Timeline: Nuremberg and Tokyo Trials

For Context and Understanding

Key Dates

1945

• May 8: End of WWII in Europe (V-E Day)
• August 6: Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
• August 9: Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
• September 2: End of WWII in Pacific (V-J Day)
• November 20: Nuremberg Trials begin

1946

• Nuremberg Trials: Continue throughout year
• May 3: Tokyo Trials begin
• October 1: Nuremberg Trials verdicts announced
• October 16: Executions at Nuremberg

1947-1949

• NMT Trials: Follow-up trials at Nuremberg (12 trials)
• Tokyo Trials: Continue through 1948
• November 12, 1948: Tokyo Trials verdicts announced

1990 (Approximate)

• Chomsky’s Essay: “If the Nuremberg Laws were Applied…” delivered

2025

• This Analysis: Verification against Harvard documents

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What Happened When

Before the Trials

1939-1945: World War II

• Germany invades Poland (1939)
• Holocaust occurs (1941-1945)
• Pacific War (1941-1945)
• Allied bombing campaigns

1945: War Ends

• Allies victorious
• Decision to hold trials
• Preparation begins

During the Trials

Nuremberg (1945-1946):

• 24 defendants
• 4 charges: conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity
• 12 sentenced to death, 7 to prison, 3 acquitted

Tokyo (1946-1948):

• 28 defendants
• Similar charges
• 7 executed, 16 life imprisonment, 2 died during trial

NMT (1946-1949):

• 12 follow-up trials
• Doctors, judges, industrialists, military leaders
• Lower-level officials

After the Trials

1949: Trials conclude

1950s-1990s:

• Academic analysis begins
• Questions about fairness raised
• Chomsky’s essay (1990)

2000s-Present:

• Documents digitized
• Harvard collection online
• This analysis (2025)

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Why This Timeline Matters

Understanding Context:

• Trials happened immediately after war
• Quick organization (months, not years)
• Victors judging losers
• New legal principles created

Understanding Chomsky’s Point:

• Trials were political as well as legal
• Standards created by victors
• Applied retroactively
• Selective prosecution

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Key Events in Context

Atomic Bombs (August 1945)

• Dropped during war
• Not prosecuted as war crimes
• Chomsky/Pal compare to Nazi crimes
• Why It Matters: Shows selective standards

Trial Organization (Late 1945)

• Allies organize quickly
• Create new legal framework
• Define crimes retroactively
• Why It Matters: Ex post facto issue

Verdicts (1946-1948)

• Most defendants convicted
• Some acquitted
• Executions carried out
• Why It Matters: Shows victors’ justice

Academic Analysis (1950s+)

• Scholars begin questioning
• Debates about fairness
• Chomsky’s critique (1990)
• Why It Matters: Ongoing relevance

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This timeline helps readers understand when events happened and why context matters for understanding Chomsky’s analysis.