Nuremberg Trials and Robert H. Jackson Full Name- Robert Houghout Jackson
Job- Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Born-February 13, 1892, Spring Creek Township, PA
Died- October 9, 1954, Washington, D.C.
Robert H. Jackson's role in the Nuremberg Trials
On May 2, 1945, President Harry S. Truman appointed Robert H. Jackson as chief prosecutor for the United States in the trials of Nazis. President Truman gave Jackson free rein on chossing his staff/coworkers and to design and implement the trials. In the time of Summer 1945, Jackson began to work on making an agreement with the United States allies. The agreement was made with the American, British, French, and Soviet governments. The agreement was finalized and signed on August 8th 1945. The signed agreement was called "The London Charter" and became the basis for the trial before the International Military Tribunal. Beginning on November 20, 1945, the first Nuremberg Trial lasted about ten months. Jackson cross-examined 22 of the defendants. He gave the opening and closing speeches for the trial.
Robert H. Jackson's childhood
Robert Houghout Jackson was born on February 13, 1892 in Spring Creek, Pennsylvania, but later moved to Frewsburg, New York. After graduating high school in 1910, Jackson continued his studies at a nearby high school, being monitored by two lawyers. Jackson attended Albany Law School for a year, then continued his legal apprenticeship. By 1913, Jackson had passed law school and started his own practice in Jamestown. He married IreneAlice Gerhardt in the spring of 1916 and they had two children together.
Robert Jackson had very strong feelings for being a democrat. He was very active in politics and became a friend of Franklin D. Roosevelt during the election of the governorship of New York. After winning the election, Roosevelt chose Jackson to work on a committee to learn about New York’s judicial process. Roosevelt continued to trust Jackson when Roosevelt won presidency in 1933. In 1934, Jackson was appointed general counsel to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Nuremberg Trials Day 2 Robert H. Jackson's Opening Statement November 21, 1945
"The privilege of opening the first trial in history, for crimes against the peace of the world, imposes a great responsibility, the wrongs which we wish to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant and devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored. Because it can not survive their being repeated. That four great nations fleshed with victory and stung with injury, stay the hand of vengeance and voluntarily submit their captive enemies to the judgement of the law is one of the most significant tributes, that power has ever paid to reason. This tribunal, while it is novel and experimental is not the product of abstract speculation. Nor is it created to vindicate legalistic theories...”
The Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were held to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. They were a series of thirteen trials held from 1945-1949 and took place in Nuremberg, Germany. Those being prosecuted included Nazi criminals, high ranking officers, German doctors, lawyers, and industrialists. The charges brought up against these people were crimes against peace and crimes against humanity. The Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler, commited suicide in 1945 so he was never brought to justice. In the end 22 Nazi leaders were brought to justice on October 1, 1949.