Nuremberg Trials
From 1945 to 1946, after the war in Europe ended, many rigorous trials had been conducted to prosecute the leaders who had committed immoral
crimes. There were four possible actions the guilty could have been convicted of; crimes against peace, crimes against humanity, war crimes and conspiracy relating to any of the three previously mentioned crimes. The International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, signed by representatives from France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States, stated that any individual or
group were to be found guilty of committing any of the four war crimes listed above. This tribunal created an international set of laws. One of the laws stated that only an individual, not a state, can be punished for war crimes (Axelrod 1).
The consequences for committing war crimes are morbid and violent for most. Most offenders were sentenced to death by hanging while others were sentenced to life in prison (“War Criminals Are Convicted at the Nuremberg Trials” 1). The guilty were hung because being shot to death was considered to be an honorable death. These men were stripped of all their achievements and embarrassingly hung in front of thousands. Before being hung the guilty were thrown in prison until the day of their death. Prison rules were very strict making escape and suicide virtually impossible. There were some people that were able to take their lives before being hung. Most of the men that were sentenced to life had died of old age. The rest committed suicide just because they simply couldn’t handle going on with life in that way. The Nuremberg Trials were important to preventing a World War III from happening by taking away the top Generals. Without their leadership, violent attacks could not be done.
crimes. There were four possible actions the guilty could have been convicted of; crimes against peace, crimes against humanity, war crimes and conspiracy relating to any of the three previously mentioned crimes. The International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, signed by representatives from France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States, stated that any individual or
group were to be found guilty of committing any of the four war crimes listed above. This tribunal created an international set of laws. One of the laws stated that only an individual, not a state, can be punished for war crimes (Axelrod 1).
The consequences for committing war crimes are morbid and violent for most. Most offenders were sentenced to death by hanging while others were sentenced to life in prison (“War Criminals Are Convicted at the Nuremberg Trials” 1). The guilty were hung because being shot to death was considered to be an honorable death. These men were stripped of all their achievements and embarrassingly hung in front of thousands. Before being hung the guilty were thrown in prison until the day of their death. Prison rules were very strict making escape and suicide virtually impossible. There were some people that were able to take their lives before being hung. Most of the men that were sentenced to life had died of old age. The rest committed suicide just because they simply couldn’t handle going on with life in that way. The Nuremberg Trials were important to preventing a World War III from happening by taking away the top Generals. Without their leadership, violent attacks could not be done.