Order, Mr Hitler

Nuremberg, 1st September 1946

Really? Was he tried at Nuremberg?

“This court has found ex-Reichmarschall Hermann Goering guilty of waging crimes against humanity, crimes against peace and war crimes. For the charges mentioned above, this court sentences you to death by hanging. The date of execution shall be intimated to you well in advance. Until then you shall be held in the custody of Allied powers”, boomed the voice of Colonel Sir Jeoffrey Lawrence, Lord Justice and President of the Tribunal for the Trials of the Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg.

Soon after Hermann Goering, the second-highest ranked Nazi to be tried at this forum was led off the stand, a tense silence overcame the great halls. The attorneys for both Prosecution and Defense sat quietly at their seats, the representatives of the International Press had stopped their incessant scribbling. Even the judges looked at each other, nervous. This suffocating silence remained for some time before Francis Biddle, the American judge gave a short nod to the Bailiff. Even the Bailiff, a bear-like man had fallen silent. The usual booming man who made the criminals break into cold sweat seemed to have lost his voice.

He cleared his throat a few times and then said in his heavily accented English, “Next to be tried before this Court will be Ad-Adolf Hitler, ex-Fuhrer of Germany and the leader of the Third Reich.”

At the very end of the War, the Russians had stormed into the bunker below the Chancery House and found Adolf Hitler there, sitting on a chair mumbling incoherently to himself. Beside him lay the dead bodies of his fiancé Eva Braun and his beloved dog Blondi. Potassium Cyanide: the doctors had affirmed later. These brave soldiers had put a gun to his head and lead the man to the truck waiting outside. They knew he would be presented before Stalin who would prefer to shoot him with his own pistol. However, some MI6 agents lurking around the place had ruined their plan and reported in detail to Winston Churchill, who had then made it his life mission to ensure the Fuhrer was tried at Nuremberg. Stalin had to bow.

Now, Adolf Hitler was sitting there, a manic look on his face. Lawrence cleared his throat and began, “Mr Hitler, you are being tried for crimes against humanity, the massacre of minorities, violating the Rules of War and waging crimes of aggression, how do you plead?” With a pause, he continued, “Mr Fredrick Alder has chosen to be your defense counsel”.

And then, what happened? An on-the-edge-of-the chair story. Read here:

The Trial