Interest of the United States in prosecution of German war criminals

[United States interest in German war crimes in 1946 was focused on the extradition of war criminals from foreign countries for trials under United Nations jurisdiction, preparations for the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, and participation in the work of the United Nations War Crimes Commission in London.

A considerable amount of material has been published. Most of the documents used by the International Military Tribunal and its proceedings at Nuremberg are to be found in The Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg 14 November 1945—1 October 1946 (Nuremberg 1947–49), 42 volumes. The documents of the prosecution for counts I and II of the indictment, charging conspiracy and waging of wars of aggression, respectively, have been published by the Office of the United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality, under the title Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1946–48), 8 volumes, 2 supplements. Records of the trials in the United States zone of occupation in Germany can be found in Trials of War Criminals before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law No. 10 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1949–53), 15 volumes. For an account of the activities of the United Nations War Crimes Commission, see the History of the United Nations War Crimes Commission (London, His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1948). Documentation on extradition and minutes of meetings of the United Nations War Crimes Commission are in State Department file 740.00116 EW.]