Nuremberg Day 2 Justice Robert H. Jackson's Opening Statement, Nuremberg, November 21, 1945

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, appointed by President Truman to serve as United States Chief of Counsel to prosecute Nazi war criminals, delivers his opening statement to the four-nation International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuremberg on November 21, 1945. Here are five segments of Jackson's speech, which is deemed a forensic masterpiece: (1) at the call of IMT President Lord Geoffrey Lawrence (UK), Jackson begins; defense attorneys sit in the background; (2) Jackson speaks, assisted by his secretary Elsie Douglas and his son and executive assistant, attorney William E. Jackson; the camera pans across the defense attorneys and then the 21 defendants; (3) as Jackson continues, the camera pans across UK chief prosecutor Hartley Shawcross and deputy David Maxwell Fyfe and then to the 8 judges on the bench, including U.S. judge Francis Biddle and U.S. alternate judge John J. Parker; (4) Jackson speaks and the defendants listen; (5) Jackson addresses the imperfection but sufficiency of the case that prosecutors will present. For more information on the trial and the complete text of Jackson's opening statement, visit www.roberthjackson.org.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Jackson
• Justice Jackson
• Robert H. Jackson
• Robert H. Jackson Center
• Truman
• Nuremberg
• Nuremberg Trial
• Opening Statement
• IMT
• Lawrence
• Biddle
• Parker
• Shawcross
• Maxwell Fyfe
• Elsie Douglas
• William E. Jackson

[Gabpopp]

Can't believe the view count of this vid is so low. Its such a powerful opening.

[Nayrion70]

if the laws of Nuremberg applied today then Bush and Blair would be held as war criminals, the nazi's were tried for planning and waging an aggressive war, exactly what Bush and Blair have done in Iraq

[911suri]

@roscogre Hitler's war certainly wasn't for justice. He wanted power, he wanted the German people (minus Jews etc) to rule the world. He planned the war long before it really began. I'm not defending the other two, just pointing out your mistake.

[LanceCiepiela]

"Real Change You Can Believe In" Obama said - and "no one is above the law" in America, he said, a Constitutional Scholar no less, but Bush Jr never was put in the dock, as credible crimes of torture go unaddressed by those [ President and Congress ] sworn to uphold the laws, and wars of aggression launched on "false pretense" against Iraq and Afghanistan are maintained as if hundred of lies told by Bush Jr were permissible as long as Bush Jr believed that was the right thing to do.

[wardenphil]

The Nuremburg Trial was indeed a great tribute to justice.

[roscogre]

@benjifischman No Bush and Obama are much worse,their wars are for bankers,while Hitler's were for justice.

[benjifischman]

@Nayrion70 i dont think you can compare bush to hitler or any nazi for that matter.