Historical Research
The Nuremberg Trials: Shaping the International Courts
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
Major
History
Minor
Criminal Justice
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Kathy Callahan PhD.; Christine Lindner PhD.
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
How the Nuremburg Trials Shaped International Law The Nuremberg Trials is an area of history that is not spoken about much as the Cold War overshadows it. However, the history of the trials shapes how the international community operates war tribunals and establishes the precedent of prosecuting the heads of organizations for crimes rather than specific people within the organization. The Nuremberg Trials redefined how the modern world views the actions of war and global conflict compared to The Hague Conference following World War I and other war tribunals. My research relied on primary sources such as trial transcripts, archived news footage, and interviews with prominent Nazi figures to establish how the trials shaped the international community’s view on the actions of war. The media was allowed to witness how an international tribunal conducts itself for the first time as the trials became an ideal way to feature new technologies as well. The Nuremberg Trials established a precedent on how a nation or nations conduct this type of trial and legality of the crimes being punished. This precedent can be seen in archived footage from the 1961 Adolf Eichmann trial conducted in Israel. My research into the Nuremberg Trials demonstrates how monumental these proceedings were in establishing and defining international laws. An interesting aspect of these proceedings is how the economic side of war is brought to trial with the prosecution of key economic officials, such as Albert Speer. The trial of Albert Speer and other officials allowed the international community to prosecute those who had an indirect hand in the atrocities that occurred. The results of these specific trials at Nuremberg allowed the international community to prosecute the heads of businesses and cartels today with international crimes.
Spring Scholars Week 2024 Event
Historical Research
The Nuremberg Trials: Shaping the International Courts
How the Nuremburg Trials Shaped International Law The Nuremberg Trials is an area of history that is not spoken about much as the Cold War overshadows it. However, the history of the trials shapes how the international community operates war tribunals and establishes the precedent of prosecuting the heads of organizations for crimes rather than specific people within the organization. The Nuremberg Trials redefined how the modern world views the actions of war and global conflict compared to The Hague Conference following World War I and other war tribunals. My research relied on primary sources such as trial transcripts, archived news footage, and interviews with prominent Nazi figures to establish how the trials shaped the international community’s view on the actions of war. The media was allowed to witness how an international tribunal conducts itself for the first time as the trials became an ideal way to feature new technologies as well. The Nuremberg Trials established a precedent on how a nation or nations conduct this type of trial and legality of the crimes being punished. This precedent can be seen in archived footage from the 1961 Adolf Eichmann trial conducted in Israel. My research into the Nuremberg Trials demonstrates how monumental these proceedings were in establishing and defining international laws. An interesting aspect of these proceedings is how the economic side of war is brought to trial with the prosecution of key economic officials, such as Albert Speer. The trial of Albert Speer and other officials allowed the international community to prosecute those who had an indirect hand in the atrocities that occurred. The results of these specific trials at Nuremberg allowed the international community to prosecute the heads of businesses and cartels today with international crimes.