Punishment of Axis War CRiminals - (1945 - 1948)
War Crimes Trials
The Nuremberg Trials
Through observation, here are a few of Dr. G. M Gilbert's (a prison psychologist) descriptions of/on how the defendants responded and behaved while 'they stood trial'. It was informative in terms of understanding the mindset of the Nazi hierarchy.
"Ribbentrop wandered in, aghast, and started to walk around the cell in a daze, whispering, 'Death!-Death! Now I won't be able to write my beautiful memoirs. Tsk! Tsk! So much hatred! Tsk! tsk!' Then he sat down, a completely broken man, and stared into space. . ."
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In Nuremberg, Germany, a series of 13 trials were held between 1945 and 1949, bringing Nazi war criminals to justice.
Each defendant was charged with at least one or more of four charges: "conspiracy to commit crimes alleged in other counts; crimes against peace; conventional war crimes; or crimes against humanity." Particular charges included pursuing an aggressive war, the barbarity of concentration camps, use of slave labour or enslavement, and the mass murder, or extermination of over 6 million Jews - genocidal massacre known as 'The Holocaust'. "The defendants all proclaimed their innocence, many declaring that they were just following orders or questioning the authority of the court to pass judgement." Verdicts Upheld - It was first announced as a verdict on October 1, 1946, that nineteen of the defendants were found guilty while three were exonerated. Of the nineteen convicted, eleven received death penalties by hanging, and the remaining were sentenced to imprisonment for fifteen years. |
The Tokyo War Crimes Trials |
Lasting for two and a half years, the Tokyo trials was organised by Supreme Commander MacArthur, and commenced on May 3, 1946. In total numbers, it was attended by 419 witnesses, with another 779 'affidavits' or 'depositions' submitted. For the twenty-eight Japanese men brought to trial before the IMTFE, the indicted on 55 counts of "crimes against peace, conventional war crimes, and crimes against humanity" included nine civilians and nineteen high-ranking professional military and political leaders:
- Four former premiers: - Hiranuma, Hirota, Koiso, Tojo;
- Three former foreign ministers: - Matsuoka, Shigemitsu, Togo
- Four former war ministers: - Araki, Hata, Itagaki, Minami
- Two former navy ministers: - Nagano, Shimada
- Six former generals: - Doihara, Kimura, Matsui, Muto, Sato, Umezu
- Two former ambassadors: - Oshima, Shiratori
- Three former economic financial leaders: - Hoshino, Kaya, Suzuki
- One imperial advisor: - Kido
- One radical theorist: - Okawa
- One admiral: - Oka
- One colonel: - Hashimoto
Legal action taken against the defendants were divided into fifteen phases of the Prosecution's case, and six divisions for the defence. They were accused and charged with crimes of Class A - crimes against peace, B - war crimes, and C - crimes against humanity.
Verdicts Upheld -
November 4, 1948, Australian Sir William Webb - the appointed tribunal's president - declared that all defendants had been found guilty and convicted. Seven were executed by hanging (General Tojo and six others at Sugamo prison, on December 23, 1948), sixteen sentenced to life terms, two to lesser terms, as two had died of natural causes during the trial.
It was stated that [source:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/peopleevents/pandeAMEX101.html]
"After reviewing their decisions, MacArthur expressed his regrets but praised the work of the tribunal and upheld verdicts." This shows that even he felt doing so was a misconduct - and 'although calling the duty "utterly repugnant to me," Mac Arthur went on to say, "No human decision is infallible but I can conceive of no judicial process where greater safeguard was made to evolve justice." In addition, MacArthur prohibited photography of any kind, because he was afraid and did not want embarrass and antagonise the Japanese people.
Verdicts Upheld -
November 4, 1948, Australian Sir William Webb - the appointed tribunal's president - declared that all defendants had been found guilty and convicted. Seven were executed by hanging (General Tojo and six others at Sugamo prison, on December 23, 1948), sixteen sentenced to life terms, two to lesser terms, as two had died of natural causes during the trial.
It was stated that [source:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/peopleevents/pandeAMEX101.html]
"After reviewing their decisions, MacArthur expressed his regrets but praised the work of the tribunal and upheld verdicts." This shows that even he felt doing so was a misconduct - and 'although calling the duty "utterly repugnant to me," Mac Arthur went on to say, "No human decision is infallible but I can conceive of no judicial process where greater safeguard was made to evolve justice." In addition, MacArthur prohibited photography of any kind, because he was afraid and did not want embarrass and antagonise the Japanese people.