My final wish is that Germany should recover her unity and that, for the sake of peace, there should be an understanding between East and West. Gring was one of the surviving leaders of the Third Reich and the highest-ranking Nazi to be tried at the Nuremberg Trials where he was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death. Nuremberg - Transcript Viewer - Transcript for NMT 4: Pohl Case The second-level tier housed high-ranking SS (Schutzstaffel) officers and many of the infamous doctors who had conducted ghastly medical experiments on concentration camp prisoners. My Dad was a guard at the Nuremberg trials. US guards at the Nuremberg Trials During the months of imprisonment, the brisk gait of some of the prisoners gradually evolved into defeatist, head-bowed shuffling as acceptance of their fate gradually wore them down and eroded their will. The first of the trials was the Major War Crimes Trial, in . [214] By then, the Americans were hoping to use the offer of pardon to convicted war criminals in order to bind West Germany to the Western Bloc. [186] These trials were held under Law No. I sure would like to find out more about his service. [106][107] The Americans summoned Einsatzgruppen commander Otto Ohlendorf, who testified about the murder of 80,000 people by those under his command, and SS general Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, who admitted that German anti-partisan warfare was little more than a cover for the mass murder of Jews. These women prisoners constantly did anything they could to get a guard in trouble or disciplined.. The Nuremberg Trials: Complete Tribunal Proceedings (V. 4): Trial Proceedings From 17th December 1945 to 8th January 1946 by International Military Tribunal (shelved 1 time as nuremberg-trial) avg rating 0.0 0 ratings published Want to Read Rate this book 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars For the Tokyo Trial, see, International Military Tribunal for the Far East, Charter of the International Military Tribunal, List of defendants at the International Military Tribunal, SS Main Economic and Administrative Office, mass expulsion of millions of Germans from central and eastern Europe, confrontation with the concentration camps, Journal of International Criminal Justice, "Notre combat pour la paix: la France et le procs de Nuremberg (1945-1946)", "Le procs de Nuremberg: retour sur soixante-dix ans de recherche", "German Participation in the Nuremberg Trials and Its Implications for Today", "Imperfect Justice at Nuremberg and Tokyo", Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal, International Military Tribunal (Nuremberg Trials), International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, Special Panels of the Dili District Court, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, List of major perpetrators of the Holocaust, Nazis and Nazi Collaborators (Punishment) Law, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nuremberg_trials&oldid=1142633133, International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Courts and tribunals disestablished in 1946, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 14:39. [217][218] The last prisoner was released in 1958. [60] Conspiracy charges were especially central to the cases against propagandists and industrialists; the former were charged with providing the ideological justification for war and other crimes, while the latter were accused of economic mobilization without which no war would have been possible. [63] Jackson also rewrote the indictment with the intent of keeping the proceedings under American control by separating out an overall conspiracy charge from the other three charges. [74], Although the list of defendants was finalized on 29 August,[75] as late as October, Jackson demanded changes and expansion of the defendants list, but this was rejected. Im always looking for pictures of the guards and hoping one day I will see him as a young soldier. He was short but very powerfully built. [180][172] On 16 October, ten were hanged, with Gring committing suicide the day before. [73] Also on trial were propagandists Julius Streicher and Hans Fritzsche; Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy who had flown to Britain in 1941; Hans Frank, governor-general of the General Governorate of Poland; Hitler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach; Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Reich Commissioner for the Netherlands; and Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the leader of Himmler's Reich Main Security Office. My mothers cousin was a WAC serving in England during WW2. Other than that, Hess had no social interaction with the other prisoners. Trial issues are criminal activities or subjects at issue in a trial that are addressed by a document. [124] Paulus incriminated his former associates, pointing to Keitel, Jodl, and Gring as the defendants most responsible for the war. The names were -- Wippern, Hahnefeld and myself carried out the checking. Some smiled while others snarled at each other or harshly criticized other individuals. Nuremberg Trials Quotes (7 quotes) - Goodreads I look forward to hearing from him. [232] On 11 December 1946, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution affirming "the principles of international law recognized by the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the judgment of the Tribunal". The duty roster for guards was revised daily in an attempt to prevent the development of unauthorized relationships with prisoners. His name was Raymond J Arsenault. [144] Most defendants argued their own insignificance within the Nazi system, but Gring took the opposite approach, presenting himself as Hitler's loyalist and expecting that while he would be executed, the German people would eventually appreciate his loyalty. The Nuremberg Trials: Table of Contents | Indictments | Defendants & Verdicts Click Left/Right to Scroll American guards maintain constant surveillance over Nazi war criminals in the Nuremberg prison. Prestianni did not recall any such instances. [125], More so than other delegations, Soviet prosecutors showed the gruesome details of German mistreatment of prisoners of war and forced laborers, as well as the systematic murder of Jews in eastern Europe. Also represented were some leaders of the German economy, such as Gustav Krupp (of the conglomerate Krupp AG) and former Reichsbank president Hjalmar Schacht. [181] All three acquittals (Papen, Schacht, and Fritzsche) were based on a deadlock between the judges; these acquittals surprised observers. Where they lived. Prestianni also favorably related to Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the notorious chief of Germanys security police and a behind-the-scenes prime mover at the January 1942 Wannsee Conference where the proposed extermination of Jewry in central Europe was discussed by top Nazis. My father was also a guard, but he said he always was on the outside guarding. Gallery - Nuremberg Trials- Photos - University of South Florida He was a physical fitness fanatic who threw his cell window open in mid-winter and splashed toilet water over his bare chest and then did pushups, before meals, after meals, most any time, over and over. [87] Over the course of the trial, Western judges allowed the defendants additional leeway to denounce the Soviet Union, which was ultimately revealed to be a co-conspirator in the outbreak of World War II. Others were deemed "unfit" for Nazi society: Jews, lesbians, sex workers or homeless women. My father Ed Rossi was also a guard at the Nuremberg trials. He had been instrumental in establishing a totalitarian state. I dont remember the name of the game after all these years. The International Military Tribunal (IMT) delivered its judgment against the Nazi leaders on September 30 and October 1, 1946. [30] Article 7 prevented the defendants from claiming immunity for their actions under the act of state doctrine,[31] and the plea of acting under superior orders was left for the judges to decide. I had a chance to meet Mr. Christian Delage at a workshop on the . Afterwards, during the Berlin Blockade, they took part in securing Allied facilities involved in the Berlin Airlift and later also were guarding USA Army headquarters. My father Paul Davis Smith served at a guard at Nuremberg though he never really talked much about it so I dont know in what capacity. Michael Prestianni: Guarding the War Criminals at Nuremberg [48] The French judges were Henri Donnedieu de Vabres, a professor of criminal law, and alternate Robert Falco, who had represented France at the London Conference. Alfried was tried in a separate Nuremberg trial (the Krupp Trial) for the use of slave labor, thereby escaping worse charges and possible execution; found guilty in 1948, pardoned and all property returned 1951. Guides: German Legal Research Guide: Nuremberg Trials Materials Upon arriving in the European Theater, Prestianni, a replacement, found himself in the U.S. 1st Infantry Division. He, like the others, was always bumming cigarettes or cans of Prince Albert tobacco for his pipe. I tried to judge them myself, not by what others said of them. Three of those accused were acquitted and upon their release soon faded into obscurity. Michael R. Prestianni of Framingham, Massachusetts, who later survived months of combat in Korea. Guards were under strict orders never to respond to verbal abuse by prisoners, no matter how hateful it might be. Between 1939 and 1945, Nazi Germany waged war across Europe, invading Czechoslovakia, Poland, the Low Countries, France, Denmark, Norway, Yugoslavia, Greece, and the Soviet Union, among others. My father became an MP after the war. Adam Weishaupt, Abraham: The World's First Psychopath. [236][237], The trials were the first use of simultaneous interpretation, which stimulated technical advances in translation methods. Among those brought to trial were. My dad, Frederick M. Bencriscutto, was in the field artillery in the 1st Infantry Division during WWII. Call us at (425) 485-6059. Seven defendants (Hess, Funk, Raeder, Dnitz, Schirach, Speer, and Neurath) were sent to Spandau Prison to serve their sentences. Answer (1 of 3): Yes, he was a German lawyer named Otto Stahmer from Kiel. Although controversial at the time for their use of ex post facto law, the trials' innovation of holding individuals responsible for violations of international law established international criminal law. Boy I wish I asked more questions of the trials. Your Moms birthday and maiden name. [87] In France, some verdicts were met with outrage from the media and especially from organizations for deportees and resistance fighters, as they were perceived as too lenient. Examine some of the collection's most-accessed trial topics. When the needling did not abate and became somewhat annoying, Prestianni said he used to give the former World War I ace his own version of a little dig in return. [208][209] Many Germans lumped criminal trials with denazification, internment, and confrontation with the concentration camps, as illegitimate victor's justice and the imposition of collective guilt. I did nothing to be here, he stated. Does anyone know where I can read about the nuremberg trials from the guards perspective? Three of the defendants were acquitted: Hjalmar Schacht, Franz von Papen, and Hans Fritzsche. Twelve sets of trials, involving over a hundred defendants and several different courts, took place in Nuremberg from 1945 to 1949. The material which the Library possesses on this topic can be loosely divided into the following sections: Nuremberg Trial. He had actually tried to usurp Hitlers authority during the last days of the Reich but remained an ardent supporter of the Nazi regime during the trial, often proving himself a skilled debater. Some were convicted of historys most barbaric crimes against humanity. List of Judges Francis Biddle (American) John J Parker (American) Edward Francis Carter (American) Colonel Sir Geoffrey Lawrence, Lord Justice (British, President of the Tribunal) Sir Norman Birkett (British) Henri Donnedieu de Vabres (French) Robert Falco (French) Major General Iona Nikitchenko (Soviet) The Nuremberg Trials | American Experience | PBS There was a constant, steady flow of rules and regulations, many of them meaningless, while others tended to be more punitive, he said. What were the verdicts of Nrnberg trials? [106] Although these aspects had already been covered by the American prosecution, Soviet prosecutors introduced new evidence from Extraordinary State Commission reports and interrogations of senior enemy officers. Posted September 22, 2014. Wells, was military policeman and a Provost Sergeant in charge of a special confinement unit whose responsibilities included providing security for the war crimes trials in Nrnberg. [200] The case law of the trials fleshed out the skeleton provided by the Nuremberg charter and the IMT verdict. [52][46] The Soviet personnel's lack of knowledge of English, lack of interpreters, and unfamiliarity with diplomacy and international institutions also limited their influence. The Nuernberg trial records include transcripts of proceedings . The Subsequent Nuremberg Trials tried major war criminals, but of lower ranks than those tried in the first trial. [1] Most of the defendants were also charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sentenced to death, Reich Law Leader 193345 and Governor-General of the, Hitler's Minister of the Interior 193343 and. Her guards were repulsed, and some requested reassignment to another cellblock. Came back to the States in Jun 46. When he failed to respond to the periodic shouted challenges from the sergeant-of-the-guard, Prestianni was taken to a hospital in Nuremberg where he remained for two weeks before returning to duty. Known as the Jew Baiter, even in the United States, he was rabidly anti-Semitic. [67] Former Nazis were allowed to serve as counsel[45] and by mid-November all defendants had lawyers. 56 high-ranking SS and other police officers, including 24 leaders of the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) and key officials in Heinrich Himmler's . [79] Initially, the Americans had planned to try fourteen organizations and their leaders, but this was narrowed to six: the Reich Cabinet, the Leadership Corps of the Nazi Party, the Gestapo, the SA, the SS and the SD, and the General Staff and High Command of the Wehrmacht. By special arrangement with a guard or prison official, he gave his handwritten notes to be mimeographed and returned to him. He guarded top Nazis at Nuremberg trials; now he'll share his He maintained an air of superiority toward Dnitz, considering him still a subordinate officer. It was always a battle of authority. [45] At Jackson's recommendation, the United States appointed judges Francis Biddle and John Parker. In July 1945 the 98 th set up operations in a hospital in Munich, and several months later Col. Burton C. Andrus, prison commandant at the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, requested Gerecke's service. Minister of Foreign Affairs (until 1938), then Reich Protector for Bohemia and Moravia. The Nuremberg trials were a series of 13 trials carried out in Nuremberg, Germany, between 1945 and 1949 to try those accused of Nazi war crimes. He used to tell me he always did what he thought was right for the Fatherland but that just too much came to light during the trial.. All were destined for incarceration, at least during their trials, in two of Germanys most feared prisons: the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg and Spandau Prison on the western outskirts of Berlin. Proposals for how to punish the defeated Nazi leaders ranged from a show trial (the Soviet Union) to summary executions (the United Kingdom). On October 1, 1946, the verdicts on 22 of the original 24 defendants were handed down for the Nrnberg trials. The United States delegation outlined the overall Nazi conspiracy and criminality of Nazi organizations. I wish I would have ask more questions about his experience there. Obeying Orders | Facing History and Ourselves [85] After the American prosecution flooded the trial with untranslated evidence, the judges insisted that all of the evidence be read into the record, which slowed the trial. Another favorite was Alfred Jodl, former chief of the operations staff of the Army high command, who was found guilty and executed. Epidemic jaundice experiments High . The first attempt to punish the perpetrators was conducted by the International Military Tribunal (IMT) in the German city of Nuremberg, beginning on November . The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II. [228][24] The charge of crimes against humanity, the charge of conspiracy, and imposing criminal penalties on individuals for breaches of international law were also novel but attracted little criticism. We were given strict orders to have no contact whatsoever with these women, no conversation, no nothing and to stay well away from them, noted Prestianni. [9] The prosecutors attempted to substitute his son in the indictment, but the judges rejected this due to proximity to trial. After one of those accused, Robert Ley, former director of the nations Labor Front, hanged himself from a drain pipe with a torn towel, prisoners were kept under constant visual surveillance by guards, and while sleeping were forced to do so with their faces and hands exposed above their blankets at all times. After Ley hanged himself, this strict suicide watch was instituted, Prestianni explained. They just never admitted to it. 10 Things You May Not Know About the Nuremberg Trials Those men who liberated the camps of the Holocau. Alexandru Nicolin on LinkedIn: Waffen-SS Soldiers Guarded the Nuremberg Four were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 10 to 20 years: Karl Dnitz, Baldur von Schirach, Albert Speer, and Konstantin von Neurath. This page was last edited on 8 October 2022, at 21:33. The Nuremberg Trials After the war, the top surviving German leaders were tried for Nazi Germany's crimes, including the crimes of the Holocaust. Before and during the war crimes trial, they were to be considered still innocent, Andrus drummed into the military personnel under his command. [231], The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Trial) borrowed many of its ideas from the IMT, including all four charges. The British government was still opposed, unable to see the benefit of such a trial and preferring summary execution of Nazi leaders. Dnitz remained an unrepentant Nazi until his death in 1980. I rather liked him for the way he acted toward us. However, fraternization did occur on a regular basis and, for the most part, went unpunished by the prison administration. [234][235] Further developments in international criminal law in the aftermath of the trials included the Genocide Convention (1948) and the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949). [86] Overall, the prosecution called 37 witnesses compared to the defense's 83, not including 19 defendants who testified on their own behalf. Courtroom MPs wore stylish white MP-emblazoned helmet liners and similarly labeled brassards. [82], Over the summer, all of the national delegations struggled to gather evidence for the upcoming trial. [14][15] The exact form that retribution would take was left unresolved at the Yalta Conference in February 1945. One of the new USA light tanks (M24) on guard outside the courthouse at Nuremberg. There were limits to how much gore that could be tolerated by some of the courtroom guards, he recalled. In mid-1945, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States agreed to convene a joint tribunal in Nuremberg, with the Nuremberg Charter as its legal instrument. He was strictly military during the three months I observed him. Twelve of the defendants would be sentenced to death. In rendering these decisions, the tribunal rejected the major defenses offered by the defendants. Jobs People Learning . Q. Nuremberg Guards | WWII Forums [187] Pursuant to this law, United States forces had arrested almost 100,000 Germans as war criminals. It was eerie. Where the convicted were housed on the ground floor, lower-tier cellblock, the main corridor was 60 meters (195 feet) long, lined by 16 cells on each side, and constantly patrolled by 1st Division guards. [41][42], The United States' chief prosecutor was Supreme Court justice Robert H. Nuremberg Trials: What Happened When Nazis Faced Justice? - Forces Network Nazi Women: 10 Monstrous Female Nazi War Criminals - EnkiVillage [114], In mid-December the Americans switched to presenting the case against the indicted organizations, while in January both the British and Americans presented evidence against individual defendants. Staff Sgt. He was not tall at all and didnt really stand out in any way from the others, Prestianni said. Jodl, one of 10 prisoners hanged, was another who never admitted to any personal guilt. In return, he often was rewarded with cigarettes, pipe tobacco, or other small items he coveted. Neurath, Konstantin von. [80][81] The aim was to have these organizations declared criminal, so that their members could be tried expeditiously for membership in a criminal organization. Number 6 was Walther Funk, former minister of economics, and Number 7 was Rudolf Hess, once Hitlers private secretary and deputy fhrer. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [50][51] Because the Soviet Union expected a show trial, its appointees were familiar with this form. With the change of command by rotating countries every month, each of the countries altered the previous countrys rules. Those incarcerated at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg were allowed very limited and sporadic visitation rights with lawyers and family members. The IMT focused on the crime of aggressionplotting and waging aggressive war, which the verdict declared "the supreme international crime" because "it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole". They wanted to run the whole show. During his service in Korea, Prestianni was wounded twice and decorated for valor numerous times. Long live Germany.. [206], Many Germans at the time of the trials focused on finding food and shelter; few followed the trial closely. A defendant was entitled to receive a copy of the indictment, to offer any relevant explanation to the charges brought against him, and to be represented by counsel and confront and cross-examine the witnesses. [105] The American prosecutors were not any more effective when presenting documentary evidence on the conspiracy to commit crimes against humanity, and ended up reaching a "saturation point of horror" by their indiscriminate selection and disorganized presentation of evidence without tying it to specific defendants. He was the first of 10 hanged on October 16, 1946. [155] In the context of the brewing Cold War, the trial became a means of condemning not only Germany but also the Soviet Union.
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