I need your assistance - - Nuremberg Trials

Hi. My name is Rachel. I am 32 (I will be in about an hour anyway) and I am interested in learning more about the Nuremberg trials. My grandfather was a US guard at the trials. He is 83 years old and he enjoys talking about his experiences. However, he is having trouble remembering some details.

I am interested in this, not only for him, but I had a TERRIBLE high school history teacher and I promise I never even learned about WW2 in school. We listened to our teacher discuss football films each day in class since he was also the football coach. That is neither here nor there. I am particularly interested in the Holocaust and these trials.

Can any of you turn me in a specific direction? I am not really even sure what kinds of questions to ask.
Thanks,
Rachel

Hi. My name is Rachel. I am 32 (I will be in about an hour anyway) and I am interested in learning more about the Nuremberg trials. My grandfather was a US guard at the trials. He is 83 years old and he enjoys talking about his experiences. However, he is having trouble remembering some details.

I am interested in this, not only for him, but I had a TERRIBLE high school history teacher and I promise I never even learned about WW2 in school. We listened to our teacher discuss football films each day in class since he was also the football coach. That is neither here nor there. I am particularly interested in the Holocaust and these trials.

Can any of you turn me in a specific direction? I am not really even sure what kinds of questions to ask.
Thanks,
Rachel

Administrator Edit - One post per subject please.

 

Rachel -- Welcome! This is a fine place and I am sure one of my fellow Rogues will soon offer you the advice that you seek. Please note that I copied your post into the "Battle for Europe" thread because it is more likely to be seen by someone who can answer your query. You may want to start with Conot's Justice at Nuremberg. It is very readable.

Cheers!

 

Rachel -- Welcome! This is a fine place and I am sure one of my fellow Rogues will soon offer you the advice that you seek. Please note that I copied your post into the "Battle for Europe" thread because it is more likely to be seen by someone who can answer your query. You may want to start with Conot's Justice at Nuremberg. It is very readable.

Cheers!

​

 

Hello Rachel, and happy birthday!
For the Nuremberg Trial you might like to try these links...

nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/php/docs_swi.php?DI=1&text=overview
www.und.nodak.edu/instruct/calberts/Nuremberg/NurembergMain.html
War Crimes Trials
frank.mtsu.edu/~baustin/trials3.html
www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt

- KEViN

 

Hello Rachel, and happy birthday!
For the Nuremberg Trial you might like to try these links...

nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/php/docs_swi.php?DI=1&text=overview
www.und.nodak.edu/instruct/calberts/Nuremberg/NurembergMain.html
War Crimes Trials
frank.mtsu.edu/~baustin/trials3.html
www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt

- KEViN

 

Hello Rachel. Glad to have you with us. There are many knowledgeble rouges here who should be able to help you with what your looking for. Jump right on in and enjoy.

 

Hey Rachel,

Happy Belated birthday by the way.

You tube is an excellent source on the Nuremburg trials... lots of documentaries, and footage from the trial.

Here are a couple links...

Nuremburg - 1 to 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfqwUIPjkZU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHpVVlWyqhw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEUeDgoeZQ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5FOcw0xs0c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jufBV6ZtOZg

Also if you type in "Nuremburg day" it will give you the trials day to day court sessions..

There were other high ranking officers that were called on as witnesses

examples: Von Rundstedt... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igrmMKkRMRs
Manstein http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkAVDC-tFX0
Kesselring http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB0QyKNxLf4

Unfortunately there is no translation when they speak.. But gives you an idea on the prosecution's questions.

Here is a link to a jewish soldier's expierence at nuremburg
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6166891

Hope this will help you out..

 

Airey Neave's 'On Trial at Nuremberg' is a good read, from the chap that read out the Indictments. (And had served time in Colditz after escaping from a PoW camp, then after one more unsuccessful attempt became the first British Officer to make a home run escape from that infamous castle).

Not so much on the overall technical business of the Trials, but splendid studies of the defendants and overall very readable, gives a good 'feel' of the events.

~A

 

Thanks. It will take me some time to get through the links, but I will be on here a lot.
Appreciate it so much.

 

One book I found truly fascinating was titled " The German Generals Talk" by B.H. Liddell Hart.

It really gives a lot of insight into the war, the failures,the successes, what the Nazis really thought of the allied commanders not the propaganda which the Nazis spewed. Basically the German Generals knew the war was lost by 42'-43'.

It really got me interested in the German side of the war and answered a lot of questions for me.

 

For the Holocaust and Nuremburg (mostly Holocaust) I would highly recommend the book Smoke and Ashes: The Story of the Holocaust by Barbara Rogasky and published by Scholastic.

 

At Nuremberg, I am aware of the Soviet Prosecutor pressing for charges made against Germany, blaming them for the Katyn Massacre, but it was not agreed by American and Britain Counterparts. [ I assume that they knew that the Soviets were behind it.]

I think the total massacres at Katyn were only about 20,000 people. Did the Western Allies aware of the real large scale purges of the Soviets? [ This includes the early 1937 purges, the purposeful avenge on Ukrainian farmers , and so on.. the toll would run to about millions, i guess.]

Any idea, about this folks?

 

Any idea? Yes,a lot,but it is of topic and dangerous:some will join and say:Hitler murdered X millions and Stalin Y millions,thus Stalin-Hitler(you can choose) is better

 

Just so you know, the topic starter has not returned to the forum after starting this topic last year.

 

i understand that there might have been some controversial topic , previously. but even if stalin or hitler had purged a few millions lesser than the other , it doesnt make him innocent than the other. . lets leave the point at that.

this information is entirely related to the nuremberg trials, and i hope i will get specific information regarding to this.

1. Is there any evidence to say that the allies were aware of the crimes of their eastern counterpart? [ I have seen a lot of propoganda cartoons taking scoops at stalin, which appeared before the war.]
2. Out of the prosecutors ,judges and presiding authorities, were there any representatives of the allies other than those from u.s.a, britain, russia and france? [ some of the lesser known countries, like poland, maybe?]. i am of the belief that all the defense lawyers should have been only from germany.

 

with reference to my previous post, a small correction regarding to poland, i dont mean lesser known, but lesser powerful. where there any representatives of the less powerful allied countries to prosecute against the nazis in nuremberg or was it representatives of only the big 4 countries?

 

At Nurmberg, only the Four Major Powers sat on the bench. There were lesser trials in other areas as well however. Here is a link to a fine article concerning the Nuremberg events. Here is a section.

In Europe, most of the minor trials were held within the zones of occupation by the respective occupiers. American courts tried the concentration-camp staff at Dachau; the British dealt with the brutal Belsen guards; other Germans were tried in Denmark, Belgium, Russia, or wherever their crimes were alleged to have taken place.

Goto:

Nuremberg Trial » HistoryNet

Forgot this link to courts and sentences outside of and after Nuremberg.

Goto:

http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/warcrimcon.htm

 

hi my dad was a guard at the nuremberg trials, his name was ernie townsend born oldham manchester 1924, i am also called ernie i now abit about the trials and the guards if you wanna as any questions i will try and answer them, i would love to also talk to your grandad bet his storys are great to listen to! i have a picyure of my dad guarding the cells will look forward to hear from you

 

You will also find some rather extensive discussions and references over in the war crimes section of the axis history forum.