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The U.S. and its allies established an

International Military Tribunal for the Far East
(IMFTE) to prosecute Japanese military and
government leaders. Twenty-eight high-
ranking Japanese political and military
leaders, often referred to as the "Big Fish",
along with others were indicted on 55 counts
in the most publicized Tokyo trial. The
accused group included former prime
ministers, foreign ministers, economic and
financial leaders, ambassadors, war ministers,
navy ministers, and senior military officers. General Douglas MacArthur decided,
with President Truman's concurrence, not to place Emporer Hirohito on trial. He
was seen by the victors as a much needed leader and symbol for the new,
peaceful and democratic Japan to arise from the ashes of WW II. The U.S. was
entering a new Cold War era and needed a militarily purged, newly reborn
Japan as any ally with Hirohito as its unifying symbol.

The Tokyo trials began on May 3, 1946 and

lasted two and a half years. Three broad
categories of war crimes were established.
Class A charges, alleging "crimes against
peace", were brought against Japan's top
leaders who had planned and directed the
war. Class B and C charges, which were
leveled at Japanese of any rank, covered
"conventional war crimes" and "crimes against
humanity". Former U.S. assistant attorney
general, Joseph Keenan, served as the chief prosecutor. He was a Roosevelt
New Dealer and had once personally prosecuted such infamous American
gangsters as "Machine Gun Kelley".
Sir William Webb of Australia served as the tribunal's president. Eleven judges
representing various countries presided. On November 4, 1948 Webb
announced that all defendants had been found guilty. Seven were sentenced
to death (including the most infamous, former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo); sixteen
received life terms (though many of these were paroled in the 1950's), and two
were given lesser terms. Two had died during the trials and one was found
insane. Hundreds of subsequent war crimes trials were held in other countries in
Asia into the 1950's. These Tokyo trials, while important, have often remained in
the shadow of the more publicized
Nuremberg war crimes trials in Europe.

General Douglas MacArthur was pleased with

the Tokyo trials and stated, "No human
decision is infallible but I can conceive of no
judicial process where greater safeguard was
made to evolve justice.«no mortal agency in
the present imperfect evolution of civilized
society seems more entitled to confidence in
the integrity of its solemn pronouncements. If
we cannot trust such processes and such men
we can trust nothing."

PART I - Analyzing the Indictment

1) Read the opening paragraphs of this document

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/nuremberg/d
ocuments/index.php?documentdate=0000-00-00&documentid=18-
2&pagenumber=1

contained on page one and the upper half of page 2 to address these:

A) List the eleven nations bringing these war crimes charges.

B) List the many examples of damages inflicted by this Japanese "criminal

militaristic clique" on other nations and on the Japanese people themselves.

C) Explain the "conspiracy between the defendants«and the rulers of other

aggressive nations". Which other nations are mentioned and what were they
attempting to do?

D) List the many crimes allegedly committed by the defendants

2) You will need to read pages 2-13 of the document to answer these:

A) Group One: Crimes Against Peace (pages 2-9, Counts 1-36)

„ Summarize in 1-2 sentences the general accusations in Counts 1-4.

„ What was Japan attempting to do and in what geographic areas?
„ These actions violated what?
„ Explain the "domination of the whole world" conspiracy charge in Count 5
„ 'uickly scan Counts 6-36 to answer these:
„ In what year did the accused first begin to plan and prepare "a war of
aggression"?
„ List the 13 nations that were forced to defend themselves against this
Japanese military aggression

B) Group Two: Murder (page 9-12, Counts 37-52)

Read and answer these:

„ What crimes are the accused specifically charged with in their attacks on
the U.S., the British Commonwealth, the Philippines, the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, Thailand, Hong Kong, Russia, and several cities in China?
„ Read Count 44. From 1931 thru 1945 the accused are charged with
conspiring and executing their plan to commit what crimes and against
what groups?