The Trials of Nazis at Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-49

The Trials of Nazis at Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-49. Subsequent Nuremberg Trails and Judge Paul M. Hebert. , After World War II Nazi leaders and military officers faced punishment by an International Military Tribunal of four judges representing the United States. Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. All defendants were charged with at least one of four offenses: war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace, and conspiracy to commit any of those crimes. , The first verdict was announced on October 1, 1946. Of the 22 officials involved in the early, more famous trials, 3 were acquitted, 7 received prison terms, and 12 were sentenced to death by hanging. , Subsequent trials at Nuremberg and elsewhere brought to justice a variety of Nazis including doctors, scientists, lawyers, and businessmen. A few criminals like Adolf Eichmann, so-called "architect of the Holocaust," fled and were prosecuted after their capture. Others like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels committed suicide to avoid surrender and disgrace. , Unique in many ways, the trials at Nuremberg established the principle that individuals are responsible for war crimes and can be held accountable for violating the basic rules of human behavior and decency. Not every action is excusable because defendants claim that they were forced to follow the orders of their superiors. While the trials sparked some controversy, the justice meted out to Nazi war criminals has not been seriously challenged. The proceedings ultimately led to permanent entities such as the International Criminal Court. , [Reverse] , Twelve subsequent Nazi trials were held before United States military courts. Paul M. Hebert, Dean of the L.S.U. Law Center from 1937-77. served as one of the judges from 1947-48. He heard the case involving the German chemical and pharmaceutical giant I. G. Farben. One of the largest companies in the world, it had used slave labor from concentration camps. Hebert became well known for his strong dissent when the majority voted to acquit 13 of the 23 defendants who had served on Farben's governing board.