Critical Thinking/Discussion Questions - Raymond Sandvig
1. Part of Raymond Sandvig’s job during the Nuremberg Trials was to find ways for the German people to attend the trials. Why do you think the military considered it important for the German people to be present at these trials? Cite examples from both the film and the transcripts to support your reasoning.
2. In his filmed testimony, liberator Harry Snodgrass stated that he could not understand the complacency of the people living near the camps. “They saw the trains going in but no one saw them leave. If they say they didn’t know what was happening, they were lying.” How does this statement compare to Raymond Sandvig’s experiences at the Nuremberg Trials with so many people stepping forward to speak? Why do you think no one came forward sooner?
3. In the transcripts Raymond Sandvig and the interviewer spoke in detail about the trials and the many acquittals, finding and deciding that the accused were not guilty as charged, that happened. Why do you think the acquittals were so important in shaping the legacy of the Nuremberg trials as it relates to international law today?