Nürnberg trials summary

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Nürnberg trials, (1945–46) Trials of former Nazi Party leaders held in Nürnberg, Ger. At the end of World War II, the International Military Tribunal was established by the U.S., Britain, France, and the Soviet Union to indict and try former Nazis as war criminals. The tribunal defined the offenses as crimes against peace (planning and waging of war in violation of treaties), crimes against humanity (extermination, deportation, and genocide), and war crimes. After 216 court sessions, 3 of the original 22 defendants were acquitted, 4 (including Karl Dönitz and Albert Speer) were sentenced to prison for terms of 10 to 20 years, 3 (including Rudolf Hess) were sentenced to life imprisonment, and 12 (including Wilhelm Keitel, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Alfred Rosenberg, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, and Julius Streicher) were sentenced to death by hanging. Hermann Göring committed suicide before he could be executed, and Martin Bormann was convicted in absentia.

Axis leaders Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini

Axis powers Summary

Axis powers, coalition headed by Germany, Italy, and Japan that opposed the Allied powers in World War II. The alliance originated in a series of agreements between Germany and Italy, followed by the proclamation of an “axis” binding Rome and Berlin (October 25, 1936), with the two powers claiming

Walter Cronkite Summary

Walter Cronkite was an American journalist and pioneer of television news programming who became known as “the most trusted man in America.” He was the longtime anchor of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite (1962–81), for which he reported on many of the most historic events of the latter

Nürnberg Summary

Nürnberg, city, Bavaria Land (state), southern Germany. Bavaria’s second largest city (after Munich), Nürnberg is located on the Pegnitz River where it emerges from the uplands of Franconia (Franken), south of Erlangen. The city was first mentioned in 1050 in official records as Noremberg, but it

Adolf Eichmann listening to an Israeli court's verdict

war crime Summary

War crime, in international law, serious violation of the laws or customs of war as defined by international customary law and international treaties. The term war crime has been difficult to define with precision, and its usage has evolved constantly, particularly since the end of World War I. The