Nazi War Criminals

Nardo, Don. Nazi War Criminals. 2016. 80p. ISBN 978-1-60152-850-6. Available at 341.6 NAR on the library shelves.

Part of the Understanding the Holocaust series, this book discusses the heinous actions the Nazis took during their reign of terror and in occupied countries during the Second World War. Even as the Allies were closing in on Germany, many high ranking German officers began to plot their escape from the justice the victors were sure to inflict on them.

Some hid in plain sight and were captured. Others surrendered. Many fled, with the help of fascist Italian bishops, and headed to Argentina, which was governed by a fascist dictator. Groups in Europe and in the United States organized and began tracking down these war criminals.

Allies conducted twelve separate trials in Nuremberg, as well several smaller ones throughout Europe to hold as many Nazis accountable as possible. The first trial in Nuremberg dealt with the highest ranked individuals within the Nazi party and the war machine. Most were found guilty and were hanged. A few received long prison sentences.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the hunt for German war criminals continued, and many were arrested and brought to justice. As the years went by, a trickle of former Nazis was dragged in front of a judge, but now, more than 70 years after the end of the Second World War, the Nazis that remain in hiding at in their 90s and unlikely to survive to the end of the decade.

These crimes have led to the recognition of crimes against humanity. Other crime of genocide, such those in Cambodia in the 1970s and in Rwanda in 1994 are also briefly discussed. This is a great book to understand some of the consequences of the Holocaust.