The Moral Legacy of Nuremberg: Justice, Amnesty, and International Law
The Nuremberg Trials: Historical Context and Significance
Historical Impact: Nuremberg is synonymous with significant historical events:
Nazi Rallies: Boosted Hitler's success, with million Germans cheering him in .
Nuremberg Laws (1935): Systematically deprived Jews of citizenship, marking a key step in Nazi oppression.
Nuremberg Trials (1945): Demonstrated for the first time that those committing crimes against humanity must be punished, establishing genocide as an international crime.
Establishment of the Tribunal:
Post-WWII Context: Within months of World War II's end, the four victorious Allied nations (Britain, America, France, and the Soviet Union) put leading Nazis on trial.
Unprecedented Move: It was novel and unprecedented to offer deadly enemies a hearing in a court of law, rather than summary executions, which was an initial Allied idea until early .
Location: Nuremberg was chosen because of its historical resonance with Nazism, and its Palace of Justice and a large prison had survived bombing largely unscathed.
Chief Prosecutor: American Justice Jackson expressed pride in the trial, highlighting that powerful victors chose reason over vengeance, submitting captives to the judgment of law.
British Prosecutor: Hartley Shawcross, Britain's Attorney General, hoped the tribunal would act with