Januari 13, 2017
separate the officers for interrogation. l'll be damned. general spaatz, we meet at last. reichsmarschall goring. my wife. my daughter. your eighth air force has destroyedmy beautiful luftwaffe and... ...leveled our beautiful cities. even so, l prefer to surrenderto a fellow airman. gentlemen.
may l? ''the stars at night are big and bright ''deep in the heart of texas ''the prairie sky is wide and high ''the sage in bloom is like perfume ''deep in the heart of texas'' unbelievable. those pictures were on every wire service. american officers throwing a partyfor hitler's number two man.
what was the commander thinking? l'm told that it's a code of honoramong airmen that transcends politics. - and brains, apparently.- the commander was reprimanded. lke has ordered that goring be treatedno differently than any other prisoner. excuse me. l finagled some real coffeefrom the chief justice's office. elsie's the best scavengerin the entire building. you shouldn't have gone to such trouble. coffee's no trouble.now a set of tires, that's another story.
l still can't believe he's gone. for me, it was like losing a father. truly. whatever l have, whatever l am... ...it's because of roosevelt. l was in london, seeing churchill,when the news came. with the end of the war in sight,the president sent me as his confidant... ...to discuss a rather tricky subject. what to do with captured nazi leaders? what was churchill's opinion?
he said: ''they should be summarily shotfor crimes against humanity.'' what's your opinion? lf it's a crime for the nazisto shoot people without a trial... ...how could it be less so for usto do the same thing? that's truman's feeling, exactly. and churchill now shares that view. surprisingly enough, so does stalin. you're talking about a war crimes trial...
...which they attempted after the last war,and it completely unraveled. because it had no weight. this will be an international tribunal,comprised of the four powers: america, england, france and russia. president truman wantsthe best prosecutor in the country. one with a reputation for being tough,but impartial. he wants you, bob. l haven't prosecuted a case in years. roosevelt chose you for the supreme courtbecause of your integrity as a prosecutor.
that's why truman picked you for this.because he wants a fair trial. not a legal lynching. l like it right here, sam. this would meanl would have to step down. a temporary leave of absence.you'd be back in six months, maybe seven. ls the president aware of the fact thatl'm opposed to the death penalty? yes. but he's not concerned, becausehe knows you'll do whatever is right. as you know,a fair trial means an uncertain outcome. lf we don't prove the defendants' guilt...
...they'd walk, even if we could smellthe blood on their hands. - do the allied powers understand that?- truman does. you'll have a chanceto make it clear to them. the trial is yours to create, bob. you get to set the rules,hire the staff, find the setting. you even get to pick the defendants. this trial could unravel, too... ...like the last attempt,if it is poorly planned... ...if it is unsound, legally or morally.
or it could establish a basis for conductamong nations... ...that would alter historyfor generations to come. the trial will be held in germany. that's where the defendants are,the evidence, witnesses. are there any decent hotels still standing? l don't relish the idea of spending monthsin some dreary army base. you won't have to worry about that. no wives allowed at army's request.bad for morale. all those men over therefor years without their--
you don't want me there, fine. l'll be downstairs, whenever you're ready. eighteen minus three. fifteen. fifteen plus seven. twenty-two. nine minus nine... good morning, general spaatz. l'm afraid l have to ask youto get dressed and pack for travel.
where are you moving us? only the reichsmarschall. you're being transferred to bad mondorf. well, you know, it's a very pleasant spa,but why must l go alone? because that's where they're rounding upgerman war criminals. no! no. l'm sorry about that. get dressed, please.
you must be brave. very, very brave. edda, you will? we know who you are,mr. ''jew butcher of krakow.'' and we've seen the camps, too!nazi bastard! l must say that l was luckywhen the arms ministry... ...was destroyed in an air raid in 1943. lt rid me of useless paperworkand pencil pushers. sir!
what do you think was the single mosteffective thing you did during the war? when hitler appointed mehis minister of armaments... ...l threw out the military chiefsand turned to the professionals. lndustrialists and engineers. then l borrowed the ideasof walter rathenau... ...the great jewish chief ofthe german economy during the last war. standardization of parts... ...the division of labor,and the maximum use of the assembly line. thank you, dr. speer.
gentlemen, we'll now break for lunch. dr. albert speer. obviously. you're under arrest for major war crimes. move aside. pay attention.the orders are in. listen up! you'll all be takento different places of detention. the following prisoners will goto bad mondorf... ...as defendants in future war crimes trials.step forward. field marshal wilhelm keitel.
grand admiral karl donitz. colonel general alfred jodl. follow me. l haven't left washington since the war.l couldn't even remember how to pack. l was so worried about bringingthe things for the office. l forgot half the things that l need. l've one set of nylons for the entire timeand they already have a run. l even traded ration couponswith my friend so l could buy nylons. you are as jittery as a hen.what is the matter with you?
l've never been up in an airplane before. - good morning, robert.- john. - bob.- tom. robert, good morning. this is my chief secretary, elsie douglas. elsie, this is tom dodd,who'll be deputy prosecutor. - lt's nice to finally meet you, miss douglas.- pleasure. colonel john harlan amen,head of lnterrogations. miss douglas.
colonel telford taylor, our liaisonwith the other prosecuting teams. - pleasure.- all mine. and colonel robert storey,head of documents division. pleased to meet you, ma'am. now that we're all here, let's go. so who are we really after?military leaders? political leaders? what about the bankers and industrialistswho funded the nazis? what about the soldiers and civilianswho carried out the atrocities?
we can't put the whole country on trial. we need to suggestthe scope of the crimes. l want this trial to be the first of many. how about choosing a symbolic figureheadfrom each category? we cover the whole spectrum. - that way no one group gets off scot-free.- makes sense. lf we win, we can keep prosecuting nazistill the cows come home. remember, we may also failto win convictions... ...in which case, some or allof the defendants could go free.
l'm still wrestlingwith the validity of this trial. crimes committed during warhave never been called crimes. let's focus on existing law.what existing laws did the nazis break? well, they broke peace and border treaties,certainly geneva and hague convention. right. every time they invaded a country,they broke a law. my fear is that at the end of the day,when all is said and done... ...this trial will be perceived as nothingmore than triumph of superior might. the winners exacting punishmenton the losers.
our task is to make sure thatthis is not the triumph of superior might... ...but the triumph of superior morality.we're in a very interesting position here. we are in a position to fashion a futurein which aggressive war... ...will be dealt with as a crime. here, here. move it! let's go! over there! line them over there!come on, let's go! corporal. new arrivals, identify yourselves.
- fritz sauckel, sir.- head of labor conscription. former head. - julius streicher.- publisher of... - l can't pronounce it.- der strumer. lt's filth. you bankers are all jews,you think l don't know that? - shut up.- hjalmar horace greeley schacht... ...formerly president of the reichsbankand minister of the economy. l do not understandwhy l have been accused here.
l'm your jailer, not your lawyer.you'll get your day in court. hans fritzsche. chief of radio operationsin the nazi propaganda ministry. rudolf hess, former deputy fuhrer. hess. - you.- joachim von ribbentrop. nazi foreign minister. you. colonel, this is dr. robert ley,head of the german labor front.
- you're albert speer.- yes, sir. - what's wrong with him?- his mind's not what it used to be. - he's a drunk, it finally caught up with him.- l said, ''shut up! '' colonel. this man, streicher, is a disgusting person.a pornographer and a jew-baiter. - l do not wish to be housed with him.- we make no distinctions. we respectfully protest our arrest. we were only following orders,nothing more. as a fellow soldier,surely you must understand.
now you're no longer a soldier. you are all war criminals. all of you! lock them up. nazi bastards! where's the guard? reichsmarschall hermann goringat your service, sir. you are in the united statesarmy stockade at bad mondorf. did they tell you why you're here? because we lost the war.l assume, to be shot or hanged.
lt's up to the court. l've heard of this court.lts opinion doesn't concern me. the opinion of the german peopleis what really matters. - ls that so?- lt is so. history will show that everything l didwas for the greater german reich. there will be statues of hermann goringall over germany in 50 years. little statues, perhaps,but one in every home. you're fat as a house. starting right now,l'm putting you on a diet.
you will be mentally and physically fitto stand trial. captain. - who is it?- hans frank, sir. tried to cut his wrists and throat. they stopped himbefore he could do any damage. ''the jew butcher of krakow.'' take him to the infirmary,have him checked out. l want a four-man watch on himaround the clock. - on the double.- yes, sir.
- good work, captain. what's your name?- gilbert, sir. - you and your men want to chow with us?- thank you, sir. - you a surgeon?- psychologist. what we are faced with, or so it appears... ...is the secular equivalent of draftingthe ten commandments. each nation has its criminal statutes,but for the world at large, none exist. none are necessary. we're trying war criminals whose guiltis unquestioned by our governments. lf we're going to have a trial,it must be based on law. lt must be a fair--
lt must only determine degree of guiltand appropriate punishment. a completely fair trialwith opposing counsel... ...direct examinationand cross-examination. precisely. - before judges that act as referees.- as in a sporting match? pain in the butt. - that's not how it's done in my country.- nor in france. lawyers merely help the accusedprepare a defense. they have little role in the court itself.
ln the u.s., a defendant is entitled to hislawyer's most aggressive representation. yes. as in britain. you would allow a mansuch as ernst kaltenbrunner... ...responsible for the gestapo,concentration camps... ...for killing millions of innocent people... ...to stand before a court of lawand declare himself not guilty? that is precisely what we would allow. twenty million of my people were killedby these fascist criminals! half of them civilians,killed without mercy!
how many died in washington this way,mr. justice jackson? lt occurs to me that perhapsseparate trials... ...might be the most satisfactory wayto reconcile our differences. the u.s. and the britishalong with the french, if they choose... ...will conduct a trial with the nazisthat we currently have in captivity. kaltenbrunner, frank, speer, goring... the russians, of course, would be freeto hold their own trial with the ones that... ...you have on hand. there is no need to be so impulsive.
we are, after all, allies. we must try to bridge our differences. at least the prosecution isa unified group now... ...even if we did compromise withthe french and let the judges be the jury. l must say, your neat little trump cardturned comrade general into a pussycat. l didn't enjoy playing it.l didn't want to sandbag the poor guy. l would've preferred to convince him. the old boy was quite convincedby your subtle reminder... ...that we've got most of the big nazi fish,while they only have a couple of minnows.
nonetheless,l couldn't argue with his point. my country was spared the worst of it.no bombed-out cities. no slaughtered children.l couldn't begin to know. how can you look at all this... ...and still want to guaranteethese men a vigorous defense? l want to put national socialism on trial. so they'll incriminate themselves. besides, l don't want this to happen again. there's no question,you're the undisputed leader in this.
today proved that. when we finish our work here,go to germany, find a place for the trial. lf anything still exists, that is. robert, l can't believe this. my brother came here as a college student.l still have the picture book he brought me. lt was nothing like this.this isn't even the same city. there were medieval bridgesand gingerbread houses. this was also the siteof some of hitler's biggest rallies. nuremberg was the spiritual centerof the third reich.
what are the odds of finding the housingwe'll need for the thousands of people... ...who'll attend the trial? army guarantees it. parts of this city were untouchedby the bombings. there's hundreds of fine houses.some vacant. others whose owners are desperatefor money. what's that smell? there's still around 30,000 bodiestrapped under the rubble. - ready?- yeah.
the grand old palace of justice. a landmark in more ways than one. lt took five bomb hits,but just shrugged them off. attention! the courtroom's upstairs.offices, that whole wing there. and behind that wall,all the jail cells you'll need. right this way. justice jackson, the courtroom. this is a mess.
lt'll take a lot of work. - a lot of work.- but it's doable. bob? the ten commandments. the ten commandments, in the placewhere the nuremberg laws were decreed... ...that deprived all german jewsof their rights. this is it. this is the place to hold the trial. give me the word. l'll have general pattonmove in 15,000 german pows...
...and start cleaning up the whole city. l'm giving you that word right now. captain kiley, what do you think? l'll need to double the sizeof the courtroom. l'll have to take out that rear walland cut into the attic for a visitor's gallery. - l saw some terrific seats in an old theater.- great. the chandelier has got to go.fluorescent's more practical... the palace of justice is goingto see justice once again. sir, this was just forwarded from the base.
- thank you very much, sergeant...- fuchs. morris fuchs, brooklyn, new york. well, l knew it wasn't wisconsinwith that accent, fuchs. thank you. president truman wantsto appoint francis biddle... ...as the u.s. judge for the trial. are you serious? he fired biddle as attorney general.why would he do that? guilt, maybe. probably. - l guess, it's this instead of a gold watch.- how do you feel about that? read truman's wording:''unless you have a problem with this.''
- which means--- ''don't have a problem with this.'' l've got to go back to washingtonand brief truman anyway. l can stop in philadelphiaalong the way and... ...try to cajole biddleto become a team player. when do we leave? l need you to stay here, set up our office,and find us a place to stay. - make those decisions without you?- that'll be fine. l trust you. when your name is called,get your ass on the truck. when you board the plane,get a seat by the window, dear boy.
lt maybe the last viewwe have of the fatherland. l couldn't face going backinto private practice. not after all those years in washingtonat the nerve center of the country, the war. what is the current status in nuremberg? we're gathering evidence,choosing defendants. we've settled on 22 men. we've narrowed our targets to thosewho ran the concentration camps. good thinking, splendid. the ones who gathered the slave labor,as well as those that used it.
absolutely right! the judges have a great deal of work aheadof them with the pretrial discoveries. well, of course,you'll be there to guide me through it. l'm thrilled, bob. lt's an honor. this means a great deal to me. am l safe in calling the presidentand telling him you've signed off on me? that l'm approvedas chief american judge? l'll arrange your flight this week. we need you there as quickly as possible.we need to gear up fast.
the trial's in one month. we'll have dessert in nuremberg. all right, all right, okay. slow down.take it easy. l've got to say... ...l find it a little unnerving walking past300 german pows carrying pickaxes. you've got a bodyguard.just let one of them try to mess with you. you want the desk sideways? no, light from the sidegives him a headache. you really take good care of this guy.
that's my job. that's fine? perfect. could you please findcaptain kiley? - l wonder if the filing cabinets are ready.- sure thing. the first thing you must understand aboutthese men is that they are war criminals. their rank means nothing. there is to be no exchanging of salutesor any other military courtesies. now, l know most of you men saw combat. you lost friends, companions.
we've all seen the bodiesat the side of the road. men who gave their livesin the service of their country... ...so that we might have the opportunityto bring these criminals to justice. our job is to make sure thatthese criminals survive long enough... ...to have that justice served. to make sure that our friends,our companions, did not die in vain. that'll be all. on your feet. swab your cell.
l beg your pardon? der bucket. and der mop. use them! pick it up! pick them up! now! pick them up! lieutenant! back off!
easy. okay. put him down. colonel! doctor? he'll rest now. his heart rate was upto almost three hundred beats per minute. lt could've led to heart failure. that's just great. that's just what l need. to lose the biggest bull in the roundup.
- lieutenant?- wheelis, sir. l'm making this man your personalresponsibility. he is not to exert himself. as god is my witness, he'll be in the bestof health when they hang him. yes, sir. lieutenant. lieutenant wheelis. with your permission, l shall call you: leutnant. - that's fine, sir.- good.
- thanks for the ride, fuchs.- no problem. robert! - welcome back.- lt's nice to be back. lt's really good to have you back. so... - quite a job you've done here.- you should see the inside. come on. excellent. excellent work, captain... kiley. kiley. what's your background, kiley?
a couple of architecture classes.never got a degree. neither did l. you're a justice of the supreme court. l practiced law for 20 years with onlya single year of law school under my belt. things were easier back then. - you shouldn't give away your secrets.- l won't tell if you won't tell. how are we doing with the gizmosfor the simultaneous translation? lbm's inventing the process as we go, sir.but we'll be ready for you, l promise. l don't doubt that.
question is, ''will we be ready?'' the whole team's waiting in our office.they'll fill you in. l missed you. l missed you, too. when l was home,l couldn't find a phone number. l couldn't find a document. now you won't have to worry about that. l'll take goring. should be fun.
tom, l'd like you to do speer. my pleasure. l'd also like you to takevon schirach and funk. good. - are the indictments ready to be served?- l say we hold off till the last moment. as it is, we get to treat them like pows.we can interrogate them all day long. once indicted, they're entitledto have their lawyers present. this is going to be a fair trial. let's serve them as soon as possible.let the british deliver the indictments.
lt's not right for us to hog the whole show. - what if they want nazi lawyers?- hell, no! - what crazy example would that set?- free speech. for crying out loud, boys! nazis defending nazis.they ought to be on trial themselves. we have to pay them? l wonder what these fellows would doif the situation was reversed. we don't have to answerthat question in this room. the judges will be here in one week.we'll let them decide. will you excuse me?
this just arrived from biddle. he's decided not to fly. he's coming over on the queen elizabeth.he'll be here in three weeks. l'm a bit surprised at biddle. l'd never seen a manso hungry for approval. well, yeah, but then you approved him. l did learn a lesson there, didn't l? and how l hate learning lessons. don't you think this is a bit excessive?
l got it for a really good price. thank you. justice jackson,meet frau hassel and herr hassel. willkommen. how do you do?l have lived five years in america. well, it's a pleasure to meet you,frau hassel. please, come in. follow me, bitte. l will prepare dinner.something light, perhaps, at this hour.
''light'' means five pounds of lardin the dumplings instead of six. who owns this place? some banker who no longer owns a bank.l think we're his only source of income. come on. thank you, herr hassel. l'll do that. danke schon. so where is your room? upstairs. lt's a cute little attic-apartment type thing.
ls it all right? well, it's nicer than what l havein washington, bob. l haven't seen what you havein washington. oh god, l am so bushed. just hold on till dinner.would you like a drink? no, maybe later on. don't do that. l've arranged a breakfast meetingwith the team tomorrow morning. just to go over some finer points.
you sure pack well, bob. bob. thanks. start with this one. - l hope l shan't make a balls of it.- you'll be just fine, old chap. open up. good morning. l am major neave. l am the officer appointedby the lnternational military tribunal to-- wait.
- you're british?- l am. finally, a civilized man. neave. what is your given name? airey. major airey neave. l have heard this name before. airey, like the wind. why would l have heard this name?
l was captured, tortured by the gestapo,and escaped twice. l see.then you've earned your given name. l am the officer appointedby the lnternational military tribunal... ...to serve upon youa copy of the indictment... ...in which you are named as defendant. l'm also here to advise youas to your rights to counsel. l care nothing for lawyers. you can find one for me,major airey of the wind. we're men of culture.
we both know the truth. the victors will always be the judges. the vanquished, always the accused. yes? open it up. until l've studied this, l cannot speakto the accuracy of the charges against me. but l acknowledge the necessityof this trial and accept... ...my inclusion in it. how can you say thatbefore reading the charges?
there's a common responsibilityfor the crimes committed... ...in the name of the third reich.no one is blameless. apart from the victims. but we were just following orders! l know nothingabout crimes against humanity. - here's a list of lawyers.- jews! they're all jew names! l want to be defendedby a german naval officer. l was a lawyer myself, full of ideals.
why don't you just shoot us now? why don't you shoot us now? l want a guard postedat the porthole of every cell. they are to be watched around the clock! l will not have them takingthe easy way out! - l need to pick up a document.- l'll meet you in the office. - find any directives on polish slave labor?- take your pick. there's something peculiarabout the german character. makes them keep detailed recordsof everything they do.
lt's downright perverse. the nazis put into writingevery criminal thought they ever had... ...and every criminal act they ever did. ln this room is enough evidenceto hang half the country. l'll settle for 21 clean convictions. - get what you need?- more than. l've arranged all your random notesfor the opening statement... ...into something less random. legal, thematic, anecdotal,precedent, theory.
you're really something. when you decide what, let me know. oh, my god! l don't believe this. l've noticed that this casehas inspired the orator in you. l tried to capture a tone, a mood,for the entire case. a melancholy grandeur, if you will. well, it's all here. you have a...
...something right here. we only have two daysto finish the speech. maybe you should start dictating. this simultaneous translation businessis like taking a room in the tower of babel. l can assure you, whoever designedthose electronic earmuffs-- earphones, sir geoffrey. earphones. whoever designed themdid not try them over a barrister's wig! not to worry.on you, they'll be most becoming. that'll change my style...
who's that over there? he's a psychologist. the armytransferred him here to consult... ...on the suicide risks among the prisoners. l had arranged for a flight to pick you up. you were meant to be here two weeks ago. what happened?you developed a craving for shuffleboard? l just l needed time to get up to speed. l worked the whole way over. l'm fully prepared.
any of my colleagues here?l'd like to meet them. perhaps later on.l need to talk to you about something. - you must take some vodka.- no, thank you. - try it. lt makes it strong.- l am content with the cognac. - we do it all the time in russia.- you can't mix it. - we do it in russia all the time.- not in france. thank you. thank you. look at this, bob. lt was a gift from my family.
after the trial l will donate this,along with my papers, to my alma mater. - l think future generations--- francis... on the subject of who will serveas president of the court... ...the british are preparedto support you, but... lt's not in the best interests of the trial. the americans are far too dominantin this thing already. the trial must be viewed as a joint effort. - l really do have the qualifications.- l know you do. lf not me, then who?
sir geoffrey lawrence. the british share our sensibilities. that's a lot better than havingde vabres or, god knows, nikitchenko. l think l can sell the frenchon this idea too. everyone back home assumesthat l will be head of the court. francis, your role here will beof incredible importance. this is probably the last appointmentof my career, bob. this is how l'm going out. with great honor.francis, you'll be capping your career...
...with great honor. now that ley's done himself in... ...who should we getto replace him in the dock? lt's not a broadway show.we don't just bring out an understudy. we've still got 21 left. lt's a good number. boys, they are coming back. - biddle doesn't look too happy.- can you blame him? gentlemen, l'd like to introducejudge francis biddle. hello, sir. pleased to see you.
ladies and gentlemen. please. a salute to my colleagues in the law. how fortunate we are to be in a professionwhere we may speak our minds. not like diplomats who must behavelike dogs on a leash. to the law! l was wonderingif you'd care to dance with me? l'm not much of a dancer. well, let's go embarrass ourselves.
lt's my opinion head-shrinkinghas no place in this man's army. but you've been assigned to me, captain,and l plan to make full use of you. you'll help me stop losingany more of my prisoners. from what l know of your set-up here... ...l can say that you've createdthe perfect suicide ward. what are you talking about? these men have nothing to do all daybut think about their faith. they should. to keep them alive and sane...
...they need to be occupied,mentally and physically. - a small library, for instance.- library? would make all the difference in the world. so would an exercise yard. l had something quite different in mind. put you in their lives. give them somebody to talk to,open up with. they'll surely jump at the chance... ...to jibber-jabber with somebody as brightand enthusiastic as yourself.
they'll tell you what they're thinkingand planning. you'll report everything you hear to me. colonel-- l will not hear anythingabout morals and ethics. these men are prisoners. criminals. not patients. that's the deal, captain.take it or leave it. the library and the exercise yard, sir? you got it.
this place is worse than l expected.what a nightmare. - where do we pick up our press passes?- the palace of justice. what's the metal baron the front of the jeep do? lt cuts the wires that germans stringacross the road at night. several gl's have already been decapitated. lovely. here we are, gentlemen.l'll take your bags to the hotel. all right. thanks a lot, buddy.see you around. have press credentials ready to show.you will be given press passes...
...and transferred to assigned lodging.get in line, gentlemen! check this out. nice and tight, please. we better go sign in. - rudolf, you put it on the wrong foot.- what? the shoe. na ja. hess seems completely mad. lt is an act. he is being clever.
lf he was so clever, he wouldn't have spentthe last four years in an english prison. l turned my diaries overto the americans, voluntarily. that proves that l tried to resignas governor-general of poland. l did not approveof the persecution of the jews. anyone reading my diaries,they will know what was in my heart. they will understand thatthose things l wrote about the jews... ...the orders l signed... ...they were not sincere. l believe you, herr frank.
and yet, you did do those things. how do you explain it? l don't mean legally.l'm not a lawyer or a judge. l mean, how do you explain it to yourself? l don't know. lt's as though l am two people. the hans frank you see here,and hans frank, the nazi leader. l wonder how that other frankcould do those things. this frank looks at that frank and says:
''you are a terrible man.'' and what does that frank say back? he says: ''l just wanted to keep my job.'' friends. when we begin this grotesque farcetomorrow, my friends... ...never forget that we're herefor one reason. and one reason only. we lost the war.
but someday, a grateful german nation... ...will honor our legacy. doctor! what do you have if you have one german? you have a fine man. two germans, a bund. three germans? a war! are you really in such a good mood,herr goring? or is this your way of handling fear?
fear? what do l have to be afraid of? l've ordered thousands of meninto battle knowing full well... ...that not many would return. why should l, their leader, tremblewhen called upon to face the enemy? l know that l'm a condemned man.that is of no consequence. there is still work to be done.and, mark my words, it will be done. one englishman? an idiot. two englishmen? a club.
three englishmen, an empire! l spoke with the translators today... ...to get a sense of the paceyou need to maintain. lt's tricky. lt's not just about pace. lt's about rhythm,pausing at the end of phrases. we should rehearse a little tonight. not the whole speech.you need to save your voice. this is unbelievable. open them up.
- good morning, leutnant wheelis.- good morning, sir. lt's time to go, reichsmarschall. how do l look? you look fine, sir. how do you feel? excited. l have waited many months.many months of silence. now at last l'm being heard. - shall we?- l'm not allowed to do that, sir. yes, of course. bring them out!
hitch them up! pull them out! all right, sergeant, search the cells. sir geoffrey. with my respects. bless you, biddle. after you. all rise! this trial, which is now to begin...
...is unique in the annals of jurisprudence. the defendants, all having been servedwith copies of the indictments... ...are now to enter their pleas. hermann goring. l have a statementwhich l will now read to the court. the defendants are not to make a speech. they are only to enter a plea. l declare myself, in the sense ofthe indictment, nicht schuldig. not guilty. rudolf hess.
nein, nein. record that as ''not guilty.'' - joachim von ribbentrop.- nicht schuldig. - wilhelm keitel.- nicht schuldig. - ernst kaltenbrunner.- nicht schuldig. - alfred rosenberg.- nicht schuldig. - hans frank.- nicht schuldig. - wilhelm frick.- nicht schuldig. - julius streicher.- nicht schuldig.
- walther funk.- nicht schuldig. - hjalmar schacht.- nicht schuldig. - karl donitz.- nicht schuldig. - erich raeder.- nicht schuldig. - baldur von schirach.- nicht schuldig. - fritz sauckel.- nicht schuldig. - alfred jodl.- nicht schuldig. - franz von papen.- nicht schuldig. - arthur seyss-lnquart.- nicht schuldig.
- albert speer.- nicht schuldig. - konstantin van neurath.- nicht schuldig. - and hans fritzsche.- nicht schuldig. all the pleas have now been entered. justice jackson. your opening address, please. may it please your honors. the privilege of openingthe first trial in history... ...for crimes againstthe peace of the world...
...imposes a grave responsibility. the wrongs which we seek to condemnand punish have been so calculated... ...so malignant, and so devastating... ...that civilization cannot toleratetheir being ignored... ...because it cannot survivetheir being repeated. that four great nations, flushedwith victory and stung with injury... ...stay the hand of vengeance andvoluntarily submit their captive enemies... ...to the judgment of the law... ...is one of the most significant tributesthat power has ever paid to reason.
lf these men are the first war leadersof a defeated nation to be prosecuted... ...in the name of the law... ...we agree that here they must be givena presumption of innocence. we accept the burden... ...of proving criminal acts... ...and the responsibility... ...of these defendants for their commission. we have no purpose here... ...to incriminate the whole german people.
hitler did not achieve powerby majority vote, but seized it... ...by an evil alliance of revolutionists... ...reactionaries... ...and militarists. you will hear today and in the days aheadof the enormity and the horror... ...of their acts. the prosecution will give youundeniable proofs... ...of these incredible events. l count myself as one who received, duringthis war, atrocity tales with suspicion...
...or skepticism. no more. the catalogue of crimes will omit nothingthat could be conceived... ...by their pathological pride, cruelty,and lust for power. you will hear of the repressionof organized labor. the harassment of the church,the persecution of the jews. the conversion of mere anti-semitisminto the deliberate... ...extermination of the jews of europe. you'll hear of the long seriesof german aggressions... ...and conquests and broken treaties.
the terror that settled over germany. the havoc wroughton the occupied territories. and you'll know that the real complainingparty at your bar is civilization. civilization asks whether law is so laggardas to be utterly helpless... ...to deal with crimes of this magnitude... ...by criminals of this order of importance. lt does not expectthat you can make war impossible. lt does expect that your juridical actionwill put the forces of international law... ...its precepts, its prohibitionsand, above all, its sanctions...
...on the side of peace. so that men and womenof good will in all countries... ...may have leave to liveby no man's leave, underneath the law. the court is now adjourned. jackson's speech? pedantic. tiresomelot of nothing. l nodded off twice. the food is better today. do you thinkthey'll feed us like this every day? they always feed you wellbefore they hang you. that's so true. they can't hang us. we're soldiers.they have to shoot us.
stop this talk.we must concentrate on our defense. lf you are not going to eat, frank,give it to me. lt's a crime to waste such good food. look what they have doneto your beautiful city. - nuremberg is not mine.- but it was. was anything ever more extraordinary thanthe parteitagen you staged in september? the night skies lit up like a bonfire as wecarried our torches through the streets. a quarter million of uson our way to the zeppelin fields. l remember standing there for hours,basking in the radiance of the fuhrer.
then l would take a groupof my hitlerjugend to the river... ...where we'd would bathe together. we'd cool off from the firesthat were burning within us. but now that just seems like a dream. a strange, wonderful, frightening dream. lt was not a dream, it was a nightmare... ...of our own making.and it's time to wake up from it. the look in hitler's eyes was not radiance,it was madness. ls the british prosecution ready?
yes. lndeed we are. your honors, with permissionl wish to read from a sworn affidavit... ...by one hermann friedrich graebe. a german construction manager who,in a civilian capacity... ...was employed by the german armyin occupied ukraine from 1941 to 1944. on several occasions he observed... ...the mass murders of local jewscommitted by the ss... ...or schutzstaffel, the nazi party's policeand security organization. one such occasion...
...he writes,took place on october 5, 1942... ...near the city of dobno. that morning, herr graebe was informed... ...that all 5,000 jews from that city... ...were to be taken by ss trucksto a place near his building site... ...where they were to be shot... ...and buried in large pits. he continues. ''thereupon l drove to the siteand saw near it great mounds of earth.
''several ss trucks stood in front of them. ''l heard rifle shots, in quick succession... ''...coming from behindone of the earth mounds. ''those who had just got off the trucks,men, women and children of all ages... ''...had to undress upon the orderof an ss man, who carried a whip. ''all these people had the regulationyellow patch on their clothes... ''...and thus could be recognized as jews. ''and without screaming or weeping... ''...these people undressed,stood around in family groups...
''...kissed each other, said their farewells. ''l watched a family of about eight,a man and a woman... ''...with their childrenand two grown-up daughters. ''an old woman with snow-white hair washolding the youngest, perhaps a year old... ''...in her arms and singing to it, tickling it,and the child was cooing with delight. ''all the people aroundwere looking on with tears in their eyes. ''the father was holding the handof a boy about 10 years old... ''...and speaking to him softly.the boy was fighting his tears. ''the father pointed to the sky,stroked the boy's head...
''...seemed to explain something to him. ''at that moment, the ss man at the pitshouted to his comrades. ''the latter counted off about 30 personsand instructed them... ''...to go behind the earth mound. ''among them was the familythat l have mentioned. ''l well remember a girl,slim and with black hair, who... ''...as she passed close to me,pointed to herself and said: '''twenty-three.' ''l then walked around the mound,and was confronted by an enormous grave.
''people were closely wedged togetherand lying on top of each other so that... ''...only their heads were visible. ''nearly all had blood runningover their shoulders. ''some of the people shotwere still moving. ''some were lifting their armsand turning their heads... ''...to show that they were still alive. ''the pit was at least two-thirds full. ''l estimated that it already containedabout one thousand humans. ''the victims, completely naked...
''...went down some steps which werecut out of the clay wall of the pit and... ''...clambered over the headsof the people lying there... ''...to the place where the ss manhad directed them. ''they lay down in frontof the dead or injured. ''some caressed thosewho were still alive... ''...and spoke to them in low voices. ''then l heard a series of shots. ''l looked back into the pitand saw that the bodies were twitching. ''the heads lying already motionlesswere on top of the bodies that lay...
''...beneath them. ''when l walked back, around the mound,l noticed another truckload had arrived. ''this time it included the sickand the infirm. ''an old, very thin, very frail woman... ''...with terribly thin legs, was undressedby the others who were already naked... ''...while two people held her up. ''the woman was obviously paralyzed. ''the naked people... ''...carried the old woman...
''...around the mound... ''...and the shooting continued.'' signed, friedrich graebe. did any of you ever hear of this graebe? rough day, reichsmarschall? on the contrary. we had an excellent lunch,a nice view of the city. and in the courtroom,we had the best seats in the house. cuffs off!
they go on about this graebe person.lt doesn't concern us. we were not even mentioned. they must havevery little evidence against us. l always suspected the british prosecutorwas a jew. now l am sure of it! - shut up, streicher.- please, don't be so na.ive! we are on trial! of course they'll sayterrible things about us. - they have not even begun.- lock them up. happy dreams, leutnant.
good night, reichsmarschall. your honors, l would like to readinto the record document 294-ps... ...which describes manpower initiativesand how they were directed. you have already read into record eightnearly identical documents on this subject. do you really feel it's necessaryto introduce a ninth? yes, your honor, l do. very well. please continue. document 294-ps begins as follows... l have come to the conclusion thesentences are already being carried out.
justice jackson means to bore us to deathand is succeeding beyond his hopes. now the fuhrer, what a speaker!at a rally, here in nuremberg... ...he held an audience of 250,000 peoplein the palm of his hand... ...for an entire afternoon. as legal strategy... ...your documentary approachhas been unassailable. but as drama, it is,l regret to say, absolutely stultifying. as you know, it's not meant to beentertainment. lt's meant to be a trial. - and it's ours to lose.- a trial is a show, robert.
like it or not, it's a show. and those four learned mensitting on the bench... ...are as impressionable as any audience. you're pushing for witnesses? witnesses will give this trial a human face. one compelling witness can outweigha ton of documentary evidence. mr. pachelogg,while you were imprisoned in dachau... ...were you at one time askedto participate in a medical experiment? yes.
and the nazi doctor who supervisedthat experiment, dr. rascher... ...did he ever explain to you its purpose? he said the luftwaffe had a problem. that its pilots shot downover the north sea... ...often survived a crash in freezing watersonly to die later, after being rescued. the purpose of the experimentwas to prevent these deaths. and what experiment did he devise? first, l helped to stripother male inmates naked... ...and put them into water tanks.
you were forcedto do this to fellow inmates? and then? then we added large pieces of ice. we put thermometers into their rectumsto make sure the men were freezing. then, some of them we plungedinto hot water... ...others in warm water, others we putnext to naked female inmates... ...so the doctor could learnwhich method would best revive them. mr. pachelogg, would you be so kind... ...as to read this conclusion...
...from dr. rascher's meticulous records. ''rapid rewarming was, in all cases,preferable to slow rewarming... ''...because after removalfrom the cold water... ''...the body temperaturecontinued to drop rapidly. ''rewarming by animal warmthwas too slow.'' mr. pachelogg, do you recallwhatever became of the subjects of... ...dr. rascher's experiments on behalf of... ...the luftwaffe? most of them went into convulsionsand died.
ln 1942, l was arrested, interrogatedand ordered to sign a false confession. l refused. the german officer threatened me. l told him, ''l am not afraid of being shot.'' he said, ''we have means at our disposalwhich are far worse than being shot.'' please continue, madame. soon afterwards, l found myself packedwith 230 other french women... ...in a sealed trainon our way to auschwitz. a sealed train?
no food, no water. nothing. at auschwitz, the trains ran almostall the way to the gas chamber. they unsealed the cars... ...and the soldiers let everyone out. l saw men, women, children, old couples... ...forced to part from each other. mothers made to abandon their children. none were aware of the fatethat awaited them. those selected for the gas chamber...
...were immediately drivento a red brick building. l saw my friend, annette, on that truck. she called to me. ''think of my little boyif you ever get back to france.'' then she put her armsaround another french woman... ...and they began singing la marseillaise. one night, we were awakenedby horrible cries. the next day we learnedthat the nazis had run out of gas... ...and the children had beenthrown into the furnaces alive.
of the 230 women on that train... ...how many returned from auschwitz? forty-nine. thank you, madame. you're excused. there you are. the film came in late last night,and l was up until dawn watching it. very few people have seen this film. you have got to enter thisinto evidence this morning.
what's the film? you're not going to believe this. may it please the tribunal. the united states now offersa film into evidence. lt was compiled from motion picturestaken by allied military photographers... ...as their armies liberated areas in whichconcentration camps were located. go. lt was such a nice day, laughing, joking... ...and then they showed that horrid film.
propaganda. anyone can do it. a little of this, a little of that,and before you know it... still... those films... l've read any number of affidavits,reports, statistics. but l didn't really understanduntil l saw those films. l still don't understand. l don't think l ever will. how could civilized human beingsdo that to other civilized human beings?
maybe civilization's overrated. good night, leutnant. goodnight, reichsmarschall. dr. speer, help me understandwhat l witnessed today in the dining room. goring's ability to dominateand intimidate without possessing... ...a real shred of power. how do you explain that? habit. lnstinct.
something in the german characterthat responds to authority... ...real or imagined. - that's all it is?- yeah. what about the ideas he expressed?the words, thoughts, they had no impact? what ideas? what thoughts? there were only platitudes. nazi germany was builton empty platitudes. a man like you,you were seduced by empty platitudes? of course.
because you can hear in themany meaning you want. you said earlieryou wanted to tell me something. l've been trying to encouragesome of the other defendants... ...to join with me in accepting guiltand expressing remorse. l made progress with frank,and l have had high hopes... ...for young von schirach. but goring means to bully theminto joining him. and l fear now, he will succeed. unless someone stops him.
l understand. all rise. herr goring, do you believe thatthe nazi party came into power legally? l do. and l am happy to explain in detailthe history of those first elections. but l will add that once we came to power,we were determined to hold onto it... ...under all circumstances. we did not want to leave thisany longer to chance... ...to electionsand parliamentary majorities. lt had always been our planonce we came to power...
...that we would eliminate the reichstag... ...dissolve the regional parliaments,end individual rights. where did the idea come fromto combine the ceremonial head of state... that's quite simple. we took our examplefrom the similar dual roles... ...of the president of the united states. and the idea for concentration camps? the idea was mine. lt was a question of removing danger. only one course was available.
protective custody. how could the party ruleuntil it had established order? and how could it maintain orderwith its deadly enemies... ...particularly the communists,running free? no further questions. l don't get it. he's tightening the noosearound his own neck. he doesn't care. he has bigger fish to fry. he's talking over the heads of the tribunaldirectly to the german people. l suggest you isolate him from the otherswhen they're not in the courtroom.
l don't understand.why are you doing this? lnside. me? l'm just following orders. during cross... ...hit goring quick and hard.put him on the defensive right away. never let him breathe. l see no point in that at all.he's blatantly incriminating himself. all l need to do is ask direct questionsand let him answer them. be prepared with a tough lineof questioning.
ln case it's needed. - thank you.- sure. why am l being punished like a schoolboy? speer? speer's behind this. he must have talked to colonel andrus,persuaded him into this line of action. how do you know it wasn't me? why dr. speer? ls there rivalrybetween the two of you? he is ashamed of being a nazi. l'm not.
he wishes to infect the otherswith his shame. you have no shame? the world has now seen proof ofthe horrors committed by nazi germany. you are comfortable defending every bit of it? l've seen so many horrors already.the carnage of the first war... ...thousands of my countrymen maimed,degraded, starved. no, my dear doctor. l am not an inhuman monsterwho has no regard for human life. these atrocities are not indifferent to me.
you know, we are accusedof so many appalling acts... ...it is hard to keep track. - did you try?- my concern was war. and in war, each nation hasits own selfish interest. you have to be practical. l am a practical man. and l'm a soldier. and a soldier's code is obedience. obedience. this amuses you?
blind obedience without responsibility. ls there nobody in this country... ...that will take responsibility for anything?nobody who can say no? take a look at every cell in this block.what do you see? yes men. all the no men are six feet underground. what is this? you're not jewish, are you? yes. l am.
l see. this is a very interesting situation. for both of us. good luck, old boy. so, what's his plan? l haven't a clue. will the witness repeat this oath after me? ''l swear by god the almightyand omniscient...'' l swear by god the almightyand omniscient...
''...that l will speak the pure truth... ''...and will withhold and add nothing.'' that l will speak the pure truthand will withhold and add nothing. mr. chief prosecutor? you are perhaps awarethat you are the only living man... ...who can expound to us... ...the true purposes of the nazi partyand the inner workings of its leadership. l am perfectly aware of that. you, from the very beginning...
...together with thosewho you were associated with... ...intended to overthrow,and later on did overthrow... ...germany's previous government,the weimar republic? that was my firm intention. and upon coming to poweryou immediately abolished parliamentary... ...democratic government in germany. we found it no longer to be necessary. ls it not true that peoplewere subsequently thrown... ...into concentration campswithout recourse from the courts?
you must distinguishbetween two categories. those who had committed a treasonagainst the new state... ...were naturally turned over to the courts. others, of whom one might expectsuch acts... ...but who had not yet committed them... ...such as functionariesof the communist party... ...who were attacking us-- you answered the question. l need to explain further.
you'll have the opportunity to explain... ...under re-examinationfrom your own counsel. did you prohibit all court reviewof the cause for taking people... ...into what you were calling''protective custody''? that l answered very clearly,but l'd like to make an explanation... ...about my answer. your counsel will see to that.about the camps-- mr. justice jackson. the tribunal thinksthe witness must be allowed to make...
...what explanation he thinks rightin answer to this question. the tribunal thinksthat you should be permitted... ...to explain your answer now... ...and it will listen to that explanation. l want to say that l issued a decree... ...that those who were turned overto the concentration camps... ...should be informedafter 24 hours of the reason... ...and allowed an attorney after 48 hours. this by no means rescinded my orderthat a court review...
...of these measures was not permitted. by ''protective custody'' you mean... ...taking people in custodywho had not yet committed a crime... ...but you believed might commita crime in the future? yes, just as extensive protective measuresare being taken in germany today-- l didn't ask you about germany today. this is poor preparation. the witness may finish his explanation. you say that you were againstthe attack on soviet russia.
yet you gave no warningto the german people. you brought no pressure to bearto prevent it. you did not even resignto protect your place in history. we were at war, and such differencesof opinion could not be brought... ...before the public during war. this was the case in your own country. - your second question--- that'll suffice. l'm not finished. secondly... your honor, please.
the witness must be allowedto have his say. as far as my resignation... ...l do not wish even to discuss that... ...for l was an officer, a soldier. l served my country. - l ask you--- thirdly-- your honor, please! thirdly... ...l was not the man to forsake someone...
...to whom l had given my oath of loyalty... ...every time he was notto my way of thinking. your honor-- lt never, ever occurred to meto leave the fuhrer. the witness is adoptinga contemptuous attitude... ...toward this tribunal... ...which is giving him trialthat he never gave a living soul... ...nor dead ones either! objection, your honor.
l'm ready for the next question. l think this is probably a good pointto adjourn for the day. tough calls from the bench. well, it's only round one. lf you think you need anything,don't forget, l'm here. as the week ends, there's a consensusamong all present... ...that hermann goring now appears to bein control of the court. will jackson? will anyonebe able to stop him? yes, bob?
you know, judge, l didn't leavethe supreme court to come here... ...and be thwarted by a fellow countrymen. that sounds like sour grapes.very unbecoming. to an outsider, it might appear likeyou were trying to sabotage me. you gave goring an open forumduring direct examination. l must be able to control him during cross. just accept the fact that you weren'tat the top of your game today. you have the weekendto prepare for the next round. make good use of it.
- not hungry, sir?- l'm too excited to eat. did you hear what l said? my reply when he asked mewhy l did not resign? l lectured him about loyalty! you should have seen jackson's face. lt was a completely foreign concept to him. lf l didn't know better,l would say jackson was a jew. no. keep it. my initials, see? engraved.
lt's real nice. l'll never forget this. l know, leutnant. l know. sit down. you know, my friends call me tex. all right, tex. let me tell you something, tex. america will soon learn thatthey are backing the wrong philosophy. we should both be togetherfighting the forces of communism.
- you think?- yeah. you think? - yeah.- yeah. - l think we both agree, no?- yeah. l'd like to dictate a telegram. president truman, the white house. ''please accept my resignation aschief prosecutor for the nuremberg trials... ''...and appoint a replacementat the earliest possible-- '' l'm not writing this. l won't.
you saw today that l'm not up to this task. l could stay, out of pride,and unravel everything... ...we've all worked so hard for.or l can step aside-- bob, you are this trial. everything it is, everything it represents,is from inside you. your thoughts, your values. l tasted failure today... ...and realized what it would mean.not only to myself... ...but to everyone connected with this.
the only way they can triumph over you... ...is if their values are stronger than yours. lf they believe in their idealsmore than you believe in yours. ls that true, bob? does hermann goringactually believe in his ideals... ...more than you believe in yours? you're right. and thank you. you're welcome.
now, look here. what happenedwasn't entirely your fault. god knows, l'd be hard-pressedto defeat a clever defendant... ...who's allowed to say whatever he wantsfor as long as he wants. now that you've finishedwith the niceties, let's have the truth. well, it was very damaging, robert. you've introduced this trialfrom a position of moral superiority. and as a result,you've become its chief symbol. lf you can't maintain that... ...or if the balance shifts ever so slightlyit could be a disaster.
hermann goring is using this trial... ...to present himself as aphilosopher-statesman on hitler's level. do you see goring as a statesman? no, l do not. l see him as reprehensible. as inhuman. then treat him as such. treat him as the vile, conniving... ...bloody fascist bastard that he is. where the hell is he?
he'll be here. mr. chief prosecutor, if you are ready. from the very beginning,you regarded the elimination of the jews... ...from the economic life of germanyas under your jurisdiction, did you not? yeah. the elimination from economic life,that is partly correct. large industries, also armament industriesunder jewish directors. was that the first of your legal measuresagainst the jews? l believe removal from office was first,in 1933. then, in 1936,you personally drafted an act...
...making it punishable by deathto transfer property abroad? that is correct. and another that all damage causedto jewish property... ...by the anti-jewish riots of 1938... ...must be repaired by jewsat their own expense... ...with their insurance claimsforfeited to the reich. l did sign a similar law.whether it was exactly the same, l... and did you not say about those riots... l show you this transcript.
did you not say,''l wish you had killed 200 jews... ''...instead of destroying such valuables''? that was said in a moment of bad temperand extreme excitement. spontaneous sincerity, in other words. did you not also personally sign a decreein september, 1940... ...ordering seizureof all jewish property in poland? l assume so, if the decree is there. and another, which providedthat jews receive no compensation... ...for damages caused by enemy attacksor by german forces?
lf the law bears my name,then it must be so. ls this your signature? lt appears to be. ls it, or is it not, your signature? lt is. your signature... ...on a decree dated july, 1941asking himmler... ...and heydrich and the ss to make plans... ...for the ''final solution''of the jewish question.
that is not a proper translation. l said ''total'' solution, not ''final'' solution. these are your words to himmler: ''l charge you to send me before longan overall plan concerning... ''...the organizational, factualand material measures necessary... ''...for the desired solutionof the jewish question.'' ls that an accurate translation on what is written in this orderfrom you to heydrich and himmler? that had to do with emigrationand evacuation of the jews. and you ordered all other government agenciesto cooperate with the ss...
...in the final solutionof the jewish question. did you not? there's nothing in there about the ss. this document states you personallyordered all government agencies... ...to cooperate with the ss. you sent this letterto ss gruppenfuhrer heydrich. that doesn't mean that the sshad anything to do with the solution... ...to the jewish question. l must say this clearly. l did not know anything that took place...
...or the methods that were usedin the concentration camps later. these things were kept secret from me. and l might add... ...that in my opinion... ...even the fuhrer did not knowthe extent of what was happening. witness, there is evidencebefore this court... ...that nearly 10 million peoplehave been exterminated. murdered in cold blood. you mean to say that you did not,and in your opinion, hitler did not...
...know what took placein the concentration camps? ja do you know that hitler said in 1943... ...in a recorded meeting,l read you his words now. quote: ''the reich's ministerof foreign affairs... ''...declared that the jewsshould be exterminated... ''...or taken to concentration camps. ''there is no other possibility.'' the minister of foreign affairs,ribbentrop...
...talked with hitler about extermination. and you were above ribbentrop. you were hitler's second-in-command. you were in chargeof the economic four year plan... ...so you knew all aboutthe gold wedding rings... ...the gold teeth and the gold eyeglassesthat the victims left behind. and you have heardthat it took five extra minutes... ...to kill the womenbecause they had to cut their hair off... ...to be used in making mattresses.
and nothing was told to you... ...about this material that came fromthese people that had been murdered? how can you imagine such a thing? l was laying down the broad outlinesof the german economy. - the witness is excused.- l'm not finished! - the witness is excused.- l am not finished! the witness is excused. you know what would've beena great touch? hermann goring showing upin a santa outfit.
he'd probably do it. after all, he was the third reich'schief bon vivant. did you ever see pictures of himat hitler's mountain retreat... ...dressed like a tyrollean chorus boyout of some grotesque operetta? leaving so soon? some of the defendants asked meto come by tonight. a little christmas eve chat with their rabbi. you know the trial is about to entera new phase, a very important one. the defendants will have to choosebetween stonewalling and evading...
...or taking responsibility for their actions. now, you are the best chance we haveto influence that choice. frau hassel? ls something wrong? do not ask me to serve the russians.please. they're our guests. my son was killed on the russian front. okay. l'll take care of this.go to the kitchen. try these little sausage things, general.
l forget what frau hassel calls them,but l hear they're mighty tasty. madame. 20 million of my peoplewere killed by the germans. do you think l could be offendedby the snub of a hausfrau? l don't know what to think, general. frankly, l can't keep trackof all the politics in this room. the russians sure don't disappearin a crowd, do they? politics. they've suffered more in this warthan any other country.
must be doubly painfulto attract such little sympathy for them. and jackson decreed no wivescould come along. worked out quite nicely for him,wouldn't you say? merry christmas. this was a very nice gesture. l figured it's probably their last christmas. merry christmas, colonel. - field marshal.- doctor. how are you?
l'm so glad that you are here. please, sit. you are the only onel can really talk to. but you don't talk to me, field marshal.not really. - l tell you everything about my family.- yes. but not about you. l would like to understandhow a man like you... ...a man of your background... ...could have drafted an instrumentlike the commando order. allied soldiers foundbehind enemy lines were shot...
...rather than captured? or the night and fog decree:suspected resistance members... ...were arrested in the middle of the nightand secretly murdered. because of you. l know. l am dying of shame. don't you think it's time you admitted thatto the rest of the world? l'm not in the mood, all right. get off of me. get off!
you were signing ordersthat broke international laws and treaties. how could you not questionwhat you were doing? does a lieutenant say to his captain,''just a minute, sir, l have to consult... ''...the hague convention to seeif l am allowed to carry out your orders?'' lf we had disobeyed,we would have been arrested. rightly so. you realize without the supportof his generals, herr jodl... ...hitler could not have waged war. lt is a soldier's duty is to obey orders.
that is a code l have lived by all my life. and that code extends to the peoplewho ran the death camps? l'm sorry, sir. tex, my friend. come in. - sit down.- thank you. lt's good to see you. l know that christmastime can bea lonely thing away from home. merry christmas, reichsmarschall. my dear tex, what luxury.
prost. - cognac.- yeah. so what would you be doing nowback in texas? on christmas morning, we'd openour presents and then go to church. then, we'd head overto grandma and grandpa's... ...for a big roast turkey dinner. after that, dad, grandpa and me... ...we'd go out backhunting for pheasant, quail. hunting! hunting was my passion!
l was germany's chief gamekeeper. no kidding. the shooting around my estatesat carinhall was wonderful. did hitler ever go hunting with you? l shouldn't tell you this,but hitler did not approve of hunting. he felt that killing animals was immoral. - he was a vegetarian.- yeah? yes. he was a vegetarian. yeah, but that did not stop him frombeing the most gracious host in europe.
his dinner parties were legend.always the finest caviar and champagne. thought he did not partake,he was not intolerant. he would dazzle his guestswith every view under the sun until dawn. l remember once we were celebratingthe triumph of compiegne... ...where we savored the sweet revenge... ...of the french having surrenderedin the very same railway car... ...that the germans had capitulated in,in 1918. that must've been something. lt was, believe me.
lt was. you know... ...l have made my careeras a military man... ...and l have to say you remind me... ...of some of the finest young germansoldiers who served under me. hello, america. as christmas descendsupon this sad and broken city... ...l'm here,inside her great palace of justice. and on this christmas eve, as we're filledwith thoughts of peace on earth...
...it is here that the future of peace... ...may well be determined. herr von ribbentrop,would you agree that as foreign minister... ...you forced czechoslovakiato surrender its territory... ...by the most intolerable threatsof aggression? l do not agree. you threatened to send your army in. ln overwhelming strength. and also bomb prague.
what further pressure could youpossibly have put upon them? war, for instance. war? what is that but war? ribbentrop should be hangedfor his stupidity. that is the greatest crime of all. ln your newspaper, herr streicher... ...you wrote that the jews are ''a nationof bloodsuckers and extortionists.'' do you think that's preaching race hatred?
no. l do not think it's preachingrace hatred. lt is simply a statement of fact! dr. funk... ...you were president of the reichsbankduring the war? l was, yes. and you accepted unusual depositsinto your bank, didn't you? l do not know what you refer to. l am referring to deposits sent to youby the ss from concentration camps. l have no knowledge of...
lnside the reichsbank vaults,there were literally piles of jewelry. gold watches, gold earrings,gold eyeglass frames. and gold teeth! many people deposit valuables in a bank... ...and the bank is not requiredto look into them. prior to 1939, exactly how manyof your customers... ...deposited their teeth into your bank? you've heard a guard at mauthausenconcentration camp testify... ...that you watched while the gas chamberwas demonstrated on inmates.
l never set foot in mauthausen! and we have heard eyewitness testimonyfrom three people... ...that you were at mauthausenthree times. they are lying! and before he died... ...the commandant at mauthausensigned this statement... ...that you ordered him to put65,000 jews in a tunnel and seal it off... ...rather than allow themto be liberated by the allies. he is lying!
ls it not a fact that you are lyingto the tribunal about this... ...as you lied about everything elsein your testimony? that is also a lie! kaltenbrunner has asked the commandantof auschwitz testify in his defense. - lf that's a joke, l don't get it.- l don't get it either, but it's no joke. the british have him in custodyand agree to transfer him here to testify. maybe he just figureshe'll look better by comparison. we're not going to allow this, are we? let the guy walk in, say god knows whaton the stand, give kaltenbrunner an alibi?
might be a cheap price to payfor the opportunity to cross-examine him. during the entire time you werecommandant of auschwitz... ...did ernst kaltenbrunnerever visit the camp? not once? never. one minute, please. mr. hoess. how long were you commandantof auschwitz concentration camp? from the beginning.
and what was its purpose? at that time... ...to house prisoners who were being heldin protective custody. and after that? l was called to berlin by my boss... ...reichsfuhrer himmler, in 1941. and he informed methat the fuhrer had ordered... ...the final solution of the jewish question. l was not sure what l was supposed to do.
so adolf eichmann advised meto visit a camp at treblinka... ...to learn from its operation. and what did you learn there? actually, l was not impressed. lt was taking the commandant theresix months... ...to eliminate 80,000 jewsusing monoxide gas. l had a better idea. one of my auschwitz guards... ...had accidentally sniffeda chemical disinfectant called zyklon b...
...and had passed out immediately. lt occurred to me,if a little of this chemical killed lice... ...enough, perhaps, would kill a human. l tested it on soviet prisoners of warlocked in a room, and it worked. within 3 to 15 minutes, they were dead. l built gas chambers to accommodate2,000 inmates at a time... ...compared to treblinka's 200. and l built four large ovensto cremate the remains. lt became possible to eliminate10,000 people in 24 hours.
but that was at peak operation,which was exhausting for my staff. on the average, we would dispatch... ...2,000 people a day. how many men did it taketo dispatch 2,000 people a day? l had a staff of approximately 3,000 men. and during your tenure at auschwitz... ...how many people did you dispose ofin this fashion? approximately two and a half million. l wish to make this clear.
l did not tolerate gratuitous cruelty. my men were there to exterminate people,not torment them. any misconduct by the guardswas punished. l can assure you. court is adjourneduntil 9:00 tomorrow morning. my life was entirely normal. even while doing this extermination work... ...l would say l leda perfectly normal family life. how would you describe that life?
l've always been happiest alone. l never had any real intimacywith my parents, my sisters-- do you feel... ...that the jews you murdereddeserved their fate? l have always been taughtthat the jew was an enemy of germany. so when you were ordered to turnyour prison camp into a death camp... ...you never once thoughtwhat you were doing was wrong? l was an ss man. we were trained to obey orderswithout thinking.
does a rat-catcher think it is wrongto kill rats? a rat catcher catching rats. ls that the kind of thinking it takes tocarry out state-sanctioned mass murder? not just blind obedience, but also a beliefthat your victims are not human? let me ask you this. what was hiroshima? was it not your medical experiment? would america have dropped bombsas easily on germany... ...as it did upon japan,killing as many civilians as possible? l think not. to an american's sensibility...
...a caucasian child is considerablymore human than a japanese child. america was at war with japan. a country that had attacked itwithout provocation. you murdered millionsof your own citizens. what about the american citizensof the japanese race... ...put into ''protective custody''in your own concentration camps? that was wrong. why was this not done to americansof ltalian and german descent? l said it was wrong.
what about the negro officersin your own army? are they allowedto command troops in combat? can they sit on the same busesas the whites? segregation laws in your countryand anti-semitic laws in mine: are they not just a difference of degree? let me tell you,from the beginning of the century... ...through the first waruntil the rise of hitler... ...the freemasonryof the jewish merchants... ...consistently underminedthe german economy...
...and the nationhood of the fatherland.that is why we made anti-semitic laws. and why you, my friend,can never understand anti-semitism. why? because you are a jew. ls defense counsel ready to proceed? ready, your honor. herr sauckel, from march, 1942,you were in charge of procuring labor... ...for the war effort. ls that right? ja. you are aware that it was a crimeunder the hague convention...
...to forcibly deport citizensof other countries to germany as workers? how many foreign workerscame into germany during your tenure? approximately five million. and how many of them came voluntarily? perhaps 200,000. did you issue these directivescalling for their decent treatment? l did. l ask that these be marked as exhibitsand accepted into evidence. so ordered.
herr sauckel, who ordered youto procure these workers? speer. albert speer, minister of armaments.he gave orders to you? - and you had to obey them?- ja. every worker you brought in,it was under speer's orders? l know this is unorthodox, mr. dodd,to request an audience with you... ...the man assigned to cross-examine me. there's nothing very orthodoxabout this whole trial, dr. speer. my lawyer's trying to talk me outof confessing to war crimes...
...that might incur the death penalty. l do not wish to hide the truthjust to save my life... ...only to hate myselffor the rest of that life. - l wish other defendants shared that view.- some of them do. many are still under goring's influence. he's your chief rival for the soulsof other defendants... ...if l may put it so dramatically. goring was cross-examinedby the chief prosecutor, justice jackson... ...while l am to be questioned by you,a subordinate.
this difference was noticedby the other defendants. ln their eyes, it puts mein an inferior status to goring. that's a peculiar measure of status,dr. speer. not to a german war criminal. l hope you don't have a problem with it. no. l've got no ego riding on this. l'll present your requestto my superior, mr. jackson. dr. speer, did you disapproveof sauckel's recruitment of labor? l was grateful to sauckelfor every worker he provided.
when we failed to meetarmament quotas... ...because of shortage of workers,l would blame sauckel. do you wish to limit your responsibilityto your own particular sphere of work? no. this war has broughtan inconceivable catastrophe. as an important memberof the leadership of the reich... ...l share in the total responsibilityfor the disaster of the german people. dr. speer, near the end of the war,did you not refuse to carry out... ...hitler's order to raze germanyto the ground? l've no intention of using my actionsduring that phase of the war...
...to help me in my personal defense. but l would like thosewho sit in judgment of me... ...to understand that period. ln march of 1945,hitler intended, deliberately... ...to destroy the means of lifefor his own people if the war were lost. he said, ''let the allies conquernothing but ashes.'' but you resisted his wishes,sending him instead this memorandum. would you read it to the court, please? ''nobody has the right to destroyindustrial plants...
''...coal mines, electrical plants,and other facilities. ''we have no right to carry out destructionwhich might affect the life of the people. ''signed, speer.'' we have heard here that people were shotfor disagreeing with hitler. ls this true? that did happen. and yet, not only did you disagreewith him... ...but early in 1945 you actually madea plan to assassinate hitler. he what?
ls that not so? yes, it is so. traitor! lt is so... ...because of what l viewedas his insane destructiveness. what did you do? what was your plan? l knew of an air-intake shaft... ...in the reich chancellery gardenthat ventilated the fuhrerbunker below.
l went to the headof my munitions department and said: ''there's only one way to end this war.''... ...and asked him to get me... ...a poison gas to dropinto the ventilating system. but the next time l went there,they had built a 12-foot chimney... ...protecting the ventilator,and ss guards were patrolling there. so it came to nothing. you acknowledge responsibilityfor germany's large policies... ...but not for the details occurredin their execution.
- ls that a fair statement of your position?- yes, sir. very fair. may l ask the witness a questionin order to clarify this answer, please? you may. do you want to acknowledge guiltunder criminal law... ...or do you wish to recorda historical responsibility... ...before your own peopleand before history? the question is a very difficult oneto answer. lt is actually one which the tribunal... ...will decide in its verdict.
you would assassinate the fuhrer? l tell you this, coward. lf you get out alive,we'll put together our own court... ...and execute you for treason! lock them up! as a german officer, l consider it my dutyto answer for all l have done. lt will not always be possible to separateguilt from the threads of destiny. but the men in the front linescannot be charged with guilt... ...while the highest leadersreject responsibility.
that is wrong. lt was my guilt... ...which l carry before godand the entire german nation... ...that l educated the youth of germanyfor a man who l considered to be... ...an impeccable leader and head of state. but l educated the youth of germany... ...for a man who committed murdera millionfold. and this guilt of germanywill not yet be erased. good afternoon, captain.
the prisoners aren't allowed visitors. l am the wife of reichsmarschall goring. this is his daughter. no exceptions, ma'am. frau goring. - my name is captain gilbert.- hello. nice to meet you. would you havea moment to spend with me, to talk? - very good.- this is edda. hello, edda. l'm captain gilbert.do you like chocolate?
lt must have been very difficult for youthese last few months. especially with your little girl. lt could have been worse, l suppose.hitler could have survived. you've obviously come to termswith the truth. l wish your husband could do the same. but he persists in remaining loyalto hitler's memory. yes, l cannot understand it, either. such loyalty to a manwho wanted us dead. - l'm sorry?- hitler ordered all of us to be shot.
hermann, myself... ...our precious child. that is why we surrenderedto the americans. why else would we have donesuch a thing? l went through my notes last night. l've spent all these months tryingto find a way inside their minds. hoping to understand how those peoplecould commit such atrocities... ...against my people. l believe there are a couple of factorsthat explain a lot of it.
first, germany is a countrywhere people do what they're told. you obey your parents, teachers,clergymen, superior officers. you're raised from childhoodnot to question authority. when hitler comes to power,he has an entire nation that believes... ...it's perfectly naturalto do whatever he says. second, propaganda. for years, germans have been bombardedwith ideas like: ''jews are not real human beings,''or ''they're a corruption of the race.'' when the government says it's permissibleto deny jews their rights...
...and then says it's imperative to killthese inferior people... ...they comply. even if they've beenyour friends or neighbors. anything else? l told you once that l was searchingfor the nature of evil. l think l've come close to defining it. a lack of empathy. lt's the one characteristicthat connects all the defendants. a genuine incapacityto feel with their fellow man.
evil, l think, is the absence of empathy. l call on the chief prosecutorfor his closing argument. mr. president and members of the tribunal. lt is impossible in summation to do morethan outline with bold strokes... ...the vitals of this trial's madand melancholy record. for no time has ever witnessedslaughter on such a grand scale. such cruelties and inhumanities,such wholesale deportations... ...of peoples into slavery,such annihilations of minorities. events which will liveas the historical text...
...of the 20th century'sshame and depravity. terror was the order of the day. civilians were arrested without charges,committed without counsel... ...executed without hearing. villages were destroyed,the male inhabitants shot... ...or sent to forced labor... ...and the children scattered abroad. the nazi movement will be of evil memorybecause of its persecution of the jews... ...the most far-flungand terrible racial persecution of all time.
so thorough and uncompromising wasthis program that the jews of europe... ...as a race, no longer exist. thus fulfilling the diabolic ''prophesy''of adolf hitler at the beginning of the war. generations to comewill remember this decade. lf we cannot eliminate the cause... ...and prevent the repetitionof these barbaric events... ...this century may yet succeed... ...in bringing the doom of civilization. the time has come for final judgmentand if the case l present seems hard...
...and uncompromising... ...then it is only becausethe evidence makes it so. a glance at the dock will showthat despite quarrels among themselves... ...each defendant played a partthat fitted in with every other... ...and all advanced a common plan. lt was these men among millions of others,and it was these men... ...leading millions of others,who built up adolf hitler. they intoxicated him. he, of the psychopathic personality...
...with power and adulation. they fed his hates, aroused his fears. they put a loaded gun in his eager hands.lt was left to hitler to pull the trigger. when he did, they all... ...at that time, applauded. hitler's guilt stands admitted... ...by some defendants reluctantly... ...by some, vindictively. but hitler's guilt is the guiltof the whole dock...
...and of every man in it. these defendants now ask this tribunalto say they are not guilty... ...of planning, executing,or conspiring to commit... ...this long list of crimes and wrongs. they stand before the record ofthis tribunal as bloodstained gloucester... ...stood by the body of his slain king. he begged the widow, as they beg of you: ''say l slew them not.'' and the queen replied,''then say they are not slain.
''but dead they are.'' lf you were to say of these menthat they are not guilty... ...it would be as true to saythat there has been no war. there are no slain. there has been no crime. ''jews escalate fight for homeland.''lt's ironic. after all that's happenedover the past 10 years... ...l don't blame the jewsfor wanting a homeland. one of the many ripples we'll seefrom this war and from this trial.
- shall we?- yeah. the defendants may nowmake their final statements. defendant hermann goring. this has been a poor excuse for a trial. but firstly, l must reiteratemy lack of knowledge... ...for these terrible mass murders,which l cannot begin to understand... ...and furthermore,l condemn wholeheartedly. as to the trial, the statementsof the defendants were accepted as true... ...only when they supportedthe prosecution.
they were treated as perjurywhen they refuted the indictment. this is not a basis of proof. why am l in the dock being treatedas a common criminal? l say to my judges, have no illusions. since the three greatest powers on earth,together with other nations fought us... ...we finally were conqueredby tremendous enemy superiority. justice has absolutely nothingto do with this trial. defendant albert speer. how could so advanced, so cultured...
...so sophisticated a nation as germany... ...have fallen under hitler's demonic sway? the explanationis modern communications. no longer does a leader have to delegateauthority afar to subordinates... ...exercising independent judgment. given modern communications,a hitler can rule directly and personally. thus, the more technicalthe world becomes... ...the more individual freedom... ...and the self-rule of mankindbecomes essential.
this war has ended on the noteof radio-controlled rockets. aircraft approaching the speed of sound. submarines and torpedoeswhich can find their own targets. atom bombs... ...and the horrible prospectof chemical warfare. ln five to ten years, this kind of warfarewill offer the possibility of firing rockets... ...from continent to continentwith uncanny precision. through the smashing of the atom... ...it will be possible to kill 1 million peoplein new york city in a matter of seconds...
...with a rocket servicedby perhaps ten men. a new large-scale war will endwith the destruction... ...of human culture and civilization. that is why this trial must contribute... ...to the preventionof such wars in the future. a nation believing in its futurewill never perish. may god protect germany... ...and the culture of the west. we are agreed. three of four voteswill be required for the finding of guilty.
- agreed.- agreed. now, if the judgment is death,might we not consider... ...the firing squadfor the military defendants? l disagree most strongly. the bullet is for the honorable adversary,not for butchers. l say hanging. - l agree.- l agree. we will take the defendantsin the order they were indicted. goring.
bravo. go on, have some of the lovely food. there is talk that you will all be hanged. l won't be hanged. that l assure you. that l pledge. perhaps the courtwill send you to an island, like elba. we could join you there. go on, eat. do you think that we would be allowedto take some of the food home with us?
l don't see why not. the charter clearly statesthat following orders... ...''may be considered in mitigationof punishment.'' ''may be,'' not must be. you have becomesuch beautiful young ladies. when are they going to shoot you, papa? hans frank is a most tragic figure... ...in my view. his penitence is obviously real.
lt would be a meaningful gesturefor us to spare his life. he should hang. atten-hut! each defendant will standas his name is called... ...to hear the judgmentson the four counts applicable to him... ...and the sentence,if found guilty on any of the counts. the counts, numbered onethrough four, are: conspiracy to commit aggression. the commission of aggression.
crimes in the conduct of warfare... ...and crimes against humanity. the tribunal finds you guiltyon all four counts... ...and sentences you... ...to death by hanging. on the charges of crimesagainst humanity... ...the tribunal finds you not guilty. but we find you guiltyon counts one and two... ...and thereby sentence youto imprisonment for life.
admiral wilhelm keitel. guilty on all four counts. the tribunal sentences youto death by hanging. defendant hans frank. the tribunal finds you guiltyon counts three and four... ...and sentences you to death by hanging. julius streicher. guilty on count four,crimes against humanity. death by hanging.
defendant schacht. the tribunal has come to the conclusionthat evidence against hjalmar schacht... ...has not been establishedbeyond a reasonable doubt... ...and therefore finds that schachtis not guilty on this indictment. quiet, please. the defendant karl donitz. guilty on counts two and three. the tribunal sentences youto ten years imprisonment. foreign minister von ribbentrop.
ernst kaltenbrunner. guilty on counts three and four. balder von schirach. guilty on count four. twenty years in prison. alfred jodl. on all four counts, guilty. not guilty. franz von papen.
walter funk. guilty on counts two, three and four. the tribunal sentences youto imprisonment for life. defendant fritz sauckel. the tribunal finds you not guiltyon counts one and two. but you have been found guiltyon counts three and four. albert speer, the court sentences you... ...to 20 years imprisonment. the work of this tribunal is now complete.
leutnant, my dear tex,why this long face? have l not told you there's a special placein valhalla waiting for me? l thought things might haveturned out differently. well, you know, they might have done,if it wasn't a very unfortunate thing. those mass murders. l must tell you,l could not see their purpose. they were absolutely unnecessary. they made no sensefrom a nationalistic point of view. our legacy has been forever tainted.
but make no mistake. everything hitler did before the warwas right. the german people knew it. one day, they'll remember it. and you must remember it too,my dear tex. when you remember me, remember that. yeah. now, to practical matters. - there are a few things l want to give you.- no, sir-- where l'm going, l must travel light.
lt's inscribed, see, with my name. take it. take it. the few valuables l have, they arein my blue briefcase in the baggage room. can you retrieve that for me, my dear tex? where are they building those gallows? down in the back.third building on the right. l have only one question to ask you. ls there absolutely no possibility thatl may be allowed to face a firing squad... ...and die a soldier's death?
none. just as well. l hear the americansare very poor shots. now, if you'll excuse me,l must write a letter. for the rest of my life,herr reichsmarschall... ...people will ask me whatyour final thoughts were. l'll have nothing to tell them. you can tell them this: l say, for now and all time: the foreigners who have imposedthis sentence upon me may murder me...
...but they have no right to judge me. that l deny them. now, you must excuse me,l do have to write this letter. thank you. my one and only sweetheart. my life came to an endwhen l bade you farewell for the last time. do not grieve, my dearest one. since then l have felt at peace with myself,and consider my death a deliverance. all my thoughts are with youand our own dear, sweet child. my last heartbeats,of our great and eternal love.
colonel, may l? - you got what you want?- l got it, sir. gentlemen, follow me. mein gott. get dressed. get a doctor! somebody get a doctor! cyanide. son of a bitch.
- state your name.- joachim von ribbentrop. do you have anything to say? my last wish is that germanyrealize its destiny. l wish peace to the world. - do you have anything to say?- l now join my sons. deutschland uber alles! three. l'm dying an innocent man. l ask god to accept me with my sin.
heil hitler! seven. all cleaned out. everything. the cells are to be scrubbed clean.nothing's to be left. nothing. you know, when we get home,we've got some decisions to make. some personal decisions. let's just wait till we get home. hello, you two.
you know it may sound strange... ...but l can't help feelinga touch sentimental about all this. l got a letter from a friend todaysaying that because of what we've done... ...none of it can ever happen again. what do you think? well... we can hope, can't we? 'bye.
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