Nuremberg Trials Reaction

While watching the movie in class, I began to get a true sense of the gravity and importance the Nuremberg Trials were on the world. These trials were not only a way to punish the Nazis after the end of WWII, but also they were a test of Western Ideals and even the Western World itself. The allies could have simply killed those who they knew to be guilty or even worse, released them into a crowd of those they tortured. Instead, the allies stayed true to the judicial process to not only punish those who were responsible for various atrocities but to set an example and show the world that no matter what one does, they will not be immediately killed without due process. This set a kind of precedent so that those put on trial and punished would not be looked at as martyrs by their followers, but guilty parties only. The trials tested the West, and the West was able to come out of WWII stronger and with a sort of morality. They were unlike the Nazis who would arrest thousands without evidence or due process. The Allies remained above all of that. If they would have not put their enemies on trial and simply killed them, they would have been no better than the people they had fought against in WWII. It is also important to note the fact that the city in which the trials took place was a center for the Nazi mentality especially during the time of Hitler. To use such a location is significant for many reasons, especially the reason that it is a smack in the face to the Nazi party in their once upon a time stronghold.