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Cover of episode 04

Nuremberg Files · 041:43 min

Nuremberg trial: not guilty, and why?

21 November 1945: none of the defendants present pleads guilty. Why?

Three lines in their own words and from the record: not guilty “in the sense of the Indictment”, obedience as a soldier, a penal law enacted only after the crime. Against them the Charter (Article 8) and the judgment: what counts is whether moral choice was possible. In the end the Tribunal acquitted three defendants.

6 documented2 open15 Sources

StatementsSources

Episode 04

Statements

Every on-screen statement of the episode, in order. Red only when the source carries it word for word; open when a check is missing.

  1. 01
    question

    21 November 1945: nobody says “guilty”. Why?

    IMT Vol. 2, p. 95IMT Vol. 2, p. 98

  2. 02
    open

    None of the defendants present pleaded guilty.

    IMT Vol. 2, p. 97IMT Vol. 2, p. 98

    Check in progress, approval pending
  3. 03
    documented

    Asked to plead, Hess said no more than “No”; entered as not guilty.

    IMT Vol. 2, p. 97

    Quote checked verbatim, two AI reviewers: holds
  4. 04
    documented

    Schirach: not guilty “in the sense of the Indictment”.

    IMT Vol. 2, p. 98IMT Vol. 2, p. 95

    Quote checked verbatim, two AI reviewers: holds
  5. 05
    documented

    Jodl’s defense: a soldier sworn to obedience, no politician.

    IMT Vol. 1, p. 322

    Quote checked verbatim, two AI reviewers: holds
  6. 06
    documented

    Motion of all defence counsel, 19 Nov 1945: a penal law enacted only after the crime.

    IMT Vol. 1, p. 168IMT Vol. 1, p. 169

    Quote checked verbatim, two AI reviewers: holds
  7. 07
    documented

    Article 8: acting on orders of the Government or a superior does not free from responsibility, but may mitigate.

    IMT Vol. 1, p. 12

    Quote checked verbatim, two AI reviewers: holds
  8. 08
    documented

    Judgment: what counts is whether moral choice was possible.

    IMT Vol. 1, p. 224

    Quote checked verbatim, two AI reviewers: holds
  9. 09
    open

    Acquitted in the judgment: Schacht, Papen, Fritzsche.

    IMT Vol. 22, p. 556IMT Vol. 22, p. 574IMT Vol. 22, p. 585IMT Vol. 1, p. 342

    Check in progress, approval pending
  10. 10
    question

    Next: Göring. He says, the file says.

Episode 04

Sources

Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal (IMT, “Blue Series”), English edition. Page = printed page.

  1. IMT Vol. 2, p. 95

    Document
    IMT Vol. 2 (transcript 21.11.1945)
    Volume
    2
    Page
    95 (PDF page 107)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    SECOND DAY Wednesday, 21 November 1945 Morning Session

  2. IMT Vol. 2, p. 98

    Document
    IMT Vol. 2 (transcript 21.11.1945)
    Volume
    2
    Page
    98 (PDF page 110)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    WILHELM FRICK: Not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Julius Streicher. JULIUS STREICHER: Not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Walter Funk. WALTER FUNK: I declare myself not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Hjalmar Schacht. HJALMAR SCHACHT: I am not guilty in any respect. THE PRESIDENT: Karl Dönitz. KARL DÖNITZ: Not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Erich Raeder. ERICH RAEDER: I declare myself not guilty.

  3. IMT Vol. 2, p. 97

    Document
    IMT Vol. 2 (transcript 21.11.1945)
    Volume
    2
    Page
    97 (PDF page 109)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source (shortened)

    Hermann Wilhelm Göring. HERMANN WILHELM GÖRING: Before I answer the question of the Tribunal whether or not I am guilty . . . THE PRESIDENT: I informed the Court that defendants were not entitled to make a statement. You must plead guilty or not guilty. GÖRING: I declare myself in the sense of the Indictment not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Rudolf Hess. RUDOLF HESS: No. THE PRESIDENT: That will be entered as a plea of not guilty. [Laughter.] THE PRESIDENT: If there is any disturbance in court, those who make it will have to leave the court. Joachim von Ribbentrop. JOACHIM VON RIBBENTROP: I declare myself in the sense of the Indictment not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Wilhelm Keitel. …

  4. IMT Vol. 2, p. 98

    Document
    IMT Vol. 2 (transcript 21.11.1945)
    Volume
    2
    Page
    98 (PDF page 110)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source (shortened)

    THE PRESIDENT: Baldur von Schirach. BALDUR VON SCHIRACH: I declare myself in the sense of the Indictment not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Fritz Sauckel. FRITZ SAUCKEL: I declare myself in the sense of the Indictment, before God and the world and particularly before my people, not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Alfred Jodl. ALFRED JODL: Not guilty. For what I have done or had to do, I have a pure conscience before God, before history and my people. THE PRESIDENT: Franz von Papen. FRANZ VON PAPEN: I declare myself in no way guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Arthur Seyss-Inquart. ARTHUR SEYSS-INQUART: I declare myself not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Albert Speer. ALBERT SPEER: Not guilty. THE PRESIDENT: …

  5. IMT Vol. 2, p. 97

    Document
    IMT Vol. 2 (transcript 21.11.1945)
    Volume
    2
    Page
    97 (PDF page 109)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    THE PRESIDENT: Rudolf Hess. RUDOLF HESS: No. THE PRESIDENT: That will be entered as a plea of not guilty.

  6. IMT Vol. 2, p. 98

    Document
    IMT Vol. 2 (Plädoyers 21.11.1945)
    Volume
    2
    Page
    98 (PDF page 110)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    BALDUR VON SCHIRACH: I declare myself in the sense of the Indictment not guilty.

  7. IMT Vol. 1, p. 322

    Document
    IMT Vol. 1
    Volume
    1
    Page
    322 (PDF page 338)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    Jodl defends himself on the ground he was a soldier sworn to obedience, and not a politician

  8. IMT Vol. 1, p. 168

    Document
    IMT Vol. 1 (Antrag aller Verteidiger, 19.11.1945)
    Volume
    1
    Page
    168 (PDF page 184)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    MOTION ADOPTED BY ALL DEFENSE COUNSEL 19 November 1945

  9. IMT Vol. 1, p. 169

    Document
    IMT Vol. 1 (Antrag aller Verteidiger, 19.11.1945)
    Volume
    1
    Page
    169 (PDF page 185)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    it is rather a proceeding pursuant to a new penal law, a penal law enacted only after the crime.

  10. IMT Vol. 1, p. 12

    Document
    IMT Vol. 1
    Volume
    1
    Page
    12 (PDF page 26)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    Article 8. The fact that the defendant acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior shall not free him from responsibility, but may be considered in mitigation of punishment if the Tribunal determine that justice so requires.

  11. IMT Vol. 1, p. 224

    Document
    IMT Vol. 1
    Volume
    1
    Page
    224 (PDF page 240)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    but whether moral choice was in fact possible.

  12. IMT Vol. 22, p. 556

    Document
    IMT Vol. 22 (Urteilsverkündung 1.10.1946)
    Volume
    22
    Page
    556 (PDF page 566)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    The Tribunal finds that Schacht is not guilty on this Indictment, and directs that he shall be discharged by the Marshal, when the Tribunal presently adjourns.

  13. IMT Vol. 22, p. 574

    Document
    IMT Vol. 22 (Urteilsverkündung 1.10.1946)
    Volume
    22
    Page
    574 (PDF page 584)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    The Tribunal finds that Von Papen is not guilty under this Indictment, and directs that he shall be discharged by the Marshal, when the Tribunal presently adjourns.

  14. IMT Vol. 22, p. 585

    Document
    IMT Vol. 22 (Urteilsverkündung 1.10.1946)
    Volume
    22
    Page
    585 (PDF page 595)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    The Tribunal finds that Fritzsche is not guilty under this Indictment, and directs that he shall be discharged by the Marshal when the Tribunal presently adjourns.

  15. IMT Vol. 1, p. 342

    Document
    IMT Vol. 1 (Abweichende Meinung des sowjetischen Richters)
    Volume
    1
    Page
    342 (PDF page 358)
    Check
    quote found verbatim on the page

    Wording of the source

    The Tribunal decided: (a) To acquit the Defendants Hjalmar Schacht, Franz von Papen, and Hans Fritzsche;

Further sources of the episode

audio NARA 238.24B (21 Nov 1945) · IMT Vol. 2, pp. 97/98 · Vol. 1, p. 12 (Charter), 168 f. (motion), 224, 322, 342 (judgment) · Film NARA 111-ADC-5547, 5562, 5585

How to cite this episode

FUNDSTELLE: „Nuremberg trial: not guilty, and why?“, Nuremberg Files 04. https://fundstelle.online/en/f/04/

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