The Soviet Contribution to International Justice at Nuremberg
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Utopian Visions of Family Life in the Stalin-Era Soviet Union
Central European History 44 (2011), 63–91. © Conference Group for Central European History of the American Historical Association, 2011 doi:10.1017/S0008938910001184 Utopian Visions of Family Life in the Stalin-Era Soviet Union Lauren Kaminsky OVIET socialism shared with its utopian socialist predecessors a critique of the conventional family and its household economy.1 Marx and Engels asserted Sthat women’s emancipation would follow the abolition of private property, allowing the family to be a union of individuals within which relations between the sexes would be “a purely private affair.”2 Building on this legacy, Lenin imag- ined a future when unpaid housework and child care would be replaced by com- munal dining rooms, nurseries, kindergartens, and other industries. The issue was so central to the revolutionary program that the Bolsheviks published decrees establishing civil marriage and divorce soon after the October Revolution, in December 1917. These first steps were intended to replace Russia’s family laws with a new legal framework that would encourage more egalitarian sexual and social relations. A complete Code on Marriage, the Family, and Guardianship was ratified by the Central Executive Committee a year later, in October 1918.3 The code established a radical new doctrine based on individual rights and gender equality, but it also preserved marriage registration, alimony, child support, and other transitional provisions thought to be unnecessary after the triumph of socialism. Soviet debates about the relative merits of unfettered sexu- ality and the protection of women and children thus resonated with long-standing tensions in the history of socialism. I would like to thank Atina Grossmann, Carola Sachse, and Mary Nolan, as well as the anonymous reader for Central European History, for their comments and suggestions. -
Stalin's Loyal Executioner: People's Commissar Nikolai Ezhov, 1895-1940
INDEX adoption, 121 arrest(s), 63 Afanas’ev, N. P., 187–89 arbitrary, 92 affairs, 16–17, 23, 123, 166–68, 172–74, army, 70, 206 185, 198, 200 from Central Committee, 72, 75, 77, 124, Agranov, Ia. S., 23, 45, 55–56, 60, 62, 68, 234n110 73, 84 from Communist Party, 37, 43, 75, 101, agriculture, 249n35 103, 105, 127, 130, 139–40, 146, 148, academy of, 16 151–52, 177–78, 205–6, 222n64, collectivization, 14 233n77 People’s Commissariats of, 13, 76, 146 competitions for number of, 92–93 saboteurs of, 76, 233n106 of Ezhov, 164, 181–82 albums, 136–37 mass, 79, 83, 85, 87, 89–91, 94–95, 99, Alekhin, M. S., 56, 68, 152 103–5, 137–38, 205–6, 237n46 Aleksandrovskii, M. K., 66, 67 of Mensheviks, 74–75 anarchists, 75 of military intelligence, 65–66 Andreev, Andrei, 26, 43photo, 72, 92, 100, new policy for, 156–57 108, 117, 140photo, 164, 175, 176 of NKVD officers, 61–62, 64–65, 78, 83– anti-intellectuals, 8, 202 84, 133, 135–36, 137, 144, 148, 152, Anvelt, Jan, 72 165–66, 168, 183–86, 192, 229n49, army 258n68 demobilized from, 8 political e´migre´s, foreign influences, 41– duty, 3, 5, 6–8 42, 94–95, 99, 101, 205–6, 237n46 purge of, 69–70, 75, 205 quotas of, 84–85, 89–91, 109, 131, 133, reprimand in, 7–8 135, 205–6 .......................... 9199$$ INDX 02-05-02 16:04:35 PS 264 Index of Rightists, 59 Bokii, G. I., 61, 64 small resistance of mass, 102 Bolsheviks, 6, 70, 105, 111, 125, 136, 195 of Socialist Revolutionaries (SR), 74 Bronkowski, B., 40 of Water Transportation, 152 Bukharin, N. -
Excerpt from Elizabeth Borgwardt, the Nuremberg Idea: “Thinking Humanity” in History, Law & Politics, Under Contract with Alfred A
Excerpt from Elizabeth Borgwardt, The Nuremberg Idea: “Thinking Humanity” in History, Law & Politics, under contract with Alfred A. Knopf. DRAFT of 10/24/16; please do not cite or quote without author’s permission Human Rights Workshop, Schell Center for International Human Rights, Yale Law School November 3, 2016, 12:10 to 1:45 pm, Faculty Lounge Author’s Note: Thank you in advance for any attention you may be able to offer to this chapter in progress, which is approximately 44 double-spaced pages of text. If time is short I recommend starting with the final section, pp. 30-42. I look forward to learning from your reactions and suggestions. Chapter Abstract: This history aims to show how the 1945-49 series of trials in the Nuremberg Palace of Justice distilled the modern idea of “crimes against humanity,” and in the process established the groundwork for the modern international human rights regime. Over the course of the World War II era, a 19th century version of crimes against humanity, which might be rendered more precisely in German as Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit (crimes against “humane-ness”), competed with and was ultimately co-opted by a mid-20th- century conception, translated as Verbrechen gegen die Menschheit (crimes against “human- kind”). Crimes against humaneness – which Hannah Arendt dismissed as “crimes against kindness” – were in effect transgressions against traditional ideas of knightly chivalry, that is, transgressions against the humanity of the perpetrators. Crimes against humankind – the Menschheit version -- by contrast, focused equally on the humanity of victims. Such extreme atrocities most notably denied and attacked the humanity of individual victims (by denying their human rights, or in Arendt’s iconic phrasing, their “right to have rights”). -
The Relationship Between International Humanitarian Law and the International Criminal Tribunals Hortensia D
Volume 88 Number 861 March 2006 The relationship between international humanitarian law and the international criminal tribunals Hortensia D. T. Gutierrez Posse Hortensia D. T. Gutierrez Posse is Professor of Public International Law, University of Buenos Aires Abstract International humanitarian law is the branch of customary and treaty-based international positive law whose purposes are to limit the methods and means of warfare and to protect the victims of armed conflicts. Grave breaches of its rules constitute war crimes for which individuals may be held directly accountable and which it is up to sovereign states to prosecute. However, should a state not wish to, or not be in a position to, prosecute, the crimes can be tried by international criminal tribunals instituted by treaty or by binding decision of the United Nations Security Council. This brief description of the current legal and political situation reflects the state of the law at the dawn of the twenty-first century. It does not, however, describe the work of a single day or the fruit of a single endeavour. Quite the contrary, it is the outcome of the international community’s growing awareness, in the face of the horrors of war and the indescribable suffering inflicted on humanity throughout the ages, that there must be limits to violence and that those limits must be established by the law and those responsible punished so as to discourage future perpetrators from exceeding them. Short historical overview International humanitarian law has played a decisive role in this development, as both the laws and customs of war and the rules for the protection of victims fall 65 H. -
YUGOSLAV-SOVIET RELATIONS, 1953- 1957: Normalization, Comradeship, Confrontation
YUGOSLAV-SOVIET RELATIONS, 1953- 1957: Normalization, Comradeship, Confrontation Svetozar Rajak Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy London School of Economics and Political Science University of London February 2004 UMI Number: U615474 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615474 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ” OF POUTICAL «, AN0 pi Th ^ s^ s £ £2^>3 ^7&2io 2 ABSTRACT The thesis chronologically presents the slow improvement of relations between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, starting with Stalin’s death on 5 March 1953, through their full normalization in 1955 and 1956, to the renewed ideological confrontation at the end of 1956. The normalization of Yugoslav-Soviet relations brought to an end a conflict between Yugoslavia and the Eastern Bloc, in existence since 1948, which threatened the status quo in Europe. The thesis represents the first effort at comprehensively presenting the reconciliation between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, between 1953 and 1957. It will also explain the motives that guided the leaderships of the two countries, in particular the two main protagonists, Josip Broz Tito and Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, throughout this process. -
The Arts in Russia Under Stalin
01_SOVMINDCH1. 12/19/03 11:23 AM Page 1 THE ARTS IN RUSSIA UNDER STALIN December 1945 The Soviet literary scene is a peculiar one, and in order to understand it few analogies from the West are of use. For a vari- ety of causes Russia has in historical times led a life to some degree isolated from the rest of the world, and never formed a genuine part of the Western tradition; indeed her literature has at all times provided evidence of a peculiarly ambivalent attitude with regard to the uneasy relationship between herself and the West, taking the form now of a violent and unsatisfied longing to enter and become part of the main stream of European life, now of a resentful (‘Scythian’) contempt for Western values, not by any means confined to professing Slavophils; but most often of an unresolved, self-conscious combination of these mutually opposed currents of feeling. This mingled emotion of love and of hate permeates the writing of virtually every well-known Russian author, sometimes rising to great vehemence in the protest against foreign influence which, in one form or another, colours the masterpieces of Griboedov, Pushkin, Gogol, Nekrasov, Dostoevsky, Herzen, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Blok. The October Revolution insulated Russia even more com- pletely, and her development became perforce still more self- regarding, self-conscious and incommensurable with that of its neighbours. It is not my purpose to trace the situation histori- cally, but the present is particularly unintelligible without at least a glance at previous events, and it would perhaps be convenient, and not too misleading, to divide its recent growth into three main stages – 1900–1928; 1928–1937; 1937 to the present – artifi- cial and over-simple though this can easily be shown to be. -
September 15, 1959 Mikihail Zimyanin's Background Report for Khrushchev on China (Excerpt)
Digital Archive digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org International History Declassified September 15, 1959 Mikihail Zimyanin's Background Report for Khrushchev on China (Excerpt) Citation: “Mikihail Zimyanin's Background Report for Khrushchev on China (Excerpt),” September 15, 1959, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, TsKhSD Fond 5, Opis’ 30, Delo 307, Listy 49-79. http://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/117030 Summary: Mikhail Zimyanin, head of the Soviet Foreign Ministry’s Far Eastern department, reports to Khrushchev on the “new stage” in Sino-Soviet relations after the victory of the people’s revolution in China; China and the Soviet Union now share the common goal of developing socialist societies in their respective countries. Credits: This document was made possible with support from the Leon Levy Foundation. Original Language: Russian Contents: English Translation The victory of the people’s revolution in China and the establishment of the Chinese People’s Republic marked the start of a qualitatively new stage in relations between the peoples of the Soviet Union and China, based on a commonality of interests and a unity of goals in constructing a socialist and Communist society in both countries. … When discussing the overall success of the development of Soviet-Chinese relations during the first three years after the formation of the PRC, we must not overlook several negative features of these relations connected with the violation of the sovereign rights and interests of the Chinese People’s Republic, as reflected -
Soviet-American Relations and the Origins of Containment 1941-1946: the Force of Tradition
University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1988 Soviet-American relations and the origins of containment 1941-1946: The force of tradition Anita Louise Coryell The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Coryell, Anita Louise, "Soviet-American relations and the origins of containment 1941-1946: The force of tradition" (1988). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5179. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5179 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COPYRIGHT ACT OF 1976 Th i s is an unpublished m a n u s c r ip t in w h ic h c o p y r ig h t s u b s i s t s . Any f u r t h e r r e p r in t in g of i t s c o n t e n t s m u st be APPROVED BY THE AUTHOR. Ma n s f i e l d L ib r a r y U n i v e r s i t y of Mo n ta n a Da t e : , 1 , SOVIET-AMERICAN RELATIONS AND THE ORIGINS OF CONTAINMENT, 1941-1946: THE FORCE OF TRADITION By Anita Louise Coryell B.A., Rutgers, The State University, 1974 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1988 Approved by: Chairman, Board of Examiners Dean, Graduate School lusrt/J Date UMI Number: EP40643 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. -
Viewing, Reading, and Listening to the Trials in Eastern Europe Charting a New Historiography
Cahiers du monde russe Russie - Empire russe - Union soviétique et États indépendants 61/3-4 | 2020 Écritures visuelles, sonores et textuelles de la justice Introduction Viewing, reading, and listening to the trials in Eastern Europe Charting a New Historiography Nadège Ragaru Translator: Victoria Baena Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/monderusse/12009 DOI: 10.4000/monderusse.12009 ISSN: 1777-5388 Publisher Éditions de l’EHESS Printed version Date of publication: 1 July 2020 Number of pages: 297-316 ISBN: 978-2-7132-2832-2 ISSN: 1252-6576 Electronic reference Nadège Ragaru, “Viewing, reading, and listening to the trials in Eastern Europe”, Cahiers du monde russe [Online], 61/3-4 | 2020, Online since 01 July 2020, connection on 29 March 2021. URL: http:// journals.openedition.org/monderusse/12009 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/monderusse.12009 © École des hautes études en sciences sociales INTRODUCTION VIEWING, READING, AND LISTENING TO THE TRIALS IN EASTERN EUROPE Charting a New Historiography Since the end of World War II, the legal pursuit of war crimes before national and international jurisdictions has generated a vast scholarly literature.1 A broad range of multi-disciplinary writings have examined the political and diplomatic stakes of these trials, the legal professionals involved in the proceedings, the juridical advances they delivered, the establishment of proof and sentencing policies, as well as the didactic aims of postwar criminal justice.2 Within this scholarship, the Nuremberg (1945)3 and Eichmann (1960-1961)4 trials have captivated the most 1. The author wishes to thank Vanessa Voisin and Valérie Pozner for their valuable comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this introduction. -
Molotov and the Moscow Conference, October 1943* Introduction
1 Derek Watson Derek Watson, "Molotov et la Centre for Russian and East European Studies Conférence de Moscou, Octobre The University of Birmingham 1943." Communisme, no. 74/75, 72-99. Original text in English. Molotov and the Moscow Conference, October 1943* Introduction Molotov served as head of NarkomIndel from May 1939 until 1949, and then again in the early Khrushchev era. He is often remembered as being involved in some of the most infamous episodes in the foreign policy of the USSR: the Nazi-Soviet pact, the dismemberment of Poland, the take-over of the Baltic states and the creation of the Soviet satellite empire in eastern Europe after 1945. His style was equally notorious: he was rude and abrupt, and the net over the smallest matter came to represent the inflexible and stubborn nature of Soviet negotiating techniques, at the post-war conferences of foreign ministers. He seemed to be insensitive to and lack understanding of western opinion, which unlike his predecessor Litvinov, and subordinates, like Maiskii, he was not prepared to make any effort to represent to his Kremlin colleagues.1 There was, however, a much more positive side to Molotov as commissar for Foreign Affairs. If the Triple Alliance negotiations of 1939 with Britain and France failed, their success might have prevented the Second World War; during his visit to Britain and the USA in 1942 the Grand Alliance which was responsible for the defeat of Hitler war was forged; and the Moscow foreign ministers conference of October 1943, which is generally taken as marking the peak of Molotov’s diplomatic career, was crucial in laying the foundations for the post-war world. -
USHMM Finding
http://collections.ushmm.org Contact [email protected] for further information about this collection United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Interview with Benjamin B. Ferencz August 26, 1994 and October 21, 1994 RG-50.030*0269 The following transcript is the result of a recorded interview. The recording is the primary source document, not this transcript. It has not been checked for spelling nor verified for accuracy. This document should not be quoted or used without first checking it against the interview. The interview is part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's collection of oral testimonies. Information about access and usage rights can be found in the catalog record. http://collections.ushmm.org Contact [email protected] for further information about this collection PREFACE The following oral history testimony is the result of a videotaped interview with Benjamin B. Ferencz conducted by Joan Ringelheim on August 26, 1994 on behalf of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The interview took place in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the United States Holocaust Research Institute's collection of oral testimonies. The reader should bear in mind that this is a verbatim transcript of spoken, rather than written prose. This transcript has been neither checked for spelling nor verified for accuracy, and therefore, it is possible that there are errors. As a result, nothing should be quoted or used from this transcript without first checking it against the taped interview. The following transcript is the result of a recorded interview. The recording is the primary source document, not this transcript. -
Role of the Judiciary
CHAPTER 7 Role of the Judiciary I. SoviET CoNCEPT oF THE JumciARY 1. Administration of Justice Before 1922 and by Non judicial Bodies A soviet judicial system was first established only with the advent of the New Economic Policy in 1922.1 Previously, the people's courts, which were designed to take the place of all the prerevolutionary courts, which had been abolished en bloc,8 were under constant re organization. According to the soviet writers, out of five decrees on the judicial organization announced in the course of one year ( 1917-1918), three were not even enforced and two later decrees were enforced only to a limited extent.3 The courts tried chiefly minor offenses and occasionally divorces, while the major part 1 The R.S.F.S.R. Judiciary Act of October 31, 1923 (R.S.F.S.R. Laws 1923, text 902). In 1924, the federal basic principles of the judicial organi zation were adopted (U.S.S.R. Laws 1924, text 203) and, in conformity with these, the R.S.F.S.R. Judiciary Act of November 19, 1926 (R.S.F.S.R. Laws, text 624), which remained in force until 1938, was enacted. 2 R.S.F.S.R. Laws 1917-1918, text 50. 3 Decree No. 1 on the Courts of November 24, 1917 (R.S.F.S.R. Laws 1917-1918, text 50) was carried out only to a certain extent. Similar de crees, Nos. 2 and 3, issued in February and July, 1918 (id., text 420, num bered in the reprint ed.