Sunday, February 13 at 8 p.m. ET
Hosted by Oliver North
In 1943, the war in Europe slowly began to turn in the Allies’ favor. Leaders including Franklin Roosevelt (search), Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin began discussions as to how to bring World War II’s architects of evil, the war criminals, to justice. It was a difficult process tainted with politics and intrigue.
In this riveting episode of "War Stories with Oliver North," you’ll go deep inside prison walls at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany. Still in use today, this is where the Nazi Party and 21 German war criminals including Albert Speer, Rudolf Hess and Hermann Goering stood trial before an international tribunal in the fall of 1945.
In a "War Stories" exclusive, you’ll meet prosecutor Drexel Sprecher who recounts those tough days working as a prosecutor with Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. Sprecher successfully tried the senior leadership of the Hitler Youth for its role in the war.
Five thousand miles away, at "the other Nuremberg," the trials of 28 Japanese war criminals got underway in Tokyo in January 1946. Unlike Nuremberg, these military trials, though called international tribunals, were in reality overseen by the U.S. military and its supreme commander in the Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur (search).
Tokyo had its share of controversy and behind the scenes drama… not the least of which was the decision not to prosecute Emperor Hirohito. You’ll meet prosecutor Robert Donihi who remembers difficult and rewarding days working with a controversial and hard drinking boss, Joseph Keenan.
Today’s ongoing Yugoslavian war crimes trials at the Hague and the upcoming trials of enemy combatants from the War on Terror will use courtroom procedures from the World War II trials. As you will see, once again, our country’s past remains our best teacher.
Staff for this episode:
Executive Producer: Pamela K. Browne
Produced and written by: Pamela Browne and Gregory Johnson
Associate Producer: Kelly Guernica
Editor: Chris Scolaro
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox