HISTORY RETURNS TO THE BIG SCREEN with Nuremberg, the new film starring Russell Crowe. The story it tells—of justice, truth and accountability—was shaped in real life by President Harry S. Truman and the landmark trials that followed World War II.

Whether you’ve already seen Nuremberg and want to explore the events behind it, or you’re planning your movie night and want a spoiler-free primer, this edition of our digital history series has you covered.

THIS MONTH marks the 80th anniversary of the start of one of the most significant events in history.

From November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946, leading members of the Nazi Party had to answer to an international court for conspiracy, war crimes, and crimes against peace and humanity. Known today as the Nuremberg Trials, this “alternative justice” set a remarkable precedent for trying war crimes and had a lasting effect on international criminal law.

During those 11 months, the first of the trials—the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg—involved 403 open sessions, more than 100 witness accounts, and extensive cross-examinations of evidence. In the end, 12 of the defendants were sentenced to death by hanging, seven were sentenced to imprisonment, and three were found not guilty.

“What makes this inquest significant is that these prisoners represent sinister influences that will lurk in the world after their bodies have returned to dust. They are living symbols of racial hatreds, of terrorism and violence, and of the arrogance and cruelty of power.”

 – Justice Robert H. Jackson

Representing the United States was Associate Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson. President Truman had appointed him to the tribunal just two days after Hitler committed suicide in a Berlin bunker. And while Jackson's title was Lead Prosecutor for the United States, he really served as leader for the international prosecution team, a remarkable feat for anyone, but especially considering that Jackson's formal education—like Harry Truman's—ended after high school. And, like Harry Truman, he seemed almost predestined, if not prepared, for the role.

JUSTICE JACKSON'S opening of the Nuremberg Trials endures as a defining moment in international law—an oration that gave voice to justice in the face of unimaginable inhumanity:

"The privilege of opening the first trial in history for crimes against the peace of the world imposes a grave responsibility. The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot survive their being repeated. That four great nations, flushed with victory and stung with injury stay the hand of vengeance and voluntarily submit their captive enemies to the judgment of the law is one of the most significant tributes that Power has ever paid to Reason."

STEP BEHIND THE SCENES of one of history’s most consequential trials with this online exhibit of historic images from the Nuremberg Trials, drawn from the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum’s Online Photo Collection. From courtroom preparation to Nazi prisoners, the presentation of the case, and history’s ultimate verdict, these photographs—donated by Justice Robert H. Jackson—offer a vivid, firsthand glimpse into the pursuit of justice in the aftermath of World War II.

LONGTIME FOLLOWERS may recognize the two figures in this oral history interview. Historian Niel Johnson, now well known for his portrayals of President Truman, launched the Truman Library’s oral history program during his tenure as archivist. Here he interviews Kenneth Hechler—a decorated World War II veteran, Truman advisor and later a long-serving congressman—who devoted his life to public service and to preserving the historical record he helped create.

NJ: Did you get to Nuremberg?

KH: Not for the trials … but I had a rare opportunity to interview a number of high-ranking Germans before they even knew they were going to be tried at Nuremberg, when they were still very, very cooperative.

NJ: Right after their capture?

KH: Yes.

NJ: Including?

KH: Goering, Jodl, Keitel, von Ribbentrop, and Kesselring and ...

THE TRUMAN LIBRARY is home to many of the original trial records, ensuring that the lessons of Nuremberg are preserved for future generations. Holocaust educators, social studies teachers, scholars and lifelong learners are invited to explore primary sources preserved at the National Archives and our nation's presidential libraries.

Holocaust-related photos at the Truman Library

National Archives records relating to Nazi concentration camps

Lesson Plan: Atrocities on Trial (Grades 9-12)

Lesson Plan: Justice at Nuremberg (Grades 6-12)

Stay INFORMED. Stay ENGAGED. Stay TRU.

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