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The Nuremberg trials
After the war, the Allies put the surviving leaders of the Nazi regime on trial in Nuremberg. The proceedings set standards for international justice that still matter.
Why Nuremberg?
After Germany's defeat in 1945, the victorious Allies, the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union and France, agreed to try major Nazi leaders in a court rather than simply punishing them. Nuremberg was chosen partly because its Palace of Justice was largely intact, and partly because of the city's symbolic link to the Nazi Party rallies and the 1935 race laws. Do not confuse the trials with the earlier Nuremberg Race Laws.
The International Military Tribunal
The first and best-known trial was held by the International Military Tribunal (IMT) from November 1945. It had judges from each of the four Allied powers. The defendants were charged with some combination of crimes against peace (planning and waging aggressive war), war crimes, crimes against humanity and conspiracy. Prosecutors relied heavily on the regime's own documents, plus film evidence and witness testimony.
The verdicts
The tribunal delivered its verdicts on 1 October 1946. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum summarises the outcome for the 22 defendants:
| Outcome | Defendants |
|---|---|
| Death sentence | 12, including Joachim von Ribbentrop, Hans Frank, Alfred Rosenberg and Julius Streicher |
| Life imprisonment | 3 |
| Prison terms of 10 to 20 years | 4 |
| Acquitted | 3 |
Hermann Goering, one of the condemned men, died by suicide before his execution. The fact that three defendants were acquitted is sometimes pointed out as evidence that this was a genuine trial, not a show.
Other trials
The IMT was only the beginning. Further trials followed, including trials of doctors, judges, industrialists and officers, as well as many trials in national courts in Germany and across Europe that continued for decades. The vast majority of perpetrators were never brought to justice.
Criticism and debate
Some critics said that the Allies were judging the defeated, and that the trials applied law retrospectively. Supporters argued that the crimes were so grave that a tribunal was needed, and that the principle that individuals are responsible for their actions, even when following orders, was essential. The debate itself helped develop international law.
Legacy
Nuremberg influenced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Genocide Convention, the Geneva Conventions and later international tribunals and the International Criminal Court. It also left behind a vast documentary record that historians still use, which is one reason Holocaust denial fails.
Seeing Nuremberg in the UK
The final room of the Holocaust Galleries at IWM London focuses on the Nuremberg Trials, and displays include the headphones that defendant Hans Frank wore at the trial. See remembrance and learning for visiting information, and check opening times before you travel.
Reading the record
The trial transcripts, exhibits and films collected for Nuremberg are held in archives and libraries around the world, and many have been digitised. They are primary sources, which means they should be read with care: they were produced for a courtroom, and each side had reasons to present its case in a particular way. Historians compare them with other evidence, and a good study question is to ask what the documents show, who created them and why.
What it tells us
Nuremberg showed that leaders could be held legally accountable for atrocities. It did not undo the harm or provide full justice for survivors and victims' families, but it created a lasting record and legal principle. To follow how the war reached its end, see the Second World War in outline.
Frequently asked questions
When were the Nuremberg verdicts announced?
The International Military Tribunal announced its verdicts on 1 October 1946.
How many defendants were sentenced to death?
Twelve defendants received death sentences, three got life imprisonment, four were given 10 to 20 years and three were acquitted.
What is the difference between the Nuremberg trials and the Nuremberg Race Laws?
The Nuremberg Race Laws were Nazi laws announced in 1935 that stripped Jews of citizenship rights. The Nuremberg trials were the Allied war crimes trials held after the war.