How were the Nuremberg Trials conducted?
In 1945, the Palace of Justice was chosen to accommodate the Nuremberg Trials, due to its capacity to hold a large amount of people, its ability to contain prisoners, and its modernized architecture. Nuremberg was selected as the city to carry out the trials in as much as the city was inside the American occupied part of Germany, which guaranteed substantial service, and would not allow Russia's corrupt government to become involved. Furthermore, Nuremberg was known as " Hitler's City" for the reasons that it specialized as a cultural location for Hitler and the Nazis annual rallies through the streets, and the infamous 1935 Nuremberg Laws were enacted there. Numerous countries and people were involved, including America, Russia, France, and Great Britain. Robert Jackson was the Chief Prosecutor for America, General Roman Rudenko for Russia, Francois de Menthan and Auguste Champetier de Ribes for France, and Hartley Shawcross for Great Britain. America’s Chief Prosecutor, Robert Jackson, addressed to the International Milletary Tribunal “The privilege of opening the first trial in history for crimes against the peace of the world imposes a grave responsibility. The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that the civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot survive their being repeated.” (Jackson one). Four indictments were devised in order to categorize the criminalistics acts. The counts included war crimes, crimes against peace, crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit crimes. War crimes were violations of the laws of war. Crimes against peace include initiating, planning. Preparing and waging of aggression in violation of international treaties and agreements. Crimes against humanity encompass exterminations, deportations and genocide of human beings. Lastly, the conspiracy to commit crimes which were the acts listed in the first three counts. The Nuremberg Trails built the foundation of a lasting international standard of guidelines for human justice.