World War II had catastrophic consequences: no fewer than 60 million people died . In the camps, 6 million Jewish people and 800 000 other prisoners lost their lives. Some 300 000 prisoners died during the evacuations of the camps. Europe was devastated, as cities were destroyed by bombs and tanks. In Germany, 70% of its cities were in ruins.
The war left every country weakened, destroyed and in debt. The United States was the only country without debt. Its economy had actually improved during the war. By 1945, the United States owned 2/3 of the world’s gold reserves, its industrial production had doubled, and its gross national product (GNP) had increased by 82%. The end of the war marked the dawn of America’s prestige and global dominance.
All of society was traumatized by the war years. International agreements, conventions and human rights had been violated without consequence, especially with the widespread use of torture. The whole world was alarmed by the impact of the atomic bomb and its after-effects.The fear of nuclear power was born and would only increase in the years that followed, with the Cold War.
The global community was shocked to learn about the horrors that took place inside concentration and extermination camps. The organized mass killing of Jewish people was revealed to the world. There were massive migrations as people returned home, including workers exiled in Germany, deportees, camp survivors and soldiers.
In February 1945, at the Yalta Conference, the Allies discussed the postwar reorganization of the world and governed its principles. Realizing the League of Nations’ inability to prevent another world war, the countries founded the United Nations (UN), which would play a more active role. Its purpose was to maintain international peace by arbitrating international conflicts. The UN, which included almost every country in the world, was established with the goal of preventing future world wars.
The UN’s most powerful organ was its Security Council, made up of five permanent members with veto power (USSR, United States, China, France, Great Britain) and representatives of the other member states.
Between July 17 and August 12, 1945, at the Potsdam Conference, the new European borders were defined, despite some disagreements. The USSR gained new territories while Germany lost some. Italy lost its colonies while Japan lost its annexed territories. During this conference, the countries also established the terms of the Nuremberg trial.
Germany went through a period of denazification during which several trials were held to try individuals who had not been accused and prosecuted at the Nuremberg trials. Europe was still experiencing a wave of antisemitism and Jewish communities demanded the creation of a Jewish State. Israel was established in May 1948. The international community associated Germany with Nazism for a long time.
After the war, populations and leaders wanted to see justice served. Those responsible for the horrors of the Holocaust (Shoah), the camps and the gas chambers had to be held accountable. The concept of crimes against humanity was introduced during the Nuremberg trials.
A special tribunal was created to ensure that the trials would be conducted fairly and to avoid a purely vengeful approach. It was called the International Military Tribunal (IMT) and was made up of four judges: one from France, one from Great Britain, one from the United States and one from the Soviet Union.
The trial took place between November 20, 1945 and October 10, 1946 in Nuremberg, a symbolic choice since Nuremberg was the meeting place of the Nazi party. A total of 24 defendants were set to be tried. Each defendant was a Nazi party leader or a key military leader. All the defendants pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial.
They were charged with three counts: crimes against peace (for violating peace treaties), war crimes (for violating treaties/laws) and crimes against humanity (for organizing an extermination).
Several Germans accused the jury of being biased. They felt the trial was nothing more than the vanquished being judged by the victors, and that all of Germany was on trial. Critics argued that the trial did not judge the massacres carried out by the Soviets or the use of the atomic bomb and did not take into account anti-Nazi Germans.
The trial allowed the judges and the people to hear testimonies from the defendants and the survivors, as well as the Allied soldiers who participated in the Liberation, and to view images taken during the liberation of the camps, etc. The defendants’ testimonies raised several philosophical questions, in particular: Is a person guilty if they were just following orders? How much were the defendants really aware of the structure they were a part of?
The defendants, none of whom expressed any remorse, clearly explained the roles they played in the Nazi Party’s plans. From the very beginning of the trial, four Nazi organizations were designated as being criminal organizations. It was a crime to be a member of the Nazi Party, the SS, the Gestapo or the Nazi security service. The verdict was reached on October 1st, with 12 defendants sentenced to death, some sentenced to prison and three acquitted. Some defendants committed suicide in their cells before receiving their sentence.
The Nuremberg trial led to the introduction of international justice, the recognition of crimes against humanity and the definition of what constitutes genocide. Several smaller trials were later held to try Nazis and members of the SS as many committees searched for former Nazis all over the world.