The Nuremberg Trials (1945-1946)

The International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg tried 22 senior Nazi officials for crimes against peace, war crimes, and the new charge of crimes against humanity. The trials established several important principles:

• Individuals (not just states) can be held criminally responsible for international crimes
• Obedience to orders is not a defense ("I was just following orders" was specifically rejected)
• There is an international law that exists above national law
• Aggressive war is itself a crime, not just the means by which crimes are committed

The Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal applied similar principles to Japanese leaders for atrocities in the Pacific theater. Both tribunals have been criticized as victors' justice, but they established the precedent that mass atrocities have international legal consequences.