Process for presenting evidence at Nuremberg Trial

(Paris 450) War Crimes Trials, Nuremberg, Germany, December 17, 1945. MS, Rudolf Hess standing in prisoners' dock talking to his attorney. (Mute) Sound begins at 03:0119 Robert G. Storey, prosecution counsel, addressing the court. LS, MS, Fritz Sauckel's counselor, Dr. Robert Servatius, offers protest to the Tribunal. Speaking on behalf of the "Organization der politischen Leiter" [Organization of Political Leaders] Servatius questions the sufficiency of opportunities and time to discuss evidence presented by the prosecution. 03:04:45 Pan to bench as Chief Justice Geoffrey Lawrence tells Dr. Servatius that he will be able to answer in full to the evidence presented by the prosecution. 03:05:31 MSs, Storey continues the presentation of evidence. The Gauleiters bear overall responsibility.. and from detailed directives. : "The responsibility and function of the Gauleiter and his staff officers or office holders were essentially a political one, namely, to insure the/(words omitted)/ Party within his area, to co-ordinate the activities of the Party and all its affiliated and supervised organisations, and to enlarge the influence of the Party over the people and life in his Gau generally. Following the outbreak of the war, when it became imperative to co-ordinate the various phases of the German war effort, the Gauleiter were given additional important responsibilities. The Ministerial Council for the Defence of the Reich, which was a sort of general staff for civilian defence, and the mobilisation of the German war economy, by a decree of 1st September, 1939 (1939 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, page 1565), appointed about 16 Gauleiter as Reich Defence Commissars, concerning which I ask the Tribunal to take judicial notice. Later, under the impact of mounting military reverses, and an increasingly strained war economy, more and more important administrative functions were put on a Gau basis. "