The Nuremberg Trial Opens
The trial of major Nazi war criminals before the International Military Tribunal opened in Nuremberg on November 20, 1945.
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The Event
The trial of major Nazi war criminals before the International Military Tribunal opened in Nuremberg on November 20, 1945.
The Wider Story
Prosecutors from the Allied powers presented evidence of aggressive war, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Documents, film and witness testimony made the proceedings a major exercise in establishing a public record.
Putting the Event in Perspective
The opening day was not the verdict or sentencing.
Reading the Historical Record
The trial continued into 1946, and later Nuremberg proceedings involved different defendants and legal structures.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: an empty illustrative Nuremberg courtroom with document files and distant court officials. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
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