Top 25 excuses of Nazis during the Nuremberg trials:
1. "I was just following orders" – Claimed obedience to superior commands, a central theme of many defenses.
2. "I didn’t know what was happening" – Some defendants denied knowledge of atrocities, especially the Holocaust.
3. (1/9)
1. "I was just following orders" – Claimed obedience to superior commands, a central theme of many defenses.
2. "I didn’t know what was happening" – Some defendants denied knowledge of atrocities, especially the Holocaust.
3. (1/9)
Comments
4. "Others did worse" – Tried to deflect blame by comparing themselves to others or Allied actions (e.g., bombing of Dresden).
5. (2/9)
6. "I tried to stop it" – Claimed resistance to some policies or efforts to moderate them.
7. "The victors are writing the rules" – Accused the Allies of hypocrisy and conducting "victor’s justice."
8. (3/9)
9. "I was afraid for my life" – Asserted that disobedience would have led to their execution or punishment.
10. "I had no choice" – Emphasized a lack of personal agency or (4/9)
11. "I acted to preserve order" – Framed actions as necessary for state stability or security.
12. "I was a small cog in the machine" – Claimed insignificance in the larger system.
13. "I never personally killed anyone" – Denied direct involvement in killings or crimes. (5/9)
15. "I didn’t write the policies" – Shifted responsibility to higher authorities.
16. "My conscience is clear" – Claimed moral justification or lack of guilt.
17. (6/9)
18. "I was loyal to my country" – Equated their actions with patriotism.
19. "I didn’t benefit personally" – Claimed lack of personal gain from crimes.
20. (7/9)