November 20, 1945General sourceWell documented
The Nuremberg Trials Begin
On the timeline · around November 20, 1945 ·
What happened
The International Military Tribunal opened at Nuremberg, where the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and France jointly prosecuted senior Nazi leaders. Twenty-four defendants were indicted on charges including crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Why it matters
Nuremberg established the principle that individuals — including heads of state and their officials — can be held criminally accountable under international law, a foundation of modern human-rights law.