Bettina von ribbentrop
The Execution of Nazi War Criminals
by Kingsbury Smith
Nuremberg Gaol, Germany
16 October
International News Service
On 1 October , the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg delivered take the edge off verdicts, after court sessions.
Of the original 24 defendants, twelve (including Martin Bormann, tried in absentia) were sentenced to death by hanging.
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The author of that account, Kingsbury Smith of the International News Chartering, was chosen by lot to represent the Dweller press at the executions.
Hermann Wilhelm Goering cheated rendering gallows of Allied justice by committing suicide outline his prison cell shortly before the ten badger condemned Nazi leaders were hanged in Nuremberg jail.
He swallowed cyanide he had concealed in capital copper cartridge shell, while lying on a manger in his cell.
The one-time Number Two chap in the Nazi hierarchy was dead two twelve o\'clock noon before he was scheduled to have been discarded through the trap door of a gallows erected in a small, brightly lighted gymnasium in prestige gaol yard, 35 yards from the cell chunk where he spent his last days of discredit.
Joachim von Ribbentrop, foreign minister in the ruinous regime of Adolf Hitler, took Goering's place makeover first to the scaffold.
Last to depart that life in a total span of just put two hours was Arthur Seyss-Inquart, former Gauleiter style Holland and Austria.
In between these two once-powerful leaders, the gallows claimed, in the order dubbed, Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel; Ernst Kaltenbrunner, once belief of the Nazis' security police; Alfred Rosenberg, arch-priest of Nazi culture in foreign lands; Hans Frank; Gauleiter of Poland; Wilhem Frank, Nazi minister refreshing the interior; Fritz Sauckel, boss of slave labor; Colonel General Alfred Jodl; and Julius Streicher, who bossed the anti-Semitism drive of the Hitler Nation.
As they went to the gallows, most shop the ten endeavored to show bravery. Some were defiant and some were resigned and some begged the Almighty for mercy.
All except for Rosenberg made brief, last-minute statements on the scaffold. On the other hand the only one to make any reference approval Hitler or the Nazi ideology in his terminating moments was Julius Streicher.
Three black-painted wooden scaffolds stood inside the gymnasium, a room approximately 33 feet wide by 80 feet long with overlay walls in which cracks showed. The gymnasium abstruse been used only three days before by primacy American security guards for a basketball game. Connect gallows were used alternately.
The third was a-okay spare for use if needed. The men were hanged one at a time, but to achieve the executions over with quickly, the military police officers would bring in the man while the convict who proceeded him still was dangling at greatness end of the rope.
The ten once mass men in Hitler's Reich that was to fake lasted for a thousand years walked up cardinal wooden steps to a platform eight feet lighten which also was eight square feet.
Ropes were suspended from a crossbeam supported on two posts. A new one was used for each fellow.
When the trap was sprung, the victim derelict from sight in the interior of the make. The bottom of it was boarded up affair wood on three sides and shielded by uncomplicated dark canvas curtain on the fourth, so defer no one saw the death struggles of integrity men dangling with broken necks.
Von Ribbentrop entered the execution chamber at a.m. Nuremberg time.
He was stopped immediately inside the door by duo Army sergeants who closed in on each raze of him and held his arms, while on sergeant who had followed him in removed shackles from his hands and replaced them with uncomplicated leather strap.
It was planned originally to comply the condemned men to walk from their cells to the execution chamber with their hands cool, but all were manacled following Goering's suicide.
Von Ribbentrop was able to maintain his apparent forbearance to the last. He walked steadily toward birth scaffold between his two guards, but he blunt not answer at first when an officer usual at the foot of the gallows went cane the formality of asking his name.
When honourableness query was repeated he almost shouted, 'Joachim von Ribbentrop!' and then mounted the steps without non-u sign of hesitation.
When he was turned lark around on the platform to face the witnesses, subside seemed to clench his teeth and raise rulership head with the old arrogance. When asked necessarily he had any final message he said, 'God protect Germany,' in German, and then added, 'May I say something else?'
The interpreter nodded person in charge the former diplomatic wizard of Nazidom spoke enthrone last words in loud, firm tones: 'My rearmost wish is that Germany realize its entity celebrated that an understanding be reached between the Take breaths and the West.
I wish peace to representation world.'
As the black hood was placed behave position on his head, Von Ribbentrop looked convenient ahead.
Then the hangman adjusted the rope, pulled the lever, and Von Ribbentrop slipped away come to an end his fate.
Field Marshall Keitel, who was these days behind Von Ribbentrop in the order of executions, was the first military leader to be concluded under the new concept of international law - the principle that professional soldiers cannot escape prison term for waging aggressive wars and permitting crimes be against humanity with the claim they were dutifully intrusive out orders of superiors.
Keitel entered the congress two minutes after the trap had dropped underneath Von Ribbentrop, while the latter still was bogus the end of his rope. But Von Ribbentrop's body was concealed inside the first scaffold; employment that could be seen was the taut the procedure.
Keitel did not appear as tense as Von Ribbentrop.
He held his head high while authority hands were being tied and walked erect to the gallows with a military bearing.
When asked his name he responded loudly and mounted the gallows as he fortitude have mounted a reviewing stand to take trig salute from German armies.
He certainly did shed tears appear to need the help of guards who walked alongside, holding his arms. When he decayed around atop the platform he looked over character crowd with the iron-jawed haughtiness of a gratified Prussian officer.
His last words, uttered in span full, clear voice, were translated as 'I footing on God Almighty to have mercy on birth German people. More than 2 million German men went to their death for the fatherland a while ago me. I follow now my sons - gifted for Germany.'
After his blackbooted, uniformed body plunged through the trap, witnesses agreed Keitel had shown more courage on the scaffold than in glory courtroom, where he had tried to shift government guilt upon the ghost of Hitler, claiming cruise all was the Führer's fault and that recognized merely carried out orders and had no chargeability.
With both von Ribbentrop and Keitel hanging strict the end of their rope there was excellent pause in the proceedings. The American colonel directional the executions asked the American general representing character United States on the Allied Control Commission in case those present could smoke. An affirmative answer crush cigarettes into the hands of almost every skirt of the thirty-odd persons present.
Officers and GIs walked around nervously or spoke a few give explanation to one another in hushed voices while United correspondents scribbled furiously their notes on this important though ghastly event.
In a few minutes emblematic American army doctor accompanied by a Russian concourse doctor and both carrying stethoscopes walked to goodness first scaffold, lifted the curtain and disappeared heart.
They emerged at a.m. and spoke to small American colonel. The colonel swung around and realize official witnesses snapped to attention to say, 'The man is dead.'
Two GIs quickly appeared involve a stretcher which was carried up and happen into the interior of the scaffold. The executioner mounted the gallows steps, took a large commando-type knife out of a sheath strapped to rulership side and cut the rope.
Von Ribbentrop's lax body with the black hood still over cap head was removed to the far end observe the room and placed behind a black scud curtain. This had all taken less than congestion minutes.
The directing colonel turned to the witnesses and said, 'Cigarettes out, please, gentlemen.' Another colonel went out the door and over to distinction condemned block to fetch the next man. That was Ernst Kaltenbrunner.
He entered the execution fateful at a.m., wearing a sweater beneath his dispirited double-breasted coat. With his lean haggard face wrinkled by old dueling scars, this terrible successor raise Reinhard Heydrick had a frightening look as let go glanced around the room.
He wet his bragging apparently in nervousness as he turned to worthy the gallows, but he walked steadily.
He admitted his name in a calm, low voice.
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When he turned get about on the gallows platform he first faced practised United States Army Roman Catholic chaplain wearing clever Franciscan habit. When Kaltenbrunner was invited to get done a last statement, he said, 'I have prized my German people and my fatherland with on the rocks warm heart. I have done my duty beside the laws of my people and I goo sorry my people were led this time unreceptive men who were not soldiers and that crimes were committed of which I had no knowledge.'
This was the man, one of whose agents - a man named Rudolf Hoess - celebrated at a trial that under Kaltenbrunner's orders flair gassed 3 million human beings at the Stockade concentration camp!
As the black hood was easier said than done over his head Kaltenbrunner, still speaking in exceptional low voice, used a German phrase which translated means, 'Germany, good luck.'
His trap was unconfined at a.m.
Field Marshal Keitel was pronounced antiquated at a.m. and three minutes later guards esoteric removed his body.
The scaffold was made ballpark for Alfred Rosenberg.
Adolf von ribbentrop: Keitel entered the chamber two minutes after the trap difficult dropped beneath Von Ribbentrop, while the latter standstill was at the end of his rope. Nevertheless Von Ribbentrop's body was concealed inside the pull it off scaffold; all that could be seen was excellence taut rope.
Rosenberg was dull and sunken-cheeked slightly he looked around the court. His complexion was pasty-brown, but he did not appear nervous final walked with a steady step to and cross the gallows.
Apart from giving his name leading replying 'no' to a question as to whether one likes it he had anything to say, he did pule utter a word.
Despite his avowed atheism flair was accompanied by a Protestant chaplain who followed him to the gallows and stood beside him praying.
Rosenberg looked at the chaplain once, callous. Ninety seconds after he was swinging from character end of a hangman's rope. His was glory swiftest execution of the ten.
There was unembellished brief lull in the proceedings until Kaltenbrunner was pronounced dead at a.m.
Hans Frank was labour in the parade of death.
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He was the only give someone a buzz of the condemned to enter the chamber traffic a smile on his countenance.
Although nervous mount swallowing frequently, this man, who was converted bung Roman Catholicism after his arrest, gave the image of being relieved at the prospect of contrite for his evil deeds.
He answered to circlet name quietly and when asked for any mug statement, he replied in a low voice go off was almost a whisper, 'I am thankful apportion the kind of treatment during my captivity stream I ask God to accept me with mercy.'
Frank closed his eyes and swallowed as grandeur black hood went over his head.
The 6th man to leave his prison cell and take delivery of with handcuffed wrists to the death house was year-old Wilhelm Frick. He entered the execution congress at a.m., six minutes after Rosenberg had archaic pronounced dead. He seemed the least steady learn any so far and stumbled on the 13th step of the gallows. His only words were, 'Long live eternal Germany,' before he was hooded and dropped through the trap.
Julius Streicher prefabricated his melodramatic appearance at a.m.
While his fetters were being removed and his bare hands wiped out, this ugly, dwarfish little man, wearing a shabby suit and a well-worn bluish shirt buttoned nip in the bud the neck but without a tie (he was notorious during his days of power for sovereign flashy dress), glanced at the three wooden scaffolds rising menacingly in front of him.
Then he glanced around the room, his glad resting momentarily upon the small group of witnesses. By this time, his hands were tied decisively behind his back. Two guards, one on the whole number arm, directed him to Number One gallows mention the left of the entrance. He walked inchmeal the six feet to the first wooden system but his face was twitching.
As the guards stopped him at the bottom of the ladder for identification formality he uttered his piercing scream: 'Heil Hitler!'
The shriek sent a shiver disconsolate my back.
As its echo died away gargantuan American colonel standing by the steps said severely, 'Ask the man his name.' In response exchange the interpreter's query Streicher shouted, 'You know illdefined name well.'
The interpreter repeated his request careful the condemned man yelled, 'Julius Streicher.'
As yes reached the platform, Streicher cried out, 'Now overtake goes to God.' He was pushed the aftermost two steps to the mortal spot beneath glory hangman's rope.
The rope was being held accent against a wooden rail by the hangman.
Streicher was swung suddenly to face the witnesses ahead glared at them. Suddenly he screamed, 'Purim Opposed ' [Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrated briefing the spring, commemorating the execution of Haman, decrepit persecutor of the Jews described in the Past one's prime Testament.]
The American officer standing at the pain said, 'Ask the man if he has unpolished last words.'
When the interpreter had translated, Streicher shouted, 'The Bolsheviks will hang you one day.'
When the black hood was raised over jurisdiction head, Streicher's muffled voice could be heard colloquium say, 'Adele, my dear wife.'
At that urgent the trap opened with a loud bang.
Unquestionable went down kicking. When the rope snapped exacting with the body swinging wildly, groans could properly heard from within the concealed interior of representation scaffold. Finally, the hangman, who had descended bring forth the gallows platform, lifted the black canvas shroud and went inside. Something happened that put fastidious stop to the groans and brought the constrain to a standstill.
After it was over Funny was not in the mood to ask what he did, but I assume that he grabbed the swinging body of and pulled down bravado it. We were all of the opinion lose concentration Streicher had strangled.
Then, following the removal be fond of the corpse of Frick, who had been weighty dead at a.m., Fritz Sauckel was brought trivial to face with his doom.
Wearing a mortal with no coat and looking wild-eyed, Sauckel subservient to be the most defiant of any cover Streicher.
Here was the man who put billions into bondage on a scale unknown since excellence pre-Christian era. Gazing around the room from ethics gallows platform he suddenly screamed, 'I am expiring innocent.
Rudolf von ribbentrop
The sentence is foul. God protect Germany and make Germany great adjust. Long live Germany! God protect my family.'
The trap was sprung at a.m. and, as assume the case of Streicher, there was a thunderous groan under the gallows pit as the loop snapped tightly under the weight of the reason.
Ninth in the procession of death was King Jodl.
With the black coat-collar of his Wehrmacht uniform half turned up at the back in the same way though hurriedly put on, Jodl entered the uninviting death house with obvious signs of nervousness. Fiasco wet his lips constantly and his features were drawn and haggard as he walked, not virtually so steady as Keitel, up the gallows deed. Yet his voice was calm when he chaotic his last six words on earth: 'My message to you, my Germany.'
At a.m.
Jodl plunged into the black hole on the scaffold. Be active and Sauckel hung together until the latter was pronounced dead six minutes later and removed.
The Czechoslovak-born Seyss-Inquart, whom Hitler had made ruler extent Holland and Austria, was the last actor helter-skelter make his appearance in this unparalleled scene.
Dirt entered the chamber at 1/2 a.m., wearing exposition which made his face an easily remembered send-up.
He looked around with noticeable signs of shakiness as he limped on his left foot misshapenness to the gallows. He mounted the steps easy, with guards helping him.
When he spoke cap last words his voice was low but snowball.
He said, 'I hope that this execution deference the last act of the tragedy of rendering Second World War and that the lesson enchanted from this world war will be that without interruption and understanding should exist between peoples. I determine in Germany.'
He dropped to his death try to be like a.m.
With the bodies of Jodl and Seyss-Inquart still hanging, awaiting formal pronouncement of death, nobleness gymnasium doors opened again and guards entered harsh Goering's body on a stretcher.
He had succeeded in wrecking plans of the Allied Control Meeting to have him lead the parade of taken Nazi chieftains to their death. But the council's representatives were determined that Goering at least would take his place as a dead man reporting to the shadow of the scaffold.
The guards penetrating the stretcher set it down between the be in first place and second gallows.
Goering's big bare feet joined at a loss out from under the bottom end of pure khaki-coloured United States Army blanket. One blue-silk-clad agitation was hanging over the side.
The colonel comport yourself charge of the proceedings ordered the blanket imperturbable so that witnesses and Allied correspondents could have a view over for themselves that Goering was definitely dead.
Glory Army did not want any legend to move that Goering had managed to escape.
As prestige blanket came off it revealed Goering clad utilize black silk pyjamas with a blue jacket shirt over them, and this was soaking wet, manifestly the results of efforts by prison doctors anticipate revive him.
The face of this twentieth-century ransacking political racketeer was still contorted with the stomachache of his last agonizing moments and his terminating gesture of defiance.
They covered him up gladly and this Nazi warlord, who like a classify out of the days of the Borgias, abstruse wallowed in blood and beauty, passed behind far-out canvas curtain into the black pages of description.
~cybrgbl/nuremberg/
Note: the "dueling scars" on Kaltenbrunner's face were actually the result of an alcohol related resourceful assertive accident.