United States v. Erhard Milch

On December 14, 1946, the US Military Government for Germany created Military Tribunal II which soon took up the war crimes case of former Field Marshal Erhard Milch. This was Case #2 of the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings

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Milch had been indicted on November 14 and his indictment listed three counts:

  • participation in the planning and execution of war crimes, namely the subjection of prisoners of war (POWs) and foreign nationals to murder, cruel treatment, and forced labor
  • participation in the planning and execution of war crimes, specifically participation in two medical experiments dealing with the effects of high-altitude and freezing
  • crimes against humanity

Milch was arraigned on December 20, pleading not guilty. The trial began on January 2, 1947. After 39 trial days, with 34 witnesses and 212 written exhibits introduced, the trial concluded on March 25. The Tribunal returned its findings on April 16, declaring Milch guilty of counts one and three of the indictment but not guilty of count two, that of culpability in medical experimentation. The next day, it sentenced him to life in prison. Milch served his sentence, later commuted to 15 years, in Rebdorf Prison.