Courtroom 600 - Project "Memorial Nuremberg Trials"
The International Military Tribunal
- The defendants in the Trial of the Main War Criminals, 1945/46.
© National Archives, College Park, MD, USA
During World War II, the Allied Powers already decided to try the main criminals responsible for Nazi crimes in a court of law.
After the German capitulation on 7/9 May, 1945, the victorious powers, the USA, the USSR, Great Britain and France, established an International Military Tribunal (IMT) on 8 August, 1945. Thus, for the first time in history, an international tribunal had the competence to try and to punish violations of international law. The permanent seat of the Tribunal was Berlin, while Nuremberg was chosen as the venue for the first trial.
- The judges' bench during the International Military Tribunal.
The Judges
The International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg constisted of two judges each for the four Allied Powers:
USA
Francis Biddle (President)
John J. Parker (alternate member)
Great Britain
Sir Geoffrey Lawrence (President of the IMT)
Norman Birkett (alternate member)
USSR
Iola T. Nikitcheko (President)
Alexander F. Wolchkow (alternate member)
France
Henri Donnedieu de Vabres (President)
Robert Falco (alternate member)
- The American chief prosecutor, Robert H. Jackson, at the prosecution stand.
The Prosecution
In court, the prosecutors for each nation acted as chief prosecutors:
- USA: Robert H. Jackson
- Great Britain: Sir Hartley Shawcross
- France: François de Menthon / Auguste Champetier de Ribes
- USSR: Roman A. Rudenko
