Closing Statement by The French Prosecution

The French summation was delivered by the chief prosecutor M. Auguste Champetier de Ribes on July 29, 1946. He began by paying tribute to the disclosures of the Trial for the benefit of history. He stated that the Germans as “a great people” controlled by a small minority of criminals.
In summarizing the kinds of atrocities committed he mentioned the taking and shooting of hostages, the burning down of whole villages in France and Holland, the maltreatment of prisoner of war and forced labor.

Produced by US Army Signal Corps 1945-1956, housed in National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Digitized and provided by The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive.

The French summation was delivered by the chief prosecutor M. Auguste Champetier de Ribes on July 29, 1946. He began by paying tribute to the disclosures of the Trial for the benefit of history. He stated that the Germans as "a great people" controlled by a small minority of criminals. In summarizing the kinds of atrocities committed he mentioned the taking and shooting of hostages, the burning down of whole villages in France and Holland, the maltreatment of prisoner of war and forced labor.

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