Robert H. Jackson Center

Nuremberg Day 11-20

Nuremberg Day 12 British Opening Statement

The International Military Tribunal established to hear evidence against 21 of the leading Nazis commenced in Nuremberg Germany on November 20, 1945. On the 12th day (Dec. 4, 1945) Sir Hartley Shawcross, the British Chief Prosecutor and the Attorney General of Great Britain presented the opening statement dealing with aggressive war and beach of treaties. The British prosecution staff focused on Count 2 of the Indictment. Sir Hartley underlined the significance of building a record which showed the suffering caused by aggression and the violation of treaties and the need for a world order with the power to hold responsible those who break the rules of law.

Nuremberg Day 13 Maxwell-Fyfe

The third week of the Trial saw the British put on their case dealing with Count on Aggressive War and Violation of Treaties. After the opening statement by Sir Hartley Shawcross, Deputy Chief British Prosecutor, Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe on December 5, 1945, dealt with how Count Two would be handled. He outlined that the Nazis had entered into a score of treaties which had been broken. His purpose was to build a clear record concerning the fundamentals of international law applicable to the case on aggressive war (both Counts One and Two).

Nuremberg Day 16: Kaltenbruner Plea

On the 16th day of the Trial, Dec. 10, 1945, the Defendant Ernst Kaltenbruner was brought into the dock for the first time. He had been confined in a nearby Army hospital with a circulatory illness. He was the deputy to Reichsfuehrer Heinrich Himmler. He plead not guily and said "I do not believe i have made myself guilty".
He was followed by Sidney Alderman, Counsel to the American Delegation, who presented the case on Collaboration with Italy and Japan and the Case on Aggressive War against the United States.

Nuremberg Day 17 Nazi Plan

The 17th day of the Trial, Dec. 11, 1945, marked another memorable day . Almost the entire day was devoted to the showing of captured German films. Commander James Donovan, an Assistant Trial Counsel, supervised the production of the film entitled The Nazi Plan". It was a comprehensive review of the Nazi period portrayed by German photographers. It was divided into four parts: 1."The Rise of the NSDAP, 1921 to 1933; 2. "Acquiring Control of Germany, 1933-1935; 3. "Preparation for Wars of Aggression, 1935-1939; 4. "Wars of Aggression, 1939-1944".The introduction to this excerpt relating to part 1 of the film is by Fred Graham of Court TV, which produced a ten hour documentary on the Nuremberg Trial.

Nuremberg Day 17 Nazi Plan II

December 11, 1945 marked another memorable occurrence. Almost the entire day was devoted to the showing of captured German films. Commander James Donovan supervised the production of the film entitled "Nazi Plan". It was a comprehensive review of the Nazi period as portrayed by German photographers. It was divided into four parts: 1. "The Rise of the NSDAAP, 1921-33; 2. "Acquiring Control of Germany, 1933-35"; 3. "Preparation for Wars of Aggression, 1935-39"; and 4. "Wars of Aggression, 1939-1944".

Nuremberg Day 17 Servatius

On Dec. 11., 1945, Thomas Dodd, deputy American prosecutor, during his presentation on "The Exploitation of Forced Labor", was introducing a memorandum dated April 17, 1943 written by Dr. Lammers, when Dr. Robert Servatius objected to the fact that this memorandum had not been provided to the Defense. Judge Lawrence ruled that the prosecution should make such documents available on a timely basis.

Nuremberg Day 18 Forced Labor

The use of slave labor by Nazi Germany, its operation of the concentration camps , and its persecution and extermination of the Jews and Gypsies produced more tragedy for more people than any other Nazi behavior except aggressive wars. Thomas Dodd, American Trial counsel presented the case entitled "The Exploitation of Forced Labor". Dodd's presentation dealt in great detail with the activities of the Defendant Fritz Sauckel, Plenipotentiary General for Manpower, and of the Defendant Albert Speer, Reich Minister of Armaments and Munitions.

Nuremberg Day 19 Concentration Camps

The first major submission on the concentration camps was made by Thomas Dodd on Dec. 13, 1945. "The concentration camp was one of the fundamental institutions of the Nazi regime in the battle against the Jews, the Christian Church, labor, those who wanted peace and opposition and nonconformity of any kind.
This excerpt displays evidence relating to the Mauthausen Concentration Camp, photographs of tattooed human skin taken at the Buchenwald Camp and a shrunken human head. He also presented evidence of death books kept at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp.

Nuremberg Day 20 Persecution of Jews

On Dec. 14, 1945, Maj. William F. Walsh, of the American Delegation, continued his presentation of the case of the persecution and murder of the Jews. This excerpt displays evidence regarding the use of gas vans for execution and the treatment of Jews in the Occupied Parts of the Soviet Union.