What is Nuremberg Trials?
[[File:Color photograph of judges' bench at IMT.jpg|thumb|Judges' panel]] During [[World War II]], the [[Nazism|Nazis]], led by Germany, started wars and committed terrible crimes against many countries and people. After the war ended in 1945, countries like the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and France decided to hold trials to punish the Nazi leaders who were responsible. These trials were called the Nuremberg Trials and took place in [[Nuremberg]], [[Germany]]. The trials lasted from November 1945 to October 1946. They focused on 22 top Nazi leaders and six organizations. The judges said it was wrong to start wars and cause so much suffering. They also looked at the Holocaust, where the Nazis killed millions of [[Jewish]] people and others in horrible ways. The judges called it one of the worst crimes in history. The Nuremberg Trials weren’t just about punishment. They were also about showing the world what happened during the war and making sure people understood how serious these crimes were. Later, more trials were held to punish others who were involved in the crimes. These trials were important because they created new rules to prevent such crimes in the future. They also showed that even powerful leaders would face justice if they broke international laws. ==The main trial== [[Image:Goring&Hess.gif|right|thumb|160px|Göring and Hess during trials]] The International Military Tribunal was opened on October 18, 1945, in the [[Supreme court|Supreme Court]] Building in [[Berlin]]. Judge Nikitchenko from the USSR presided over the first session. The [[Prosecutor|prosecution]] brought [[Criminal charge|criminal charges]] against 24 major war criminals and six criminal organizations: # The leadership of the [[Nazi Party]] # The ''[[Schutzstaffel]]'', or SS (a Nazi [[paramilitary]] organization) # The ''[[Sicherheitsdienst]]'', or SD (the [[intelligence agency]] for the SS and the Nazi Party) # The ''[[Gestapo]]'' (the Nazi secret police) # The ''[[Sturmabteilung]]'', also called the SA, Storm