Name



Name ________________________

Period_______

Nuremberg

Video Viewing Guide

 

Characters

 

Hermann Goering:  Former head of the German air force, top Nazi war criminal, and second in command to Hitler

Robert Jackson:  Chief American prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials

Albert Speer:  Hitler’s personal architect and armaments minister

Capt. Gilbert:  American psychologist assigned to interrogate Nazi officials (also Jewish-American)

 

Setting

American-occupied Germany (city of Nuremberg) immediately after WWII where the trials of Nazi war criminals were held. Nuremberg was also the location for many Nazi Party rallies in the 1930’s.

 

Questions

 

1.  Why were the “big four” powers so concerned with putting Nazis on trial after WWII?

 

 

 2.  One Nazi official claims he was “just following orders.”  What is he referring to?

 

 

 3.  Why do the British, French, Americans and Russians disagree on the type of legal defense the Nazis should have?

 

 

 4.  What was symbolic about holding war crimes trials in the city of Nuremberg?

 

 

 5.  Who was also put on trial at Nuremberg other than Nazi officials?  Why?

 

 

6.  Why is the US general so concerned with keeping Goering and other top Nazi officials in good health?

 

 

 7.  What does one Nazi do to avoid being put on trial?

 

 

 8.  What assignment is given to Capt. Gilbert?

 

 

 9.  How does Hans Frank explain his behavior as a Nazi official?

 

 

 10. What plea is entered by all the defendants?  Based on what you’ve already seen in the film, why do you think they did this?

 

 

11.  What specifically are the Nazis charged with?

 

 

12.  What is Albert Speer’s view of the history of Nazi Germany and Adolph Hitler?

 

 

13.  What is the content of the first transcript summarized at the trial?

 

 

14.  Why do some members of the prosecution encourage the use of witnesses in the trial?

 

 

15.  What “research” did the Nazis engage in for the Luftwaffe? (German air force)

 

 

16.  What is the content of the first testimony about Auschwitz?

 

 

17.  What does the first film shown at the trial illustrate?

 

 

18.  What is Goering’s reaction to the film?

 

19.  What does Albert Speer want to persuade the defendants to do?  How does he suggest Goering planned to counter this?

 

 

20.  What does Capt. Gilbert mean when he accuses Germans of “blind obedience”?

 

 

21.  What does Robert Jackson ask Truman to do?  Why?

 

 

22.  Why does Jackson change his mind?

 

 

23.  How does Jackson suggest that Goering was directly involved in the Holocaust?

 

 

24.  What does Goering claim about both his and Hitler’s knowledge of the Holocaust?

 

 

25.  What role does Jackson ask Capt. Gilbert to take?

 

 

26.  What does Capt. Gilbert suggest is the limit of the excuse used by many Nazi leaders “we were just following orders”?

 

 

27.  What is the nature of the testimony of Auschwitz’s commandant?

 

 

28.  What connection does Goering make between the Holocaust and American actions during WWII?

 

 

29.  What does Albert Speer ask the prosecution he be allowed to do?

 

 

30.  What did Albert Speer try to do in March of 1945?  Why?

 

 

31.  What does Goering’s wife tell Capt. Gilbert?

 

 

32.  How does Capt. Gilbert explain the willingness of so many people to participate in the Holocaust?

How does he explain the nature of evil?

33.  What does Goering say in his final statement?

 

 

34.  How does Speer’s final statement contrast with that of Goering?

 

 

35.  What does Goering promise his wife will not happen to him?

 

 

36.  What sentences were most of the defendants given?  Who escaped the most severe punishment?  Why?

 

 

37.  What are Goering’s “final thoughts”?

 

 

38.  What finally happens to Goering?  Why do you think he makes this decision?

 

 

 

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