This year marks eighty years since the start of the international criminal trial following World War II of captured Nazi leaders. In May 1945, President Truman appointed Justice Robert H. Jackson to serve as United States chief counsel for these prosecutions. In August 1945, Jackson signed for the U.S. the international agreement creating the court and defining its jurisdiction and procedures. In October 1945, that court, the International Military Tribunal, met for the first time, in Berlin. In November 1945, the trial began in Nuremberg.
In recognition of the 80th anniversary and Nuremberg’s enduring significance, Smithsonian magazine has just published freelance writer David Noonan’s article, “At Nuremberg, World War II’s Battle Turned to the Courtroom, and an Eloquent Lawyer Helped Lead the Allies to Victory.”
The article is a good introduction to Jackson and Nuremberg, and it is accompanied by information on various Nuremberg films.
Click this link to read the article:
