The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial, 1945-46: A Documentary History (The Bedford Series in History and Culture)

Between November 1945 and October 1946, 22 high-ranking Nazi officials defended themselves before the International Military Tribunal. Reproducing significant sections of the trial record, this volume also outlines the background to the trial, traces the preparations made by the principle actors in the courtroom, and considers how the prosecution, defense, and tribunal dealt with the counts against the accused. Commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the most important judicial proceeding of the twentieth century, this is the first book to examine historically the indictment of 22 Nazi leaders at the end of World War II. Skillfully weaving text and documents, the author presents the complex trial in its dramatic setting, in its historical context, and in legal perspective. The wide array of 73 primary documents - including journalistic accounts, private reflections, and tribunal transcripts - lets students evaluate first-hand the words of both prosecutors and defendants. Also provided are photographs of the trial, a chronology, brief biographies of the defendants, a selected bibliography, and an index Written by Michael Marrus, this text is an introduction for students to the complex 1946 war crimes of major Nazi leaders such as Goering, Hess and Himmler. Documents in every chapter include verbatim testimony, verdicts and cross-examination