The Nazi Defendants in the Major War Criminal Trial in Nuremberg

The Nazi Defendants in the Major War Criminal Trial in Nuremberg http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/nuremberg/meetthedefendants.html

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Defendants in the Major War Figures TrialDOENITZ FRANK FRICK FRITZSCHE FUNK GOERING HESS

JODL KALTENBRUNNER KEITEL NEURATH PAPEN RAEDER RIBBENTROPROSENBERG SAUCKEL SCHACHT SCHIRACH SEYSS-INQUART SPEER STREICHER

DEFENDANTIMAGE

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I.Q.IN THE

DEFENDANT'SWORDS

PROSECUTIONPOINTS NOTES IN THE END

Doenitz, KarlGerman admiral whowould eventuallycommand entire navy. Chosen by Hitler tosucceed him as fuhrer. Negotiated surrenderfollowing Hitler'ssuicide.

138

"Politicians brought the Nazisto power and started the war. They are the ones who broughtabout these disgusting crimes,and now we have to sit there inthe dock with them and sharethe blame!" (5/27/46)

On 9/17/42 Doenitz issuedthe "Laconia Order" to theGerman submarine fleet. Theorder forbid rescuing enemysurvivors of sunken ships:"Be hard. Remember, theenemy has no regard forwomen and children when hebombs German cities."

Called by Hitler "the Rommel ofthe Seas"....Said "I would rathereat dirt than have my grandsongrow up in the Jewish spirit andfaith"...Went on radio afterassassination attempt on Hitler tocall it "a cowardly attempt atmurder."

Served 10-year-sentence. Died in1981.

Frank, HansGovernor-general ofNazi-occupied Poland,called the "Jewbutcher of Cracow."

130

"Don't let anybody tell you thatthey had no idea. Everybodysensed there was somethinghorribly wrong with thesystem." (11/29/45) "Hitler hasdisgraced Germany for alltime! He betrayed anddisgraced the people that lovedhim!...I will be the first toadmit my guilt." (4/17/46)

"The Jews must beeliminated. Whenever wecatch one, it is hisend"...."This territory[Poland] is in its entirety thebooty of the GermanReich"...."I have not beenhesitant in declaring thatwhen a German is shot, up to100 Poles shall be shottoo."--from the diary of HansFrank.

In April of 1930, Hitler askedFrank to secretly investigate arumor that he had Jewish blood. Frank reported back that there wasa 50-50 chance that Hitler wasone-quarter Jewish.

Hanged--wearing abeatificsmile--inNuremberg on Oct. 16,1946

Frick, WilhelmMinister of the Interior 124

"Hitler didn't want to do thingsmy way. I wanted things donelegally. After all, I am alawyer." (4/24/46).... "Themass murders were certainlynot thought of as a consequenceof the Nuremberg Laws,[though] it may have turned outthat way."

Frick drafted, signed, andadministered laws thatabolished opposition parties,and suppressed trade unionsand Jews (including theinfamous Nuremberg Laws).Frick knew that the insane,aged, and disabled ("uselesseaters") were beingsystematically killed, but didnothing to stop it.

Frick claimed not to be ananit-Semite. He said he drafted theNuremberg Laws for "scientificreasons": to protect the purity ofGerman blood.

Frick was one ofeleven defendantssentenced to death. Hesaid, "Hanging--Ididn't expect anythingdifferent....Well, Ihope they get it overwith fast." (10/1/46)Frick was hanged onOct. 16, 1946.


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Fritzsche, HansHead of the RadioDivision, one oftwelve departments inGoebbel's PropogandaMinistry

130

"I have been tricked andtrapped by the Himmler murdermachine, even when I tried toput a check on it...Let usexplain our position to theworld, so that at least we won'tdie under this awful burden ofshame." (11/21/45) "I have thefeeling I am drowning infilth....I am choking init."--(2/21/46, after watchingfilm of atrocities).

Fritzsche's radio broadcasts(he was a popular commentator) included strongNazi propoganda.

Fritzsche was one of twodefendants turned over to the IMTby Russians.... Fritzsche oftenappeared on the verge of abreakdown during the trial.

Fritzsche wasacquitted by the IMT. He said, "I am entirelyoverwhelmed--to beset free right here, noteven to be sent back toRussia. That wasmore than I hopedfor." He was latertried and convicted bya German court, thenfreed in 1950. He diedin 1953.

Funk, WaltherMinister of Economics 124

"I signed the laws for thearyanization of Jewishproperty. Whether that makesme legally guilty or not, isanother matter. But it makes memorally guilty, there is nodoubt about that. I should havelistened to my wife at the end. She said we'd be better offdropping the whole ministerbusiness and moving into athree-bedroom flat." (7/8/46)

Funk agreed with Himmler toreceive gold from the SS(including gold teeth andrings taken from those killedin concentration camps) anddeposit in the Reichsbank. Funk told subordinates not toask questions about theshipments. He either knewor should have known thesource of the gold received.

Funk said, "The only accusation Ican make to myself is...that Ishould have resigned in 1938 whenI saw how they robbed andsmashed Jewish property." (12/15/45)....Funk was often seen cryingduring the presentation ofprosecution evidence and neededsleeping pills at night.

Funk was sentenced tolife imprisonment bythe IMT. He wasreleased in 1957because of poorhealth. He died in1959.

Goering,HermannReichsmarschall andLuftwaffe (Air Force)Chief; President ofReichstag; Director of"Four Year Plan"

138

"I joined the Party preciselybecause it was revolutionary,not because of the ideologicalstuff." (12/11/45)...."Thewhole conspiracy idea iscockeyed. We had orders toobey the head of state. Weweren't a band of criminalsmeeting in the woods in thedead of night to plan massmurders...The four realconspirators are missing: TheFuhrer, Himmler, Bormann,and Goebbels." (1/5/46)..."This is a politicaltrial by the victors and it willbe a good thing when Germanyrealizes that..." (6/13/46)

As Director of the Four YearPlan, Goering boreresponsibility for theelimination of Jews frompolitical life and for thedestruction and takeover ofJewish businesses andproperty....He was quoted assaying, "I wish you had killed200 Jews and not destroyedsuch valuable property"...Helooted art treasures fromoccupied territories andarranged for use of slavelabor....

Goering surrendered to Americanofficers. The officers offeredGoering drinks and sang songswith him, but the next day werereprimanded by an outragedDwight Eisenhower...Goering wasthe most popular prisoner with theAmerican guards because heseemed to take an interest in theirlives....He seemed to wield a greatdeal of influence with the otherdefendants, and prisonadministrators sought to isolatehim as much as possible....Goeringsaid, "We don't have much to sayabout our fate. The forces ofhistory and politics and economicsare just to big to steer." (3/9/46)

Goering committedsuicide on the daybefore his scheduledhanging by taking acyanide pill that wassmuggled into hiscell. Goering wrote inhis suicide note, "Iwould have noobjection to gettingshot," but he thoughthanging wasinappropriate for aman of his position.


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Hess, RudolfDeputy to the Fuhrerand Nazi Party Leader

120

"It is just incomprehensiblehow those things [atrocities]came about...Every genius hasthe demon in him. You can'tblame him [Hitler]--it is just inhim...It is all very tragic. Butat least I have the satisfactionof knowing that I tried to dosomething to end the war."(12/16/45)

Jackson called Hess "theengineer tending to the Partymachinery." He maintainedthe organization as a readyand loyal instrument ofpower. He signed decreespersecuting Jews and was awilling participant inaggression against Austria,Czechoslavakia, and Poland.

During his detention following hisfailed putsch, Hitler dictated MeinKampf to Hess...Hess mysteriouslyflew to England in 1941 in anattempt to end the war on his ownterms. He stayed there until thewar ended....Hess suffered fromparanoid delusions, apathy,amnesia, and was diagnosed ashaving a "hysterical personality."

Hess was sentenced tolife in prison. Heremained--lost in hisown mental fog-- inSpandau prison (formany years as its onlyprisoner) until hecommitted suicide in1987 at age 93.

Jodl, AlfredChief of Operations forthe German HighCommand

127

"The indictment knocked me onthe head. First of all, I hand noidea at all about 90 per cent ofthe accusations in it. Thecrimes are horrible beyondbelief, if they are true. Secondly, I don't see how theycan fail to recognize a soldier'sobligation to obey orders. That's the code I've live by allmy life." (11/1/45)

Jodl gave orders for theGerman army's campaignagainst Holland, Belgium,Norway, and Poland. He alsoplanned attacks againstGreece andYugoslavia....Jodl wasquoted as saying, "Terrorattacks against Englishcenters of population ...willparalyze the will of thepeople to resist."

Jodl signed Germany'sunconditional surrender on May 7,1945, ending the war inEurope....He strongly disagreedwith many of Hitler's harsh orders:"The order to kill the escapedBritish fliers--there was absolutelyno justification for that. From thenon, I knew what kind of a manHitler was." (4/6/46)

Jodl was hanged inNuremberg on Oct. 16,1946. Critics havecalled Jodl's deathsentence harsh inrelation to thesentences received byother German officersof similar rank.

Kaltenbrunner,ErnstChief of RSHA (anorganization whichincludes offices of theGestapo, the SD, andthe Criminal Police)and Chief of SecurityPolice

113

"When I saw the newspaperheadline 'GAS CHAMBEREXPERT CAPTURED' and anAmerican lieutenant explainedit to me, I was pale inamazement. How can they saysuch things about me?"(4/11/46)..."I have only donemy duty as an intelligenceorgan, and I refuse to serve asan ersatz for Himmler."

Kaltenbrunner and RSHAbear responsibity for "TheFinal Solution" to the Jewishquestion--and the 6 millionjews killed byEinsatzgruppen (2 million)and in concentration camps(4 million). Kaltenbrunnerordered prisoners in Dachauand other camps liquidatedjust before the camps wouldhave been liberated byAllies.

Kaltenbrunner was described as "aNazi out of central casting:"six-foot-six, a huge neck, cruelmouth, and a scar across his leftcheek...He was shunned by most ofthe other defendants...His lawyertried to portray him as a stooge forHimmler, rather than his right-handman....Kaltenbrunner believedfertile German women had a dutyto produce babies, and if theirhusbands couldn't get thempregnant, other men ought to begiven the job.

Kaltenbrunner washanged on Oct. 16,1946 in Nuremberg.

Keitel, WilhelmChief of Staff of theGerman HighCommand

129

"We all believed so much inhim [Hitler]--and we stand totake all the blame--and theshame! He gave us the orders. He kept saying that it was allhis responsibility." 912/25/45)..."I will suffer more agony

Keitel signed ordersauthorizing the killing ofcaptured commandos andreprisals against the familiesof Allied volunteers...Hedrafted the "Night and Fog"decree that authorized the

Keitel's sons were killed in theGerman attack on the Soviet Unionthat Keitel helped execute...Keitel,on Hitler's orders, sent twogenerals to Rommel (who hadsupported attempts to assassinateHitler) offering him the the choice

Keitel was one of tendefendants hanged inthe Palace of Justicein the early morninghours of October 16,1946.


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of conscience andself-reproach in this cell thananybody will ever know."(1/6/46)..."the only thing that isimpossible is for me to there[in court] like a louse and lie."(4/6/46)

nighttime arrests and secretkillings of suspectedmembers of theresistance..Heplanned attacks onCzechoslavakia, Poland,Belgium, Holland, and othercountries.

of a court-martial or suicide....Inprison, Keitel worked on hisautobiography....Prison pyschiatristG. M. Gilbert said Keitel "had nomore backbone than a jellyfish."

Neurath,Konstantin vonMinister of ForeignAffairs (until 1938),then Reich Protectorfor Bohemia andMoravia

125

"Hitler was a liar, ofcourse--that became more andmore clear. He simply had norespect for the truth. Butnobody recognized it atfirst...He must have done hisconspiring with his little gangof henchmen late at night. Sometimes he would call at 1,2, or 3 in the morning."(12/15/45)

While Neurath was ForeignMinister, Germany "was onlybreaking one treaty at atime."...While serving atReich Protector of Bohemiaand Moravia, Neurathabolished political partiesand trade unions....He knewwar crimes were beingcommitted under hisauthority.

At 73, Neurath was the oldestdefendant in the Major WarFigures Trial. He seemed to beshowing signs of incipientsenility...When Chamberlainoffered to come to Germany todiscuss ways of averting war,Neurath urged Hitler to receivehim..."I was always againstpunishment without the possibilityof a defense."

Neurath wassentenced to fifteenyears in prison. Hewas released becauseof poor health in 1954,and died two yearslater.

Papen, Franz vonReich Chancellor priorto Hitler, ViceChancellor underHitler, Ambassador toTurkey

134

"I think [Hitler] wanted thebest for Germany at thebeginning, but he became anunreasoning evil force with theflattery of his followers--Himmler, Goering, Ribbentrop,etc...I tried to persuade him hewas wrong in his anti-Jewishpolicies many a time. Heseemed to listen at first, butlater on, I had no influence onhim." (10/30/45)

Von Papen helpedconsolidate Nazi control in1933. He strengthened theposition of Nazis in Austriato help pave the way for thetakeover. He appealed to thePope to support Hitler. VonPapen remained in officeeven after learning ofpolitical killings and othercrimes.

While the trial was in progress,Von Papen had many heatedexchanges with Goering....VonPapen was a moderating force inthe early years of the Nazi regime. In 1934, he gave a speech highlycritical of restrictions onindividual liberties...Von Papensaid, "I've been portrayed as anintriguing devil. But I can prove Ihave always worked for peace....Iam confident in American justice,and am glad to have the truthbrought to light through this trial."

Von Papen wasacquitted.

Raeder, ErichCommander in Chief ofthe German Navy

134

"I have no illusion about thistrial. Naturally, I will behanged or shot. I flatter myselfto think that I will be shot; atleast I will request it. I haveno desire to serve a prisonsentence at my age." (5/20/46)

Raeder advocated attacks bysubmarines on neutral shipsin violation of internationallaw.

Raeder was one of two defendantshanded over by the Russians, andwas put on the list of major wartrial defendants at the insistence ofthe Soviet Union...Raeder retiredin 1943...He opposed invadingRussia, but then attacked Russiansubmarines six days before theinvasion began.

Raeder was sentencedto life in prison. Heserved nine yearsbefore his release in1955. He died in1960 at age 84.


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Ribbentrop,Joachim vonForeign Minister

129

"We are only livingshadows--the remains of adead era--an era that died withHitler. Whether a few of uslive another 10 or 20 years, itmakes no difference."(3/27/46)

Rippentrop participated in aggressive plans againstCzechoslavakia...He helpedplan attacks on Poland andRussia...Ribbentrop played arole in the "Final Solution"when he acted to hasten thedeportation of Jews toconcentration camps in theEast.

In prison, Ribbentrop kept askingeveryone from doctors to cellguards to barbers for legaladvice....Prison pyschiatrist G. M.Gilbert saw Rippentrop as "aconfused and demoralizedopportunist.".... Ribbentrop'serratic behavior caused his lawyerto complain, "This man isimpossible to defend."

Rippentrop washanged on October 16,1946.

Rosenberg,AlfredChief NaziPhilosopher andReichminister for theEastern OccupiedTerritories

127

"I didn't say that the Jews areinferior. I didn't even maintainthey are a race. I merely sawthat the mixture of differentcultures didn't work."(1/12/46)..."We let 50,000Jewish intellectuals get acrossthe border. Just as I wantedLebensraum for Germany, Ithought Jews should have aLebensraum for themselves--outside of Germany."(12/15/45)

Rosenberg helped plan attackon Norway....Developedpolicies of Germanization,exploitation, andextermination of opponents ofNazi rule...His directivesprovided for the segregationof Jews in Ghettos,facilitating their masskilling. He set quotas oflaborers to be sent to theReich.

Rosenberg was born in Estonia anddid not move to Germany until hewas 25.....Rosenberg's bookpromoting the Nazi philosophy wascalled The Myth of the TwentiethCentury....He arranged the theft offine art and furniture from Jewishapartments in Paris.

Rosenberg washanged on October 16,1946.

Sauckel, FritzChief of Slave LaborRecruitment

118

"I was given this assignmentwhich I could not refuse--andbesides, I did everythingpossible to treat [the foreignslave laborers] well."(2/23/46)

Soon after taking office,Sauckel had the governingauthorities in the occupiedterritories establishcompulsory labor service inGermany...His programresulted in the deportation forslave labor of 5 millionpeople, many of whom had toendure cruel workingconditions.

Sauckel seemed confused duringmost of the trial....Historian JosephPersico described Sauckel as "theleast imposing figure among thedefendants, a little man with ashining dome, sad brown eyes, anda silly mustache patterned after theFuhrer's."

Sauckel was hangedon October 16, 1946.

Schacht, HjalmarReichsbank Presidentand Minister ofEconomics before theWar

143

"I have full confidence in thejudges, and I am not afraid ofthe outcome. A few of thedefendants are not guilty; mostof them are sheer criminals."(10/23/45)..."All I wanted wasto build up Germanyindustrially....The only thingthey can accuse me of is

Schacht was an earlysupporter of the Nazi Paryand supported theappointment of Hitler to thepost of Chancellor. Schachtused the facilities of theReichsbank to facilitate theGerman rearmament effortand organize the economy for

Schacht spent 10 months in 1944 ina concentration camp because ofsuspicion he was plotting againstHitler....Said Schacht of theexperience, "I could hear thepeople being forced to undress andmarch out to their death--and theshooting in the woods. It wasbeastly.".....Schacht had the highest

Schacht was found notguilty by the IMT.Schacht was laterconvicted by aGerman court andsentenced to eightyears. He was freedin 1950. He died in1970 at age 93.


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breaking the VersaillesTreaty." (11/1/45) war. IQ of any of the defendants.

Schirach, BaldurvonHitler Youth Leader

130

"I had no reason to beanti-Semitic...until someonemade me read the Americanbook, The International Jew, atthe impressionable age of 17. You have no idea what a greatinfluece this book had on thethinking of German youth...Atthe age of 18, I met AdolfHitler. I must admit I wasinspired by him...and becameone of his staunchestsupporters." (10/27/45)

Von Schirach subjectedGerman youth to an extensiveprogram of Nazipropaganda....Heparticipated in thedeportation of the Jews fromVienna.

Schirach began to becomedisillusioned with Hitler around1942: "About 1942, I think I firstbegan to notice that Hitler wasbecoming slightly insane...In 1943we had a serious quarrel [over thetreatment of Jews]. He flew at mein a rage...I fell from grace afterthat."

Schirach wassentenced to 20 yearsin prison by the IMT. He was released fromSpandau Prison in1966. He died in1974 at age 67.

Seyss-Inquart,ArthurAustrian Chancellor,then Reich Commissioner for theNetherlands

141

"The southern German has theimagination and emotionality tosubscribe to a fanatic ideology,but he is ordinarily inhibitedfrom excesses by his naturalhumaneness. The Prussiandoes not have the imaginationto conceive in terms of abstractracial and political theories,but when he is told to dosomething, he does it." (4/46)

Seyss-Inquart ruthlesslysuppressed opposition to theNazi occupation in theNetherlands. He, incollaboration with the SS,was involved in the shootingor sending to concentrationcamp of opponents ofoccupation.

In Seyss-Inquart's fiefdom of theNetherlands, over 40,000 Dutchwere shot as hostages, and another50,000 died of starvation. In all,56% of Dutch Jews died during theNazi occupation....He limped froman injury received in an oldmountain-climbing accident.

Seyss-Inquart washanged on October 16,1946.

Speer, AlbertReichminister ofArmaments andMunitions

128

"I would like to sit down andwrite one final blast about thewhole damn Nazi mess andmention names and details andlet the German people see onceand for all what rottencorruption, hypocrisy, andmadness the whole system wasbased on!-I would spare noone, including myself." (2/46)

Speer transmitted to Sauckelestimates of numbers of slaveworkers needed, thenallocated those workers tovarious armaments andmunitions plants.

Speer, an architect, was for yearsthe closest anyone came to being afriend of Hitler. Hitler at one timegave Speer a watercolor of aGothic church....Speer was theleader of the anti-Goering factionof defendants: those willing tocondemn Nazi policies and acceptsome degree of blame.

Speer served his20-year sentence. Hewrote two booksabout his life. Hedied in 1981 at age76.

Streicher, JuliusAnti-Semitic Editor ofDer Sturmer

106

"The Jews are making amistake if they make a martyrout of me; you will see. Ididn't create the problem; itexisted for thousands of years."(12/16/45)...."I am the only onein the world who clearly saw

Streicher was known as "thenumber one Jew-baiter." Heorganized a boycott ofJewish businesses in 1933and advocated theNuremberg Decrees of 1935. In 1938 he arranged for

Streicher, a vulgar man, wasdespised by most of his fellowdefendants...Streicher collectedpornography. He said that hebought it from Jews to show whatfilth they read....

Streicher was hangedon October 16, 1946.


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the Jewish menace as anhistorical problem."(11/14/45)

demolition of a synagogue inNuremberg and began to callfor annihilation of the Jewishrace.

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The Nazi Defendants in the Major War Criminal Trial in Nuremberg

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