Transcript War Crime Trials

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Summarize the events Japanese history textbooks leave out. Why?
Explain the Japanese vs. Chinese version of the Rape of Nanjing.
Do you think China’s current bitterness towards Japan is
justifiable? Or should they move on? Will Japan ever acknowledge
these crimes?
Do you think China is teaching their children to be anti-Japanese?
What were comfort women? Explain the contradicting views over
the use of comfort women during WWII.
THINKER: Former history teacher Tamaki Matsuoka holds
Japan’s education system responsible for their foreign relation
difficulties. Do you agree with this? If education isn’t to
blame…..what is?
Nuremberg Trials
Tokyo War Crime Tribunal
November 1945 - October 1946
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November 1943
Published by the U.S., Soviet Union, and England
Gave a "full warning" that, when the Nazis were
defeated, the Allies would "pursue them to the
uttermost ends of the earth ... in order that justice
may be done. ... and will be punished by a joint
decision of the Government of the Allies.”
In accordance with the declaration of the United
Nations
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Tribunal persecuted 23 top Nazi officials for the
following:
Count One: Participation in a common plan for the
accomplishment of a crime against peace
Count Two: Planning, initiating, waging aggressive war
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Count Three: War Crimes
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violation of international law or treaties
including mistreatment of prisoners of war or civilian
populations
Count Four: Crimes Against Humanity
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murder, extermination, enslavement of civilian populations;
persecution on the basis of racial, religions or political grounds
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Heinrich Himmler: leader/founder
of the SS, chief of German police
(including the Gestapo), facilitator
of all concentration camps
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Joseph Goebbels: Minister of
Propaganda, Chancellor of
Germany, facilitator of all
censorship and media
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Ratlines: system of escape routes for Fascists
These escape routes mainly led toward
havens in South America, particularly
Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile,
and Bolivia.
There were two primary routes: the first
went from Germany to Spain, then
Argentina; the second from Germany to
Rome to Genoa, then South America
13 top ranking Nazis escaped to South
America (most never found) 
Joseph Mengele, head doctor at Auschwitz
lived rest of his life in Brazil
Gustav Wagner, Staff Sargent of SS lived rest
of life in Argentina
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Robert Ley: head of the German
Labour Front
Indicted on three counts
When asked about being a war criminal…..
"Stand us against a wall and shoot us, well and
good, you are victors. But why should I be brought
before a Tribunal like a c-c-c- ... I can't even get the
word out!"
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Martin Bormann: Hitler’s
private secretary, 2nd in
command at Auschwitz,
general in SS, responsible for
domestic affairs
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Tried in absentia
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Leader of the Nazi Party, founder
of the Gestapo, commander-andchief of the Luftwaffe, 2nd in
command
"I only thought
we would
eliminate Jews
from positions in
big business and
government"
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Twelve were sentenced to death
Seven received prison sentences (ranging from 10
years to life in prison)
Three were acquitted
Two were not charged
The definition of what constitutes a war crime is
now described by the Nuremberg principles, a set
of guidelines created as a result of the trial
Influenced the Tokyo War Tribunal
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcudlm6
tPa0
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Japan was eliminated as a major power
Allied occupation of Japan; MacArthur was appointed Supreme
Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP)
Removal of Japanese troops in China
 In 1949, China falls to communism under Mao Zedong
Territories are reclaimed: Taiwan, Korea (divided), Pacific
Islands
SU gets control of Sakhalin and Kuril Islands
The Emperor would help maintain political stability and
facilitate reform
Japan was turned into a democratic state with a new constitution
Japanese compensation to countries occupied during 1941–45
Country
Amount in US$
Date of treaty
Burma
200,000,000
November 5, 1955
Philippines
550,000,000
May 9, 1956
Indonesia
223,080,000
January 20, 1958
Vietnam
38,000,000
May 13, 1959
Total
$1,012,080,000
Japanese overseas assets in 1945
Country/region
Value (US Dollars)
Korea
468,370,000
Taiwan
2,846,100,000
North East China
9,768,800,000
North China
3,695,800,000
Central South China
2,447,900,000
Others
1,867,600,000
Total
$25,300,000,000
April 1946 – November 1948
In January
1946,
MacArthur
ordered the
establishment
of an
International
Military
Tribunal
Accused the defendants of promoting
a scheme of conquest that
"contemplated and carried
out...murdering, mutilating and illtreating prisoners of war (and)
civilian internees...forcing them to
labor under inhumane
conditions...plundering public and
private property, destroying cities,
towns, and villages beyond any
justification of military necessity;
(perpetrating) mass murder, rape,
pillage, torture and other barbaric
cruelties upon the helpless civilian
population of the over-run
countries."
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Class A: participation in a joint conspiracy to start
and wage an aggressive war
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28 Japanese military/political leaders charged with Class A
Class B: crimes against humanity
Class C: those in "the planning, ordering,
authorization, or failure to prevent such
transgressions at higher levels in the command
structure“
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more than 5,700 Japanese nationals were charged with
Class B and C crimes, mostly entailing prisoner abuse
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Trials were carried
out by General
MacArthur and an
appointed 11 judges
(Australia, Canada,
China, France, India,
Netherlands, New
Zealand, Philippines,
UK, US & USSR)
"War and treaty-breakers
should be stripped of the
glamour of national heroes
and exposed as what they
really are—plain, ordinary
murderers”
The trial lasted for
more than two and a
half years, hearing
testimony from 419
witnesses and
admitting 4,336
exhibits of evidence,
including depositions
from 779 individuals.
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Emperor Hirohito (Allies
needed him to legitimize
democratic reforms)
Nobusuke Kishi
(conservative ally – later
Prime Minister)
Shiro Iishi (received
immunity in exchange for
data on medical
experiments)
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"MacArthur's truly extraordinary measures to save
Hirohito from trial as a war criminal had a lasting and
profoundly distorting impact on Japanese
understanding of the lost war . . . months before the
Tokyo tribunal commenced, MacArthur's highest
subordinates were working to attribute ultimate
responsibility for Pearl Harbor to Hideki Tojo”
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Japanese Historian, Herbert Bix
3 of the judges on trial later said Hirohito should’ve
been the main one tried, and Tojo should’ve been the
one acquitted
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984 were condemned to death
475 received life sentences
2,944 were given prison terms
1,018 were acquitted
279 were never brought to trial or not
sentenced
Found guilty on
35 counts!
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Show the clip!
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In 1978, 1,068
convicted war
criminals,
including 14
convicted ClassA war criminals
(Tojo) were
secretly
enshrined at
Yasukuni Shrine
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Today, denial of Japanese war crimes remains a symbol
of nationalism
In a Japanese survey conducted on the 60th Anniversary
of the sentencing (2006):
70% of those questioned were unaware of the details of
the trials
 rose to 90% for those in the 20–29 age group.
76% recognized a degree of aggression on Japan's part
during the war
Only 7% believed it was a war strictly for self-defense
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Compare/Contrast the two War Crimes Trials
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In your opinion, do you think the U.S., Soviet
Union, England or France should have been
tried for war crimes? Why or why not?
How would they have been tried?
Should a victorious power be forced to take
responsibility?