Anklageschrift des Internationalen Militärgerichtshofes gegen die 24 nazistischen Kriegsverbrecher – “In Nuremberg, There Are Judges!” The Indictment of the International Military Tribunal Against 24 Nazi War Criminals, as Presented by the International Military Tribunal. Hoffmann & Reiber Publishing, Görlitz, 1945 – First Edition. The historic indictment published at the opening of the Nuremberg Trials, just before the commencement of proceedings and the verdicts.
A complete transcript of the indictment filed by the prosecution—the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and the French Republic—against 24 Nazi war criminals who spearheaded the execution of the “Final Solution” for the extermination of the Jewish people in Europe. Key defendants included Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel, Karl Dönitz, Martin Bormann, and others. Among the 24 defendants tried, Martin Bormann was tried in absentia, as the Allies were unaware of his suicide in May 1945.
The indictment outlines the conspiracy’s inception with the founding of the Nazi Party, emphasizing the defendants’ roles as leaders, members, or sponsors of the Nazi Party. It details the creation and implementation of Nazi racial doctrines, the establishment of totalitarian control in Germany, the suppression of dissent through brutal means, the systematic extermination of the Jews, and the execution of specific war crimes. The document provides harrowing descriptions of mass executions, atrocities against civilian populations in occupied territories, the establishment and operation of death camps, and the methods of execution employed, including gas chambers, shootings, and other torturous means. It also documents the looting of public and private property, the deportation of Jews to camps across Europe, and the crimes committed in Eastern Europe. The second part of the indictment details the individual crimes committed by each defendant, their roles within the Nazi Party, and their direct involvement in the atrocities.
The indictment states:
“All the defendants participated with various others over a period of years prior to May 8, 1945, as leaders, organizers, instigators, and accomplices in the formulation or execution of a common plan or conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, against the laws of war, and against humanity as defined in the Charter of this Tribunal. Pursuant to the provisions of the Charter, each defendant is responsible for his own acts and for all acts committed by others in the execution of such a plan… The development and execution of the common plan or conspiracy involved the commission of war crimes by the defendants, who waged ruthless wars against nations and their populations in violation of the laws of war. These violations included: murder, ill-treatment, and deportation of civilian populations from occupied territories for slave labor or other purposes; murder and mistreatment of prisoners of war… detention and killing of hostages; plundering of public and private property; and wanton destruction of cities, towns, and villages unjustified by military necessity. The common plan or conspiracy had as its objective, and the defendants determined and carried out, crimes against humanity in Germany and in occupied territories, employing typical and systematically implemented measures such as: murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts against civilian populations before and during the war, as well as persecutions on political, racial, and religious grounds…”
The drafting of the indictment was divided among representatives of different nations. The British and Americans focused on “aggressive war, ” while other delegations addressed crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Western (French) and Eastern (Soviet) fronts. The American delegation outlined the overarching Nazi conspiracy and the involvement of Nazi organizations. On September 17, 1945, the delegations met to finalize the indictment. Translating the indictment and evidence into the Tribunal’s official languages—English, French, and Russian—as well as German, posed significant challenges due to the scope of the task and the difficulty of recruiting translators, especially from the Soviet Union. The trials began on November 20, 1945, and the indictment was fully prepared, with this booklet likely published around the same time.
The defendants’ responses to the charges varied. Some, led by Hermann Göring, maintained an air of superiority and denied the Tribunal’s authority, insisting that their actions were lawful and in the interest of the German people. The International Military Tribunal accepted the prosecution’s position and ruled that the charge of aggression was the gravest offense. The most severe offenders were sentenced to death by hanging, while others received lengthy prison terms.
47 pages. Wear on the front cover. Spine reinforced with tape. Good condition.
