Holocaust and the Nuremberg Trials

This article argues that the evidence presented at the Nuremberg trials, especially reports tendered from SS murderers to their superiors, provides incontrovertible evidence that they knew about the deliberate murder of Jews and others, a fact most defendants and subsequent apologists attempted to deny. It also demonstrates the culpability of the German Foreign Office officials whose jobs included badgering satellite governments into surrendering their Jews to the Germans for killing. The documents entered into evidence at Nuremberg help to prevent the perpetrators or by-standers from portraying themselves as victims. The trials have continued importance because they have become a model and set precedents for subsequent efforts to bring individuals to trial for war crimes and genocide.