On December 20, 1945, the Allied Control Council
issue
Control Law No. 10, establishing the basis for "the prosecution of war
criminals and similar offenders." Each of the occupying
authorities
was authorized, in its occupation zone, to try persons suspected of
committing
war crimes. The Military Governor of the American Zone
subsequently
enacted Ordinance No. 7, establishing military tribunals with the power
to try and punish. Each of thetribunals was comprised of three
American
lawyers, usually past or present members of state judiciaries.
The
judges were recruited by the War Department. Basic information on
each of the eleven subsequent trials appears in the table below.
(Numbered by date of indictments.) |
|
(Opening statements to verdict.) |
|
|
The Doctors (or Medical) Case |
Twenty-three Nazi physicians charged with conducting inhuman experiments on German civilians and nationals of other countries. The experiments ranged from studying the effects of high altitude and malaria to sterilization. |
to Aug. 20, 1947 |
acquitted. |
|
Milch Case* |
Former German Field Marshall Erhard Milch charged with murder and cruel treatment of POWs, and with participation in experiments dealing with effects of high altitude and freezing. |
to Apr.16,1947 |
|
|
The Justice (or Judges) Case |
Nine members of the Reich Ministry of Justice and seven members of the People's and Special Courts charged with using their power as prosecutors and judges to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. (This trial inspired the movie Judgment at Nuremberg.) |
to Dec. 4, 1947 |
|
|
The Pohl/WVHA Case* |
Oswald Pohl and seventeen other members of WVHA (Economic and Administrative Office) charged with war crimes against POWs in concentration camps which WVHA controlled after spring of 1942. |
to Nov. 3, 1947 |
|
|
The Flick Case |
Six members of the Flick Concern, a group of industrial enterprises (including coal mines and steel plants) charged with using slave labor and POWs, deporting persons for labor in Geman-occupied territories, and plundering private property--the "Aryanization" of Jewish properties. |
Dec. 22, 1947 |
|
|
The I. G. Farben Case |
Twenty-four defendants, all in the IG Farben industrial concern, charged with plunder and spoliation of private property in German-occupied territories and other war crimes. |
Jul. 30, 1948 |
|
|
The Hostage Case |
Twelve defendants, officers in the German Armed Forces, charged with murdering thousands of civilians in Greece, Yugoslavia, and Albania, commiting acts of devastation in Norway and other countries, drafting orders denying POWs rights, and ordering the slaughter of surrendered troops. |
to Feb. 19, 1948 |
|
|
The R. U. S. H. A. Case |
Fourteen defendants, officials in the Race and Settlement Office and the Office for the Strenghtening of Germandom, charged with crimes against humanity relating to murder, deportation, and torture on political, racial, and religious grounds. |
Mar. 10, 1948 |
|
|
The Einsatzgruppen Case |
Twenty-four defendants, all
members of German mobile killing units, the Einsatzgruppen, charged with the murder and ill-treatment of POWs and civilians in occupied countries, and with wanton destruction not justified by military necessity. |
Apr. 9, 1948 |
|
|
The Krupp Case |
Alfred Krupp and eleven other defendants, all members of the Krupp industrial concern, charged with enslavement and other war crimes, including the plunder of public and private property. |
to Jul. 31, 1948 |
|
|
The Ministries Case |
Twenty-one defendants, including three Reich Ministers, as well other members of the Nazi Party hierarchy, charged with waging wars of aggression, violating international treaties, and committing various crimes of war and crimes against humanity. |
to Apr. 13, 1949 |
|
|
*LINK TO HARVARD LAW SITE
NUREMBERG
TRIALS HOMEPAGE