Nuremberg

Description

A few months after the end of World War II, with the international community outraged at the excesses committed by Germany, trials against war criminals were convened in Nuremberg, the symbolic seat of Nazism. There was a series of twelve trials, but it was the first that was the most prominent. Top military and governmental figures including Goering, Hess, Von Ribbentrop, and Durnitz were among those first prosecuted. Later trials followed against doctors, bankers, industrialists and others.Entirely composed of historical footage, including some newly discovered archival films, Nuremberg brings to life the challenge of administering justice when crimes are on such a scale. Fifty-five million people had been killed in World War II; seven million civilians in the Soviet Union alone. Although the first trial was concluded successfully with death or imprisonment for those found guilty, the subsequent trials were compromised by Cold War politics. The Soviet Union was now regarded as a threat by its former allies and a reconstructed Germany was to be a buffer. Many imprisoned Germans were pardoned and restored to power if they were considered useful to the West. In the end, the cold War overturned to American commitment to justice.

Runtime

53 min

Creator

Trombley, Stephen

Subjects

Genre

Date of Publication

1997

Database

Alexander Street

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