Dachau Defence by Alan Garfield

7/31/2019 Dachau Defence by Alan Garfield

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/dachau-defence-by-alan-garfield 1/15

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"DefendingtheIndefensible:DouglasBatesandtheDachauWarCrimeTrial"

AlanGarfield,Chair,ComputerGraphicsandInteractiveMedia

UniversityofDubuque,Dubuque,IowaUSA

Publicmemoryiscontestedterrain,thehistorianHerbertMarcuseobserves,especiallywhenthepasteventinmemoryisHitler’sunimaginablyevilmodelofaconcentrationcampoutsidethetownof

Dachau,Germany.1Seventyyearson,weareusedtoseeingmodernrevisionismasatourdeforceinthe

redefinitionofthatmemory.ButasregardsDachau,thatmythof“notme”culpabilitybeganalmost

immediately.HereishowthepostwarmayorofDachau,JosefSchwalber2,succinctlysummarizedwhat

hadhappenedatthatconcentrationcampinaspeechgiventohigh-rankingAlliedofficialsonNovember

9,1945atDachauCastle:

LadiesandGentlemen!Howpeacefullifeoncewashere!Dachau,oncetheepitomeofrural

stolidityandearthiness,closelyboundtoitsartistsandtheirnobleculturaleffortsformorethana

century!ThatwasonceourDachau!Butthennon-localsadistscameandsettledontheoutskirts

ofourcity,andwithhorrorandfearwehadtowatchastheydefiledthenameDachauintheeyes

oftheentirecivilizedworld.Fortwelvelongyearstheconcentrationcampweighedlikeanightmareuponus.

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Ifweexaminethisspeechmoreclosely,weseethatSchwalberfirst

evokesapositiveimageofDachaubeforedescribinghowDachau

citizens“hadtowatch”whileimmobilizedby"horrorandfear"as

thosealien,inhumaneoutsiderscreatedacampthatwastodefile

theirreputation.Asimilarsentiment,withincredulousovertones,

wasexpressedbyaliberationsoldieratDachauwhoisdocumented

asstatingthatthisfellowHitlermusthavebeenquitesomeguy,since

heseemedsinglehandedlyabletogoverntheentirecountry,control

themilitary,andexecutemillionsofpeopleinthoseconcentration

camps.4

TheterriblehorrorsthatwentoninDachauisfactfromits

ceremonialopeningonMarch22,1933(seefigure1)toitsliberation

onApril29,1945.5Inthispaper,thefactsaresurprisinglysimple:the

DachauConcentrationCampwasliberatedbytheUSArmy's42nd

Infantry(theRainbowDivision)underMajorGeneralHarryCollins13

yearsafteritsopeningonApril29,1945.

Thefirst-everconcentrationcamptrial–an8manmilitarytribunal,

theDachauWarTrial-startedfiveandahalfmonthslateron

November15,1945.Andwhilefinalargumentsandthetribunal’s

findingsweredeliveredonDecember12,1945,actualsentencingoccurredonDecember13,1945,one

monthafterthebeginningofthetrial.

Figure1.March21,1933announcementoftheopeningoftheDachau

ConcentrationCamp.MünchnerNeuesteNachrichten(TheMunichLatestNews).



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MilitarytrialsafterthedefeatoftheNazisoccurredinfastsuccession,somuchsothattotheAmerican

mediaandpublic,theDachauWarTrialsoftenblurredoneintoanother.6Manytrialstookplaceat

Dachau,butthefirstone,theoriginal,wastheDachauWarTrialspecificallyabouttheDachau

ConcentrationCamp.TheotherstookplaceatDachau,buttheirfocuswasonconcentrationcamps

outsideofDachau.

TheDachauWarTrialhasbeendocumentedinHolocaustliterature.However,theargumentsanddirectionofthedefenseinthis,thefirstwarcrimestrial,hasnot.Therefore,Iwillfocusonthisone

monthtrialbylookingatthestrategyofthechiefdefensecounsel,DouglasT.Bates,IIwithinthe

contextoftheTribunal.7

WhyHaveWarCrimeTrials

Thoughtheideaofwarcrimetrialshadbeencirculatingasearlyas1942,itwasbynomeansaforegone

conclusionthattherewouldbetrials.Thedetailsinvolvingjurisprudencewasanopenquestion.8When

PresidentFranklinRooseveltstatedin1942“thatjustandsurepunishmentshallbemetedouttothe

ringleadersresponsiblefortheorganizedmurderofthousandsofinnocentpersonsandthecommission

ofatrocities”,hewasnodoubtrememberingthefailedwartrialsofWorldWarI.9Threeyearsafterthe

warendedin1919,theAlliedpowersturnedoveralistof896personschargedwithspecificcrimes

(basedupontheGenevaConvention)totheGermancommandintendedtobeprosecutedbythenew

GermanSupremeCourt.ItwasassumedthatsinceGermanywasdefeated,itwouldsoonbecomeagain

anationgovernedbylaws.ButpostWorldWarIGermanydidnotaggressivelyprosecute.Only45men

werebroughttotrial(5%rate)withonly9foundguilty(1%).Furthermore,ofthose9,theinitial

sentenceswereminimal(6monthsto4years)andintheend,nooneservedafullterm.

ClearlytheAlliedforcesdidnotwantarepeatofwhattheysawasthatgapofformaljusticethatwas

experiencedaftertheWorldWarI.Reportshadbeguntofilterbackaboutconcentrationandlabor

camps,thoughmostreliablenewssourcestendedtominimizewhattheyhadseenorheardevenfrom

firsthandwitnessreports.JamesAgee(inTheNationinMay,1945)andMiltonMayer(inThe

ProgressivealsoinMay,1945)eitherdidn’tbelievetheaccuracyofthefilmfootagetheysaworthoughtithadbeenmanipulated.

10Afterthewar’sendandtheliberationofthefirstcamp–Dachau–Joseph

PulitzerJr.admittedintheNewYorkTimesthattheearlierreportshadbeenunderstatements.11

TheMoscowDeclaration(fromOctober30,1943)clearlystatedtheintentionbytheAlliesthattheNazis

responsibleforwarcrimesshouldbebroughttojustice.Whilethedetailswerenotthere,theattitude

was.Soonafter,onAugust8,1945,cametheLondonAgreementandCharterwhichmoreclearlylaid

outthisnotionofjudicialaction.Thefourmajorpowers(US,GreatBritain,RussiaandFrance)would

independentlytrythoseGermanscapturedintheirrespectivezonesofoccupation.TheAlliesquickly

launchedtheirindividualwarcrimesprogramsandtheDachauWarTrialwasthefirst.

DachauTrial:MilitaryorCivilian?

SincetheRainbowDivision(USArmy42ndInfantry)troopsliberatedDachau,theUnitedStatesdecided

toinitiatethefirsttrialthere,65milessouthofNurembergwheretheInternationalMilitaryTribunal

(IMT)waspreparingtoprosecutetopNaziofficials.ItwasdecidedthattheJudgeAdvocatesGeneralsof

theUSArmywouldorganizealltrials.12TheDachaucourtwasmadeupofeightseniorofficers,allwith

therankoffullcolonelwhohadactivefieldservice.TheywereLesterAbele,WendellBlanchard,George

Brunner,JohnJeter,LairdRichards,GeorgeScithers,PeterWardandJohnLentz,BrigadierGeneraland

presidentofthecourt.ColonelMickeyStraight,chiefoftheJAGWarCrimesBranch,appointedthe

court.13



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Itwascleartoallthattherewouldbemilitarywarcrimetrialsandthattheywouldberatherquickly

pulledtogether.Itwasalsoclearlytheexpectationthattheywouldbefinishedquickly.Butforahostof

reasons,nottheleastofwhichwasthattheworldwaswatching,theprocessoflawneededtobe

followedandfollowedseriously.Theprosecutorhadtoinvestigateandidentifychargesandappropriate

personnelwhowouldmatchthosecharges.Thedefensecounselhadtodohisbesttodismissthe

chargesanddefendthoseaccused.AndyetatDachau,neithertheheadprosecutor–Lt.Colonel

WilliamDenson,HarvardLawSchoolgraduateandWestPointinstructor–northeheaddefense

councilorLt.ColonelDouglasT.Bates,II,graduateofVanderbiltandStamfordLawSchoolin

Birmingham,Alabamahadanyexperiencewithwarcrimes.14

BothhadservedthemilitaryinEuropeanoperationsandhadbeenactiveincombatuntiltheendof

WorldWarII.Nowtheywereordered,simplyput,to

prosecuteanddefend.Sincetheydidnotyethaveenough

pointstorequeststate-sideactiveduty,theirroleswere

notvoluntary.15

OpeningDay,November15,1945

Twowarcrimetrialshadbeenscheduledtoopenin

NovemberinGermany.Themorefamousone,associated

withNuremberg,wastotrytwentyfourprominent

membersofthepolitical,military,andeconomic

leadershipofthedefeatedNazisattherestoredPalaceof

Justice.Butreconstructioncausedadelay.Sothefirst

WorldWarIIwarcrimestrial,whichwasintendedtotry

fortyconcentrationcampofficialsandguards,startedat

10am,November15,1945,inacrowded200footroom,

dominatedbya6footAmericanflag(seeFigure2).Under

theflagwasa15foottablewitheightchairsforthe

Americanmilitarytribunaljudges.Infrontofthejudges’tablesatthevariouscourtreporters(using

shorthandandtypewriters).Infrontofthereporterswererowsofchairsforspectators,admittedonly

byticket(seeFigure3).

Itisestimatedthattherewere400spectatorswhenthetrial

began.Theprosecutorssattotheleftofthejudges’table;the

defensesattotherightofthejudges’table.Inbackofthe

defenseareasatthe40menaccused,ranginginagefrom18

to74(seeFigure4).1617

Figure3.November15,1945.Visitor’sPassfor

DachauWarTrial.CourtesyofYadVashemPhoto

Archive,Jerusalem,Israel.

Figure2.November15,1945.ViewoftheDachauWarTrial.

UndertheAmericanflagisthemilitarytribunal.Onright,

defensecounselinfront;rowsofprisonersinback.Onthe

bottomofphoto,prosecutorsfromtheback.Courtesy

NationalArchivesandRecordsAdministration,CollegePark,

Photograph#11454.



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Whiletheopeningdayswerepacked,soonthecourtroomsettledtojustahandfulofspectators(see

Figure5).

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Thelackofpressattentionweighedontheprosecutor,WilliamDenson.ItwaswelcomedbyDefenseCounselDouglasT.Bates,II.

19

MilitaryTribunalRules

Amilitarycourtoperateswithitsownsetsofrules,oftendifferentthantherulesofthecountrywhereit

occurs.Theserulesdefinethelimitsofthecourt,whatitwillhear,whatitwillruleon,andhowitwill

approachtheevidence.Ofcourse,theserulesaretakenseriouslybytheprosecutorandthedefense

counselsincetheyindicatewhatwillorwillnotbeinterpretedasgermaneincourt.Therewerethree

explicitdirectionsfromtheDachauWarCrimeTribunal.

Onedirectionstatedthatprobativestatements(hearsay)wouldbeallowed.Oftenincriminallaw,

probativestatementsareviewedassoftandunreliable.Ajuryisofteninstructedtoignoreprobativestatements.ButundertherulesestablishedbytheTribunal,probativestatementswereallowedifthey

seemedrelevanttoareasonableman.20Thisconcessionwasprobablyallowedsincesomany

eyewitnesseshadbeenkilled.

Aseconddirectioninvolvedthescopeofthe

Tribunal’sjurisdiction.TheDachauWarTribunal

wouldonlyprosecutecrimescommittedbyGermans

againstnon-GermanswhowereatwarwithGermany.

Thescopeofthecourt,then,wouldnotexamineany

claimsmadethatGermancitizensmighthavebrought

againsttheGermansrunningDachau.21

AthirdstipulationwasthattheTribunalwouldonly

hearcrimeswhichoccurredbetweenJanuary1,1941

andApril29,1945(theliberationofDachau).

Bates’DefenseStrategy

Whilethecounselsforthedefensehadnodoubtof

theguiltofeachofthe40prisoners,theysawitas

Figure4.November15,1945.ViewoftheDachau

WarTrial.Defensecounselinthefrontwith

Germanprisonersintheback.CourtesyUnited

StatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum,Washington,

D.C.

Figure5.November15,1945.TheroomattheDachau

WarTrialwaspackedduringthefirstweek.Courtesy

JewishVirtualLibrary.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/ww2/malm

edy2.html.

Figure6.November,1945.DouglasT.Bates,IIwithDr.Klaus

Schilling.CourtesyHoraceR.HansenPhotoArchives,

UniversityofMinnesotaLawLibrary.



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theirdutytocreatethebestdefensepossible.WhiletheyknewthiswouldproducefrictioninDachau

amongthelawyersandtheirteams,fromthestarttheytriedtorepresentthedefendantsactively.This

wassimplythewayithadtobeastheworldwatched(seeFigure6).22

1.Askfordismissalofchargesbasedon

vagueaccusations(commondesign).

Afterthetwochargeswerereadtothedefendants,theTribunalpresidentasked,

“Howdoyouplead?”Thedefense

immediatelyrequestedtohavethe

chargesdroppedduetotheirvagueness.23

Theprosecutionsettledonthegeneric

“commondesign”chargeratherthan“crimes

againsthumanity”charge(whichwasthe

basisfortheNurembergtrials).Underthe

“commondesign”concept,organizationsas

wellasindividualscouldbechargedwithwar

crimes.Membershipinanorganizationwasenoughtoconvictanindividualofawar

crime,whetherornottherewasawitnessto

testifythattheaccusedwasseencommitting

anycriminalacts(seeFigure7).24Infact,not

oneofthe40accusedattheDachauWar

Trialwaschargedwithcommittingaspecific

crime,butratherwithaidingandabettingthecommissionofcrimesintheconcentration

campsystem(whichwasdesignatedbytheAlliestobeacriminalenterprise).Thelegalbasisforthe

“commondesign”chargewasArticleII,paragraph2ofLawOrderNo.10,passedbytheAllies.25

Fromtheoutset,itwasthedefense’sstrategytodiscreditthechargesagainsttheirclients.Defense

counselcontinued,“Whatismyclientchargedwith?Murder?Torture?Beating?”Themotionwas

denied.

2.Objectontechnicalities.

Theprosecution’sfirstwitnesswasMedicalCorpCol.LawrenceBallwhobroughtanevacuationhospital

toDachautwodaysaftertheliberation.WhentheprosecutoraskedwhatBallfoundatDachau,Bates

immediatelyobjected.“LiberationwasApril29.That’sthedatethecourtset.May2isanotherdate

entirely.”Themotionwasdenied.

UponBall’stestimonyoffindingthousandsofbodiesin38railroadcars,Batessoughttodiscreditthe

medicalcorpsman.“DidyouknowwhetherthantrainwasgoingtoorfromDachau?”“Didyouknowof

thenationalityofanyofthebodiesyoufound?”“SomeofthosebodiescouldhavebeenGerman,likethebodiesinthecrematorium.”TheTribunalonlyagreedtohearcriminalchargescommittedagainst

Alliedcitizens(American,Belgian,BritishandFrench).MotionwassustainedandBall’stestimonywas

notallowed.

3.Challengesimple,probativestatements(eventhoughtheTribunalallowedthem).

Incross-examiningacampsurvivor,Batesasked,“Whenyoufirstarrivedhere,thingswerenotsobad

consideringitwasaconcentrationcamp,werethey?”Hegotthesurvivortoadmitthatitgotmuch

Figure7.December10,1945.DachaucommandantMartinWeiss

(facingtheTribunal)duringhistestimony.CourtesyofNationalArchives

andRecordsAdministration,CollegePark.Photograph#11454.





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discharginghisdefensedutiesquicklyandwithoutpersonalorprofessionalrisk,hisdefensestrategy–

riddledwithobjectionsandaprofoundphilosophicalviewoftheethicalnatureofpostvictor’slaw–was

madeatgreatpersonalcost(andthishemusthaverealizedatthetime).27Throughstatements,

objectionsandcross-examinations,weseequestionsofindividualaccountability,medicalethics,

internationalcriminallaw,universaljurisdiction,humanrightsandthetranscendenceoflawinBates’

defense.Asaresult,itislaterreflectedintheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,theGenocide

Convention,theEuropeanConventionfortheProtectionofHumanRightsandFundamentalFreedoms,

andthecreationoftheInternationalCriminalCourt.28

Conclusion

BecauseofthefirstDachauWarTrial,andinparticularDouglasT.Bates,II’sactivedefense,certainbasic

principlesemergedandenteredintothemodernlexiconofinternationallaw.Theseincludetheban

againstaggressivewar,violationsofthelawsandcustomsofwar,inhumanactscommittedoncivilians,

individualliabilityofheadsofstateforwarcrimes,rejectionofthe"superiororders"defense,andthe

rightofaccusedwarcriminalstoafairtrial.

ThreeofthoseprinciplesbecamethephilosophicalgroundingofBates’defenseattheDachautrial:the

notionoffollowingorders,theimportanceofdocumentingwarcrimes,andtherighttoafairtrial.

Firstprinciple:Inspiteoftheprosecutor’sbeliefthata”followingorders”defenseisnotrequiredattrial,

itwasthedefense’sviewthat“followingorders”neededtobeproven(asitwas65milesnorthin

Nuremberg).

Batespinnedhisdefensestrategynotonrefutingthe“commondesign”theorybutthatthe

defendantscouldnotbepunishedforfollowingorders.Inresponse,theprosecutorsprovedthat

nostaffmemberinaconcentrationcamphadeverbeenexecutedforrefusingtofollowanorder.

ThishelpedconvincetheTribunalthatconcentrationcampworkerscouldbeheldresponsiblefor

thecrimesagainconcentrationcampinmates.Thisprinciple,thenotionthat“followingorders”

needstobeexamined,hasplayedanimportantroleinmanysubsequentwarcrimetrials,themost

recentbeingtheconvictionofformerYugoslavarmychiefMomčiloPerišić. 29

Secondprinciple:Itisextremelyimportanttodocumentwarcrimesandhumanrightsviolations,bothfor

thelegalsakeofthetrialandforposterity.

TheDachauWarTrial(andlatertheNurembergtrial)wascharacterizedintheinternationalpress

byanexcessofdocumentation.Courtroomchambersemptiedwithinthefirstweekofthetrial

becauseofthetediousdetailthatbothlawyerswiselywantedontherecord.Inlateryears,both

prosecutorDenson(inaseriesoflawschoolspeeches)anddefensecounselBates(thoughnever

written,clearlyexpressedtohisfamily)insistedthatbydocumentingtheNaziatrocities,there

couldbenogroundfordenialofthesecrimesinthefuture.30

Thirdprinciple:Everywarcrimedefendanthastherighttoafairtrial.

SomeAlliedleaders(amongothersWinstonChurchillstandsout)suggestedexecutingNazis

withoutatrial.ButothersfeltstronglythattheAlliedforcesshouldavoid"victor’sjustice".Thusat

Dachau,thedefendantshadimportantproceduralrights,includingtherighttothedefense

attorneyoftheirchoiceandtherighttorefusetotestify.Theycouldcross-examinegovernment

witnesses,makestatementstotheTribunal,andhaveallproceedingstranslatedintoeach



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prisoner’snativelanguage.TheGermandefendantsexpressedsurpriseattherightsaccorded

them.

Inconclusion,theapproachtakenbydefensecounselDouglasT.Bates,IIinsuredthatthistrial–thefirst

oftheWorldWarIIwarcrimetrials–wouldestablishtheinternationallegalprecedenceneededfor

whatwastocome.This,thefirstDachauWarTrial,certainlybecauseofthesuccessfulprosecutionbut

alsobecauseoftheseriousdefense,becamethe“concept”behindNurembergandwhatwouldlaterbeadoptedbytheUNin1950astheSevenPrinciplesofNuremberg.

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Postscript

InthecourtyardoftheCumberlandLawSchool,

StamfordUniversity,Birmingham,Alabama,

(Bates’almamater)standsthisbronzesculpture

byGlennAcreeentitled“LadyJusticeHeldBack

byLadyMercy”.Inaway,thissculpture

becomesamovingmetaphorforthe

courageousanddeterminedcommitmentto

valuesexpressedbyDachauDefenseCounsel,

DouglasT.Bates,II.

EndNotes

AversionofthispaperwaspresentedattheELLEConference,September16-17,2011,atPartium

ChristianUniversityinOradea,Romania.IamgreatlyindebtedtoDouglasT.Bates,III,sonofthe

DachauWarTrialchiefdefensecounsel,forhiscooperationandassistanceinthisproject.Itisanunderstatementtosaythatthispapercouldnothavebeenwrittenwithouthisfactualhelpandfilial

pride.ToPhyllisGarfield,Igratefullyacknowledgeherinvaluableadviceinreadingthedraftsofthis

paper.IammostgratefulforthefinancialsupportinthisresearchfromTheWendtCenterforCharacter

andEthics,UniversityofDubuque;theFacultyDevelopmentFund,UniversityofDubuque;andthe

JackalineDunlapInternationalStudiesFund,UniversityofDubuque.

1 InadiscussionofNationalSocialismduringanunpublishedspeechinSeattle,WA,Marcuse

differentiatedanddeconstructedthemeaningsof“remembering”,“recollection”,“commemoration”,

“memorygroups”and“collectivememories”.See"DachauandtheMemoryofNationalSocialism,"at

theconference"GeteilteGeschichte:AHistorySharedandDivided.TheTwoGermanies1945-1990,"

sponsoredbytheGermanAcademicExchangeService,Seattle.Onlineat:

http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/present/seattle.htm .

2 Schwalber(aWeimarerastylepolitician)wasappointedandthenelectedasDachau’sfirstpostWWII

mayor.Thisspeech,intendedtosoftenthehorrorsthathadoccurredinDachau,wasgivenoneweek

beforethefirstDachauWarTrial(thefocusofthispaper)started.



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3 Forthecompletespeech,see StatioOrbis.Kösel,Munich.VolumeII.1961.pp.164-169.Apartial

translationcanbefoundinHaroldMarcuse.LegaciesofDachau:theusesandabusesofa

concentrationcamp,1933-2001. CambridgeUniversityPress,Cambridge.2001pp73-74.

4 Fortheseandotheropinionsbytheliberationsoldiers,pleaseseeSamDann,editor. TheRainbow

LiberationMemoirs.TexasTechUniversityPress.1998.

5 TheDachauConcentrationCamp,builtontheruinsofanoldermunitionsplant,opened51daysafter

Hitlertookpower.OfficialnoticeappearedinMünchnerNeuesteNachrichten(TheMunichLatest

News)onMarch21,1933.

"TheMunichChiefofPolice,Himmler,hasissuedthefollowingpressannouncement:

OnWednesdaythefirstconcentrationcampistobeopenedinDachauwithan

accommodationfor5000persons.'All Communistsand—wherenecessary—Reichsbanner

andSocialDemocraticfunctionarieswhoendangerstatesecurityaretobeconcentrated

here,asinthelongrunitisnotpossibletokeepindividualfunctionariesinthestateprisons

withoutoverburdeningtheseprisons,andontheotherhandthesepeoplecannotbe

releasedbecauseattemptshaveshownthattheypersistintheireffortstoagitateand

organizeassoonastheyarereleased."

6 WhilethispaperfocusesontheoriginalDachauWarTrail,subsequenttrialstookplaceimmediately

afterwardsatDachau:MauthauseninApril1946,FlossenbürginJanuary1947,BuchenwaldinAugust

1947,MühldorfinMay1947,andNordhauseninAugust1947.Formoreinformation,see“Some

NoteworthyWarCriminals”fromHistoryoftheUnitedNationsWarCrimesCommissionandthe

DevelopmentoftheLawsofWar.UnitedNationsWarCrimesCommission.London:HMSO,1948.

Onlineat:http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/warcrimcon.htm.

7 AllreferencestotheDachauWarCrimeTrialrefertotheoriginaltypedtranscript,nowavailableonlineat:http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/dachautrial/d3.pdf.Anabridged

version,oftensited,isavailableonlineat:http://www.uni-

marburg.de/icwc/forschung/2weltkrieg/usadachau?order=id_trial&order_type=asc&offset=0&count=

25&id_trial=492.AmongrecentpublicationsthatexaminethetrialsinDachauandtheircontinuing

influencebothwithinandoutsideofGermany:HaroldMarcuse.LegaciesofDachau:TheUsesand

AbusesofaConcentrationCamp,1933-2001.CambridgeUniversityPress,Cambridge.2001.JoshuaM.

Greene. JusticeatDachau:TheTrialsofanAmericanProsecutor.BroadwayPublishers,NewYork.

2003.

8 Indeed,historywasbeingwrittenateveryjuncture.AndeventhoughtheAlliedpowersthroughtheMoscowDeclarationandtheLondonAgreementindicatedthattheywantedaformalactionwhich

wouldclearlyandofficiallyholdtheNazisresponsiblefortheatrocities,whenthegenerals

(Eisenhower,BradleyandPatton)descendeduponDachautheirinitialresponsiblewasnotso

deliberative.GeneralOmarBradleyinhisdiaryrecountedthatPattongotontopofhisjeepand

shoutedtohismen,“Seewhatthesesonsofbitchesdid?Seewhatthesebastardsdid?Idon’twant



10

youtotakeaprisoner!”DeborahDashMoore.GIJews:HowWorldWarIIChangedaGeneration.

HarvardUniversityPress,Cambridge.2004.p.229.

9 CharlesCheneyHydeandEdwinD.Dickinson."PunishmentofWarCriminals".Proceedingsofthe

AmericanSocietyofInternationalLawatItsAnnualMeeting(1921-1969).Vol.37,(April30-May1,

1943),p.39.Onlineat:http://www.jstor.org/pss/25657076 .

10 PaulJohnson.AHistoryoftheJews.Harper&RowPublishers,NewYork.1988.p.504andJames

Agee,"Films,"TheNation,Vol.60:May19.1945,p.54.ForfurtherdiscussionofAgee'srefusalto

acknowledgeWWIIatrocitiesseeHughDavis.TheMakingofJamesAgee.UniversityofTennessee

Press,Nashville.2008.

11 “USArmyandtheHolocaust”Onlineat:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0020_0_20242.html .ThompsonGale

ReferenceTeam,editors.ContemporaryAuthors:JosephPulitzer,Jr.(1885-1955). 2007.DigitalEdition

only.JoshuaM.Greene. JusticeatDachau:TheTrialsofanAmericanProsecutor.BroadwayPublishers,

NewYork.2003.p.14.

12 JudgeAdvocatesGenerals(JAGs)havebeentheattorneysfortheUSArmy’slegalneedssince1775.

WhilethispaperfocusesontheDachauWarTrial,inallofWorldWarII(inGermanyandJapan)the

JAGswereresponsiblefor189trialsinvolving1672defendants.JayM.Siegel. OriginsoftheNavy

JudgeAdvocateGeneral'sCorps:AHistoryofLegalAdministrationintheUnitedStatesNavy,1775to

1967.USGovernmentPrintingOffice,Washington.1998.

13 IthasbeenobservedthattheJAGsweresimplyovertheirheadssincecrimes,thelikesofwhichthey

weretoadjudicate,hadneverbeenpartoftheirbackgroundbefore.Simplyput,suchcrimesatsucha

scalehadneverbeendocumentedinlawproceduresbeforeanditwascleartobothchiefprosecutorandchiefdefensecounselthattheywereforgingnewdirections.

14 Theprosecution’sfivememberteamwas:Lt.ColonelWilliamDenson(Tennessee),Lt.PaulGuth(New

York),CaptainPhillipHeller(NewYork),CaptainWilliamD.Lines(Florida),CaptainRichardG.

McCuskey(Ohio),andCaptainDalwinJ.Niles(NewYork).Thedefense’sfivememberteamwas:Lt.

ColonelDouglasT.Bates,II(Tennessee),CaptainJohnA.May(Texas),MajorMauriceJ.McKeown

(NewJersey),CaptainDalwinJNiles(NewYork)andGermanlawyer(formerprisonerinDachau

chosenbytheaccusedthemselves)KarlvonPosern.

15 Themilitary"pointsystem",usedtorotateUSsoldiersbacktotheUnitedStates,wentintoeffectafter

thewarended(May8,1945inEuropeandAugust15,1945inJapan).Thosewhovolunteeredorwho

hadbeendraftedduringthewarwereinthewaruntiltheendofhostilitiesplusoneyear.Thepoint

systemwasannouncedandputineffectonlyafterarmistice.Therewereacertainnumberofpoints

forhowmanytimesyouwerewounded,formedalsyoureceived,forthelengthofservice,forthe

numberofcombatdays,etc.Thecutoffnumberwas85.Forfurtherexplanation,see:

http://users.skynet.be/jeeper/point.html .



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16 ThePalaceofJusticewaschosenasthesiteofthetwotrialsforahostofreasons.Itwaswithinthe

AmericanzoneofoccupationandthereforecouldbeorganizedaccordingtoAmericandirections;it

wasvirtuallyundamagedandinimpressivecondition;itwasverylarge(anticipatingcrowdsof

journalistsandpoliticians);itsprisonwasintact;andsymbolicallythecitywasthelocationofNazi

partyrallies,offeringasoberingmetaphorofjustice.Thetrialstookplaceincourtroomnumber600.

AndthoughthemainNazileadershadalreadycommittedsuicide(HeinrichHimmler,AdolfHitlerand

JosephGoebbels),itwasdecidedtotrysecondtierNazi-ideologicalleaderslikeKarlDönitz,Hans

Frank,WilhelmFrick,HansFritzsche,WaltherFunk,HermannGöring,RudolfHess,AlfredJodl,Ernst

Kaltenbrunner,WilhelmKeitel,KonstantinvonNeurath,FranzvonPapen,ErichRaeder,Joachimvon

Ribbentrop.AlfredRosenberg,FritzSauckel,HjalmarSchacht,BaldurvonSchirach,ArthurSeyss-

Inquart,AlbertSpeerandJuliusStreicher.Toputthesetrialsinperspective,theNurembergtrialssaw

theprosecutionof22Nazisorchestratedbyateamof640staffmembers.Bycontrast,theDachau

prosecutorshadonly22staffmemberstoprosecute1,672defendants.

17 TrialdetailsinEnglish,DutchandGermanarefromDickdeMildt,editor. Tatkomplex:NS-Euthanasie.

Dieost-undwestdeutschenStrafurteileseit1945. AmsterdamUniversityPress,Amsterdam.2009.Anabridged(butalmostcomplete)versionisavailableonline:http://www1.jur.uva.nl/junsv/index.htm.

18 ThelackofpublicinterestinthetrialwasalsonoticedduringthenextweekatNurembergaswell,

wherehigherrankedNaziprisonerswerebeingtried.Bothtrialswerebaseduponfactsandthe

tediumoftranslation,mis-translation,alternativetranslationofquestion,answer,follow-up,etc.took

itstoll.Popularjournalistsofthetime,MargaretHigginsandWalterLippmann,cuttheirstaysin

DachauandNurembergdrasticallyshort.

19 Basedupontheauthor’sinterviewwithDouglasT.Bates,III,thedefensecounsel’ssonandpartnerin

lawafterthewar,onApril1,2009.

20 AccordingtoAron,thejudgesintheTribunalbelievedthatwhenprobativeevidence,regardlessofits

source,establishesthetruth,thenjusticeisachieved.HaroldGAron. Theprobativelaw.A

commentaryonevidence,trialprocedureandpracticeandjudicialproofgenerallyandinactionsex

delicto,...injudicialmethodsandtheadjectivelaw.GeorgicPress.1932.

21 Ofcourse,thismeantthatanysurvivorswhowereGermanJewscouldnotbringactionatthiscourt.It

wasdeterminedthatincasesofGermansvs.Germans,whobesttojudgeaninternalmatterbutlocal

courtsatalaterdate.Itneveroccurred.

22 Basedupontheauthor’sinterviewwithDouglasT.Bates,III,thedefensecounsel’ssonandpartnerin

lawafterthewar,onApril1,2009.

23 Accordingtothetranscript,thetwochargesallegedthattheaccused“actedinpursuanceofa

commondesigntocommitactshereinafterallegedandasmembersofthestaffoftheDachau

ConcentrationCamp,andcampssubsidiarythereto,didatorinthevicinityofDachauandLandsberg,

Germany,betweenabout1stJanuary,1942,and29thApril,1945,wilfully(sic),deliberatelyand

wrongfullyaid,abetandparticipateinthesubjectionofciviliannations”(charge1)andof“captured



12

membersofthearmedforces”(charge2)“ofnationsthenatwarwiththeGermanReich,tocruelties

andmistreatmentsincludingkillings,beatingsandtortures,starvation,abusesandindignities,the

exactnamesandnumbersofsuchvictimsbeingunknownbutaggregatingmanythousands....”

24 FortheTribunalproceedingsatDachau,the“commondesign”or“commonplan”theorymeantthat

individualswereguiltyofcrimescommittedbyothersonthestaffofaconcentrationcampeveniftheydidn’tserveatthesametime.Itdidn’tmatterwhetherornotthecrimesallegedlycommittedby

othersinaparticularconcentrationcamphadeverbeenprovedinacourtoflaworbyamilitary

tribunal;staffmembersofthatcampwerepresumedtobeguiltyofthesecrimes,andtherewasno

defenseagainstthenewlawof“commondesign.”

ThisnewconceptofcollectiveguiltwasformulatedbytheAlliesinordertoseethatjusticewasdone.

ThebasisfortheproceedingsoftheprosecutorwasthattheGermanshadparticipatedina“common

design”tocommitwarcrimes.Theprosecutionhadonlytoprovethattheaccusedhadparticipatedin

acommonplanbyvirtueofhispositiononthestaffofaconcentrationcamp,whetherornothehad

personallycommittedanyatrocities.

25 ArticleII,paragraph2ofLawOrderNo.10states:

“2.Anypersonwithoutregardtonationalityorthecapacityinwhichheacted,isdeemedtohave

committedacrimeasdefinedinparagraph1ofthisArticle,ifhewas(a)aprincipalor(b)wasan

accessorytothecommissionofanysuchcrimeororderedorabettedthesameor(c)tooka

consentingpartthereinor(d)wasconnectedwithplansorenterprisesinvolvingitscommissionor(e)

wasamemberofanyorganizationorgroupconnectedwiththecommissionofanysuchcrimeor(f)

withreferencetoparagraph1(a),ifheheldahighpolitical,civilormilitary(includingGeneralStaff)

positioninGermanyorinoneofitsAllies,co-belligerentsorsatellitesorheldhighpositioninthe

financial,industrialoreconomiclifeofanysuchcountry.”Seeonline:http://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/imt10.asp.

26 ThisaccountisbaseduponpersonalnotesofWilliamDenson(died1998)andwasrepeatedby

DouglasBates,III,sonofthedefensecounsel,inaninterviewwiththeauthoronApril1,2009.Italso

appearsinJoshuaM.Greene. JusticeatDachau:TheTrialsofanAmericanProsecutor.Broadway

Publishers,NewYork.2003.

27 ThequietintensityofBates’determinationtodothebestjobhecouldhasneverbeendocumented.

TheauthorlearnedofBates’determinationinaninterviewwithDouglasT.Bates,III,inaninterview

onApril1,2009.WilliamDenson’sandDouglasBates’backgroundsweresurprisinglysimilarbefore

thewar.BothfromTennessee,theirtrajectoriesdivergedduringandafterlawschool.Batesstartedat

VanderbiltUniversity(Nashville,Tennessee)butfinishedlawattheCumberlandSchoolofLaw,

StamfordUniversity,inBirmingham,Alabama.WhileDensontooktheprofessionalmilitarytrackand

proceededtoWestPoint,BatesmarriedandreturnedtoCenterville,Tennessee,tobecomethe

stereotypeofasmall-townlawyer.Butthiswasin1937,andtheruralTennesseeeconomycouldnot

adequatelysupporthisfamily.HeenlistedintheNationalGuardbutbecameanartilleryofficerinthe

Army,landinginNormandy11daysafterD-Day.Hewasinvolvedin240straightdaysofcombatduty



13

untiltheendofthewar.AfterhisroleasdefensecounselduringtheDachauWarTrial,hereturned

hometoCenterville,Tennesseewhere,predictably,hewasbrandeda“Nazilover”.Hisdesirefor

publicservicewasnotreciprocated(becauseofhisroleinthedefenseatDachau)untilyearslater.His

son,DouglasT.Bates,III,followedhisfather(andgrandfather)inthefamilylawpractice,workingwith

himuntilthesenior’sdeathinSeptember,1981.Forapublishedpersonalrecollectionofhisfatherby

DouglasT.Bates,III,seethisguestcolumnfrom2005:

http://offenburger.com/guestpaper.asp?link=20050605.

28 TheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRightswasadoptedbytheUNGeneralAssemblyonDecember

10,1948.Onlineat:http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/.

TheConventiononthePreventionandPunishmentoftheCrimeofGenocidewasadopted(Resolution

260)bytheUNGeneralAssemblyonDecember9,1948.Onlineat:

http://www.preventgenocide.org/law/convention/text.htm

TheConventionfortheProtectionofHumanRightsandFundamentalFreedomswasadoptedbytheUNGeneralAssemblyonNovember4,1950.Asaworkingdocument,ithasbeenamendedanumber

oftimes,thelatestversioninMay2009.Onlineat:

http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/html/005.htm .

TheInternationalCriminalCourtisthefirstpermanent,treatybased,internationalcriminalcourt

establishedtobringtojusticethosepersonsresponsibleforthemostseriouscrimesofconcerntothe

internationalcommunity.Asanindependentinternationalorganization,notpartoftheUnited

Nations,itsseatisatTheHague,TheNetherlands.TheRomeStatute,itsinitialstatement,was

adoptedby120nationsonJuly17,1998.Itcameintolegalforceafter60nationsratifieditonJuly1,

2002.Onlineat:http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ICC/Legal+Texts+and+Tools/ .

29 TheUnitedNationstribunalsetuptoprosecutethemostseriousoffencescommittedduringthe

Balkanconflicts(1990s)convictedMomčiloPerišićforcrimesagainsthumanityandwarcrimes,

sentencingtheformerchiefofstaffoftheYugoslavArmyto27yearsinprisononSeptember6,2011.

Onlineat:http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39457&Cr=Criminal&Cr1=Tribunal .

30 Admirable,ofcourse,butHolocaustdenialandsimplisticconspiracytheoriesseemtobepartofthe

humancondition.AmongthemostflamboyantHolocaustandconcentrationcampdeniersareArthur

Butz,RobertFaurisson,DavidIrving,DavidMcCalden,HenriRoques,BradleySmith,MarkWeber,and

ErnstZündel.ThequietintensityofBates’determinationtodothebestjobhecouldsothatnoone

couldeverdenywhathadhappenedhasneverbeendocumented.Suchasentimentdoesnotappear

inhispersonalpapers,thoughitisassumedinMarcuseandGreene.Thiswasaffirmedwhenthe

authorinterviewedDouglasT.Bates,III,abouthisfatheronApril1,2009.

31 The“PrinciplesofInternationalLawRecognizedintheCharteroftheNürnbergTribunal”(knownas

theSevenPrinciples)wereadoptedbytheUNGeneralAssemblyin1950.Foracompletecopy,see

online:http://untreaty.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/draft%20articles/7_1_1950.pdf .



14

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