Archive of the Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, 1945-46

It's true, the cleansing of the American west and propaganda like Birth of a Nation should be understood as prototypes for fascism. Hitler makes the connection himself:

[1]

> Hitler frequently compared the German war for Lebensraum (living space) in ‘the East’ to the colonial wars waged by the nineteenth century’s Euro-American great powers. The Slavic world, he believed, had to be conquered and colonized and its population vanquished. Completion of this ‘colonizing mission’ inevitably demanded the destruction of the ‘natives’, as a result of methods similar to those used in the conquest of the ‘American West’. In a monologue to his close associates, Hitler declared, ‘There is only one duty: to Germanize [“the East”] by the immigration of Germans, and to look upon the natives as Redskins.’ He also compared the quelling of partisan resistance in the ‘Wild East’ to ‘the struggle in North America against the Red Indians’. According to his understanding, the American ‘Nordics’ had colonized ‘the West’ after they had ‘shot down the millions of redskins to a few hundred thousand’.‘Here in the [E]ast’, Hitler predicted, ‘a similar process will repeat itself for a second time as in the conquest of America.’

Or you can read Patton's diaries from 1945, which might as well be Goebbels' with the way he rants about Jews, Bolsheviks, and Jewish Bolsheviks. An American cowboy indeed!

[1] - https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230307063_1

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Not to mention all the major powers had committed similar atrocities in their own pasts, and they all were racing to collect Nazi/Japanese scientists.

Do not read too many historical documents or the angry downvoting mob will get you.

These sorts of ordeals (not that there have been many of them) truly fascinate me - especially with regard to the decisions on 'appropriate' retributive justice. As a student growing up in South Africa we were often asked to compare the objectives and results of the Nuremburg trials alongside the Truth and Reconciliation Comission at the fall of Apartheid. The TRC allowed those accused (on both sides), to come forward and provide an honest recounting of their crimes to the court and family of the victim, and receive amnesty in return.

Especially given that I'm of a generation born near the end of Apartheid, we grew up with the "badge of honour" mentality around the TRC. But almost 30 years later, many of the victims of these crimes are left feeling like the perpetrators got off scott-free, for an often half-recounting of the event and not much more. It's not uncommon to hear references to Nuremburg when discussing the more henoius crimes described - for example, a doctor performing the sorts of acts those at Nuremburg were tried for, who was recently discovered to be a family GP in one of the Nation's capitals, quietly continuing his life. However, it's not an opinion I would say is particularly strong in those who have it, nor too commonly discussed - but it's an interesting weighing up of "an appropriate justice which would please all participants was difficult, or impossible to decide", versus "it's incredible that the participants and organisers were able to come to a decision that did what it said on the box, mostly".

I was particularly interested to see suggestions of a TRC (based on South Africa's own) introduced to deal with the after-effects of the 'Troubles' in Ireland, England and Northern Ireland - and it appeared to be a strong "NO" from all sides, which I found fascinating as it did not seem driven only by a need for appropriate retributive justice, but rather (in my opinon) seemed driven by the belief that we have the ability to draw finer lines as a group, and need not polarize our decisions between harsh, message-sending retribution and amnesty for participation.

All that being said I couldn't tell you which pick given the choice, but it certainly feels hopeful reflecting on just how much care in group decision making and inclusive participation has been displayed in the past in such events.