Embodied within this link is an archive file giving the reader insight on the written submissions of the defence as well as a brief summary of the apprehension through abduction of Adolf Eichmann. Upon reading this document, the reader is given clear insight on the various counts placed against Eichmann for his association with the genocide against the Jewish People. Eichmann is charged with four counts of crimes against the Jewish People. Also, he is charged with eight counts with the commission of war crimes and three counts of the membership in an enemy organization, totalling fifteen counts. Furthermore, this document provides insight on the legal aspect and issues pertaining to the District Court of Jerusalem in the prosecution.
-Daniel Ibrahim
Although
D-Day marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany, the
end of this horrific historical episode was far from over for the Jewish
People. Having witnessed a mass genocide, the devastated Jewish people with the
help of the alied nations sought justice through the Nuremberg
The Nuremburg trials’ official records were released to the public in a series of forty-two volumes called the “Blue Series”. Issued by the International Military Tribunal, the “Blue Series” helped to inform the general public about the procedures, the charges, the sentences and the verdict of the trials. It is evident through the analysis of these source documents that the nuremberg Trials were not biased. Many precautions were made by the IMT to ensure that all aspects of the trials ran with minimal bias, and efficiently. Some of these precautions include having a bench of eight judges (two from each allied nation), appointed attorneys for the accused, and transcript and video records as evidence of fair trial.
This series does an excellent job in dissecting the Nuremberg Trials in easily accessible volumes. Through these records one is made known of the crimes the Nazi officials had committed, in a professional transcript format. The significance of these documents are that they serve as a precedent to future trials of war crimes, and one may assume that the procedures and hearings of the Eichmann trial were greatly influenced by these records. The “Blue Series” is a great primary source depicting the events of the Nuremberg Trials in a professional and unbiased manner; in the study of Nazi war crimes the “Blue Series” is an eminent research source which is much sought after.
-Gregory Kim
The Nuremburg trials’ official records were released to the public in a series of forty-two volumes called the “Blue Series”. Issued by the International Military Tribunal, the “Blue Series” helped to inform the general public about the procedures, the charges, the sentences and the verdict of the trials. It is evident through the analysis of these source documents that the nuremberg Trials were not biased. Many precautions were made by the IMT to ensure that all aspects of the trials ran with minimal bias, and efficiently. Some of these precautions include having a bench of eight judges (two from each allied nation), appointed attorneys for the accused, and transcript and video records as evidence of fair trial.
This series does an excellent job in dissecting the Nuremberg Trials in easily accessible volumes. Through these records one is made known of the crimes the Nazi officials had committed, in a professional transcript format. The significance of these documents are that they serve as a precedent to future trials of war crimes, and one may assume that the procedures and hearings of the Eichmann trial were greatly influenced by these records. The “Blue Series” is a great primary source depicting the events of the Nuremberg Trials in a professional and unbiased manner; in the study of Nazi war crimes the “Blue Series” is an eminent research source which is much sought after.
-Gregory Kim
The Evidence Controversy
Kaltenbrunner’s Letter to the Mayor of Vienna
During the Nuremberg
Trials more than 100 000 documents were submitted by allied forces as evidence against
the accused officials, however only 1000 documents were chosen to be used in
these trials as evidence. Many documents were denied as evidence due to
discovery or suspicion of forgery and illegitimacy; the IMT was very keen on
evidence in order to regulate a fair trial for those accused.
An example of an article
used in the trials, which has now been discovered to have symptoms of forgery,
is the letter Ernst Kaltenbrunner sent to the Mayor of Vienna. Kaltenbrunner
was the Chief of Security Police and certain branches of the infamous SS and
the notorious Gestapo and had been accused on all 4 counts. In document 3803-PS
Kaltenbrunner’s letter, regarding the transportation of 12000 Jews to Vienna for
forced labor purposes is displayed. Investigations of the submitted evidence have
concluded that many of the documents used in the trials were all from the same
typewriter; this has caused some suspicion of forgery but is not enough to
prove so. Furthermore, important labels and signs usually found within Nazi documents
were not very visible or present on document 3803-PS. Even though Kaltenbrunner
was found guilty on charges 3 & 4 and was sentenced to death by hanging, he
pleaded not guilty and denied his signature on the document. The controversy
remains, whether the Allied nations tried to forge key evidence in order to convict
these Nazis or either the defects found within the evidence was due to poor
record storing or retrieval.
-Gregory KimHitler's Speech
Document L-3 is an
example of a submission of evidence that was discovered to be a forgery. It
contains what was meant to be perceived as Hitler’s Second speech on 22 August
1939. However its credibility was short ridden when the IMT’s investigations
unveiled that Hitler had made only one speech on 22 August 1939. On top of that,
in L-3 you can see a stamp representing the FBI laboratory; this stamp has not
been explained at all within the trials,
and one may come to the conclusion that this document had been
tampered with. In studying the controversy of the Nuremberg trials it is important
to determine whether these Nazi officials had been treated unjustly, in unfair
trial procedures. Although it may seem that with the attempt of forged evidence
submissions the trials were biased, this is not the case;
it was in fact the IMT that pointed out in countless investigations the faulty inadmissible
evidence. Furthermore if these trials were not fair and just, one may come to
the conclusion that trying all the accused Nazis would have redundant because
all would have been found guilty on all four counts and would all face the
death penalty. But that is not the case, although many of the officials were
given the death sentence, they were not helpless in the trials; up to three
officials were found not guilty.
-Gregory Kim
Appeal Made By Germans Against Court Ruling
Within this primary source is the transcript of the appeal made by the Germans against the court ruling. This transcript gives the reader a clear and insightful idea of the stance made by the Germans to explain the reasons of their actions during the holocaust. Later on in the transcript, the defence (Germans) explain to the court their reasons for their actions. The main argument stated by the defence is that they were ordered to kill the Jewish people and could not go against authorities. Having an understanding of the defence of the accused, one can better understand the true intentions of the suspects and therefore can better answer the question of whether or not their actions are justified.
Closely relating to the area of study, this transcript explains the national law of Germany that all criminal acts of similar nature are always acts against the laws and against the will of the state. In this present case however, the defence states that their actions against the Jewish people were committed with the States consent.
-Daniel Ibrahim
Visual Propaganda
"Long Live Germany!"
The
image about is propaganda from the 1930’s, which glorifies Hitler and his
regime. This gives the most direct Christological comparison as there is a dove
descended on him just as there was one descended on Christ when he was baptised
by John the Baptist. This demonstrates the glorification of Hitler in the eyes
of Germany and therefore glorifies any decisions made by the state under his
rule. Therefore, the states consent of killing the Jewish population was
glorified through German propaganda, thus leading to the greatest genocide in
history.
-Daniel Ibrahim