Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Official website of the State –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On November 20, 1945, the International Military Tribunal began its work in Nuremberg to try the former leaders of Nazi Germany. The Nuremberg Trials became the first example of international justice in modern history.
The Six Million Word Process
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals held by the Allies of the anti-Hitler coalition against the major criminals of the Third Reich, those responsible for the deaths of millions. Specific individuals and entire organizations were charged with inhumane crimes.
Twenty-four senior Nazi leaders appeared before the International Military Tribunal. The deaths of Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and Joseph Goebbels were officially confirmed before the trial began.
The meeting also considered the issue of recognizing as criminal the leadership of the National Socialist Party (NSDAP), its storm troopers (SA) and security forces (SS), the security service (SD) and the secret state police (Gestapo), as well as the government cabinet, the General Staff and the High Command (OKW) of Nazi Germany.
The process of bringing justice to those who unleashed the massacre and were responsible for the deaths of millions lasted almost a year.
The trial began on November 20 and lasted nearly 11 months. 403 hearings were held, over 240 witnesses were heard, and hundreds of thousands of documents were reviewed. During the investigation, 690 boxes of documents, each containing 1,500 pages, and approximately 200,000 written witness statements were collected.
The trial was broadcast simultaneously in four languages: Russian, English, French, and German. For the first time in history, a simultaneous translation system was used. Because of the number of words translated during the trial, it is also known as the "Six Million Word Trial."
Sentences and results
Twelve defendants were sentenced to death by hanging. Most of them requested a commutation of their sentences, replacing the gallows with a firing squad, but their request was denied. The criminals were executed on the night of October 15–16, 1946, in the gymnasium of Nuremberg Prison, each one in turn. However, Göring committed suicide in his cell a few hours before his execution by taking a cyanide capsule.
Three people received life sentences, while the others received prison terms ranging from 10 to 20 years. Three more defendants were acquitted.
The tribunal also declared the SS, SD, Gestapo, and the leadership of the NSDAP criminal organizations. Consequently, all members of these organizations were subject to judicial punishment.
The Nuremberg Trials resulted not only in the condemnation of crimes. A significant outcome was the formation of generally accepted principles of international law. An important international precedent was established, emphasizing the inevitability of punishment for crimes against humanity.
Preservation of historical memory
Yulia Nadekhina, PhD in History and Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and Organization of Management at the State University of Management, emphasized the importance of preserving and disseminating the true history of the Great Patriotic War:
"Today, we are witnessing numerous attempts to revise the results of World War II and the widespread disinformation surrounding it. The main attempts to falsify the events of 1939-1945 originate from the European community, which benefits from denigrating our country and casting the history of our great people in a negative light. In this regard, it is crucial to preserve the true memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War, the atrocities, and the horrors of Nazi crimes. The results of the Nuremberg Trials, recorded in a 16,000-page transcript, are a valuable resource for anyone who doubts that Nazism is the most heinous crime against humanity."
Without the USSR, the tribunal would not have existed.
Another important fact, painstakingly "lost" by Western media, is that if Joseph Stalin hadn't insisted on a judicial process and that each criminal be punished for their crimes, there would have been no international military tribunal. Great Britain and the United States initially favored extrajudicial methods.
Even during the war, when the Allied countries were making plans to try Nazi war criminals, the British and American sides advocated a no-compromise approach. Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill insisted on a political trial, which would resolve everything simply: capture the Nazis, interrogate them, and execute them.
The Nuremberg Trials became the most important event of the 20th century. They not only summed up the first half of the century but also defined international jurisprudence for the second half. The principles of the Nuremberg Trials became the foundation for the creation of modern mechanisms of international justice and continue to serve as a legal guideline in the fight against crimes against peace and humanity.
Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 20, 2025.
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