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a. What documents were used in conducting the Nuremberg Trials?
b. How did things change in the world after the Nuremberg Trials?
c. How many German war criminals were executed at the end of the second world war?
d. Were the Nuremberg Trials controversial?
Nuremberg trials demonstrated that dictators and political leaders could be held accountable in an international tribunal with due process (fairness) for crimes against humanity.
Most of your other questions are answered below, of course taking into account any bias influence from wiki:
I personally don't believe the Nuremberg Trials made the world a safer place, nor did they eradicate injustice, racial and religious persecution, enslavement, torture or genocide. However, the trials did establish a precedent for the prosecution and punishment of those responsible for the sort of crimes that the international community considers intolerable.
After Nuremberg, no head of state could claim to be above the law and individuals could not evade their responsibilities by hiding behind the anonymity of the administration they had served.
We now have clear codes of conduct where once there was uncertainty and ambiguity. Military personal can no longer claim that they were forced to commit crimes under duress, nor can they fall back on the defence that they were duty bound to obey superior orders.
Trials laid the foundation for the international human rights laws, which entitle every human being to apply to the courts if they feel that their rights have been violated.
The problem with wars and trials is it doesn't make us safer, because when wars or major human crimes happen its time for us to stop and take a look at ourselves and our humanity and change, unfortunately if we don't change then we are doomed to repeat history.
History has taught us that any empire who doesn't change has past away no matter how strong.
Saddam Hussein was an interesting case where an Iraqi High Tribunal was establish by the new government after US invasion and his capture. Through his 2 year trial he was held by US authorities and till he exhausted his appeals and was sentenced to death by hanging. He was hung immediately upon his release by the US authorities to the Iraqi government. Hung, 12/30/06.
Was that a Nuremberg Trial? MNF Coalitions supported the Iraqi High Tribunal.... but the United Nations didn't run the show.
I also think Nuremberg trials offered some form of closure to the citizens of war torn Europe. even though numerous Nazis and their collaborators escaped, while others convinced themselves that they were not guilty at all. But justice is subjective and no law is perfect. The very nature of laws is that they are ever evolving - they are constantly adapting to the world and the societies they serve. The alternative to Nuremberg would have been the summary execution of the Nazi leaders.
In the world where relativism is the new religion, where good and evil are considered antiquated ideas and where the concept of right and wrong is vague and subjective.
Nuremberg helped to define what is acceptable conduct in the white heat of war and what is not.
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