History Extra podcast Did the Nazis get a fair trial?
18 snips
Nov 30, 2025 
Philippe Sands, a lawyer and author with expertise in international law and wartime history, discusses the Nuremberg trials' verdicts and their global impact. He delves into the varied reactions of defendants, including Göring's dramatic suicide. Sands highlights the challenges of achieving justice in a politically charged atmosphere, noting the trials' incomplete narratives about Allied actions. He assesses Nuremberg's legacy as a controversial but crucial step towards modern international law, raising questions about fairness and morality in the pursuit of justice.
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Nuremberg As A Legal Turning Point
- The Nuremberg judgment publicly laid out vast facts and legal findings about war and crimes, giving global visibility to Nazi atrocities.
- Philippe Sands argues this marked an international turning point, ending the international phase and setting a new legal baseline.
Defendants' Reactions In Private Visits
- Gustave Gilbert visited each defendant after verdicts and recorded varied reactions from shock to elation.
- Military defendants demanded to be shot rather than hanged, claiming shooting preserved dignity, but their requests were refused.
Göring's Suicide Between Verdict And Execution
- Hermann Göring avoided execution by ingesting poison while awaiting sentencing, causing major embarrassment for prosecutors.
- Who smuggled the poison remains unclear and sparked widespread speculation.
