Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim Von Ribbentrop - Trial and Execution

Trial and Execution

Ribbentrop was a defendant at the Nuremberg Trials. The Allies' International Military Tribunal convicted him on all four counts: crimes against peace, deliberately planning a war of aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. According to the judgment, Ribbentrop was actively involved in the planning of the invasions of Poland, and before that the takeovers of Austria and Czechoslovakia. He was closely involved in the "final solution"; as early as 1942 he had ordered German diplomats in Axis countries to ramp up the process of sending Jews to death camps in the east. He supported the killing of Allied airmen shot down over Germany, and helped to cover up the 1944 murder of a French general being held as a prisoner of war. Specifically, he was held responsible for atrocities which took place in Denmark and Vichy France, since the top officials in those two occupied countries reported to him. Ribbentrop claimed that Hitler made all of the important decisions, and that he'd been deceived by Hitler's repeated claims that he only wanted peace. The Tribunal said that, given how closely involved he was with the execution of the war, "he could not have remained unaware of the aggressive nature of Hitler's actions."

Even in prison, Ribbentrop remained loyal to Hitler: "Even with all I know, if in this cell Hitler should come to me and say 'Do this!', I would still do it."

Gustave Gilbert, an American Army psychologist, was allowed to examine the Nazi leaders who stood trial. Among other tests, he administered a German version of the Wechsler-Bellevue IQ test. Joachim von Ribbentrop scored 129, the 10th highest among the Nazi leaders tested. At one point during the trial, a US Army interpreter asked Baron Ernst von Weizsäcker how Hitler could have made Ribbentrop to high office. Weizsäcker responded, "Hitler never noticed Ribbentrop's babbling because Hitler always did all the talking."

On 16 October 1946 Ribbentrop became the first convicted political appointee to be hanged. (Göring had committed suicide before his scheduled execution.) He was escorted up the 13 steps to the waiting noose and asked if he had any final words. He said: "God protect Germany. God have mercy on my soul. My final wish is that Germany should recover her unity and that, for the sake of peace, there should be understanding between East and West. I wish peace to the world." Nuremberg Prison Commandant Burton C. Andrus later recalled that immediately before the hood was placed over his head, Ribbentrop turned to the prison's Lutheran chaplain and whispered, "I'll see you again." Members of the US Army cremated Ribbentrop’s remains and scattered his ashes in an unmarked location.