout. We wait and see. L.
Origin of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg
ReplyDeleteBy January Godkin
During the course of World War II multiple atrocities were committed by the German army that, when
discovered, shocked the world. The governments of the allied forces that defeated the Nazis were divided on
the proper approach to dealing with the leaders of the army and government of Germany. A compromise was
reached in the creation of the International Military Tribunal. The United States, United Kingdom, Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics, and France decided to prosecute, in a court of law, Nazi offenders in a court to be
set at Nuremberg, Germany, former center for Nazi politics. The 24 defendants were, for the most part, well
known Nazi officials and military leaders representing the major branches of the administration. The
defendants included prisoners held by each of the four nations. Only 21 defendants made it to the trial - two
committed suicide and one was thought to be dead but was tried in absentia just in case he should ever
surface.
The Nuremberg Trials, as they would come to be known, were based on the premise of international law. The
London Charter, the document which created the International Military Tribunal, set out the four crimes that
defendants would be charged with the following: Conspiracy to commit aggressive war, Crimes against
Peace, War crimes, and Crimes against humanity (such as the extermination camps). The court was made
up of representatives of each of the four countries and presided over by an elected President. Each country
took charge of prosecuting the defendants on one of the four counts. The U.S. was in charge of presenting
the most difficult count to prove: the charge of conspiracy to commit war before the war started. The British
took control of the crimes against peace charge, while the French and the Soviets jointly presented the
West-East sides of the remaining two counts.
The controversial trial, the first to ever mass-prosecute people who could claim to simply have followed
orders, set a precedent for the use of international law to punish those who commit atrocities in the name of
nationalism. The defendants were punished with varying in sentences. Eleven defendants received the death
penalty, eight were sentenced to long prison terms, and three were acquitted of the charges against them.
The legacy of the trial is extremely important to the current attempts to establish an International Criminal
Court. The legacy of Nuremberg, however imperfect the trial and the ideals behind may have been, remains
unfulfilled. The prosecution of war crimes in an international court has been nonexistent for most of the
half-century since the Nuremberg Trials. While the UN International Criminal Tribunals for the former
Yugoslavia and Rwanda, have begun to proceed with the ideals set out at Nuremberg in their prosecution of
war criminals, there is still much that is needed. One hundred and twenty nations have signed a treaty
agreeing to the creation of an International Criminal Court. Only seven nations voted against creating a
permanent International Criminal Court, among them the United States, Yemen, Qatar, Libya, Iraq and China.
The establishment of the ICC is essential to creating and maintaining a defined set of rules and laws to
regulate the behavior of governments and individuals around the world.
A comment to the above:
ReplyDeleteGerman president seems to have weak memory so as not bother about his cry for military intervention of German troops in Goma as he did on november 18th 2008 21:10
Bundespräsident Horst Köhler hat ein Eingreifen der westlichen Staaten verlangt. «Wenn wir es ernst meinen mit Werten, die
für uns alle stehen, müssen auch die Europäer Soldaten stellen, um diesem Morden Einhalt zu gebieten», sagte Köhler.
Well Mr. President belongs to a party which claims to stick to christian values. One is: thou shallst not kill.-
The conspiracy to wage war in Congo started with German troops in Kinshasa to animate Joseph Kabila to continue his bloody job in Congo. His international reputation was even warmed up by German Pope in Rome. If ICC is to be taken serious, the coming times will show several more war criminals not only with black colour from Africa as aides but also their masters. Fortunately civilization has emerged after WW 2 with this institution but mainstream politics have in context to present financial crisis, one may say the base for this, decayed into history blackout. We wait and see.
L.