Overview

This readable study analyses the post-war attempt to prosecute perpetrators of a Nazi campaign against the mentally ill that facilitated 270,000 murders and set a precedent for Nazi mass murder.

Full Product Details

9780870818097

Table of Contents

Reviews

Bryant's book offers a unique series of insights into the post-WWII redefinition of euthanasia, after 'mercy killing' had served the Nazis as a crucial prelude to the gassings of Jews and other groups. The work will be of great use to legal historians and to Holocaust scholars from all fields, as well as to the general public interested in human rights issues. .. .[T]he most comprehensive and nuanced analysis of these trials to date; he outlines not only the history of the trials, but also the legal issues surrounding the prosecution of euthanasia crimes, the history of euthanasia in Germany, and the T-4 program's relationship to the Final Solution during the Second World War. Bryant links these interrelated questions seamlessly, drawing for the reader a clear picture of the contingencies that led eventually to the spectacular failure of the euthanasia trials. ... [A] masterful work that enriches tremendously the growing body of literature on postwar trials of Nazi perpetrators. Bryant's expert juggling of legal, political, and historical complexities provides the reader with an excellent introduction to the euthanasia program, the Final Solution, early postwar American and West German law, and the ultimate victory of national interests over justice. --Holocaust & Genocide Studies Combining the expertise of a historian and a lawyer, Michael Bryant has written a compelling account of how considerations of power and national interest subverted the prosecution of the killers of thousands of helpless persons. Readers will be shaken by Bryant's account of the fragility of justice and the ways in which law can be used to excuse murder. --Dr. Robert C. Kunath, Associate Professor of History, Illinois College Bryant's book offers a unique series of insights into the post-WWII redefinition of euthanasia, after 'mercy killing' had served the Nazis as a crucial prelude to the gassings of Jews and other groups. The work will be of great use to legal historians and to Holocaust scholars from all fields, as well as to the general public interested in human rights issues. --Dr. Janet Ward, co-author of German Studies in the Post-Holocaust Age Bryant s book offers a unique series of insights into the post-WWII redefinition of euthanasia, after mercy killing had served the Nazis as a crucial prelude to the gassings of Jews and other groups. The work will be of great use to legal historians and to Holocaust scholars from all fields, as well as to the general public interested in human rights issues. Dr. Janet Ward, co-author of German Studies in the Post-Holocaust Age ...[T]he most comprehensive and nuanced analysis of these trials to date; he outlines not only the history of the trials, but also the legal issues surrounding the prosecution of euthanasia crimes, the history of euthanasia in Germany, and the T-4 program s relationship to the Final Solution during the Second World War. Bryant links these interrelated questions seamlessly, drawing for the reader a clear picture of the contingencies that led eventually to the spectacular failure of the euthanasia trials. ... [A] masterful work that enriches tremendously the growing body of literature on postwar trials of Nazi perpetrators. Bryant s expert juggling of legal, political, and historical complexities provides the reader with an excellent introduction to the euthanasia program, the Final Solution, early postwar American and West German law, and the ultimate victory of national interests over justice. Holocaust & Genocide Studies . ..[T]he most comprehensive and nuanced analysis of these trials to date; he outlines not only the history of the trials, but also the legal issues surrounding the prosecution of euthanasia crimes, the history of euthanasia in Germany, and the T-4 program's relationship to the Final Solution during the Second World War. Bryant links these interrelated questions seamlessly, drawing for the reader a clear picture of the contingencies that led eventually to the spectacular failure of the euthanasia trials. ... [A] masterful work that enriches tremendously the growing body of literature on postwar trials of Nazi perpetrators. Bryant's expert juggling of legal, political, and historical complexities provides the reader with an excellent introduction to the euthanasia program, the Final Solution, early postwar American and West German law, and the ultimate victory of national interests over justice. -- Holocaust & Genocide Studies

Bryant's book offers a unique series of insights into the post-WWII redefinition of euthanasia, after 'mercy killing' had served the Nazis as a crucial prelude to the gassings of Jews and other groups. The work will be of great use to legal historians and to Holocaust scholars from all fields, as well as to the general public interested in human rights issues.

Author Information

Michael Bryant is an assistant professor of history and criminal justice at the University of Toledo and has served as a military attorney with the U.S. Air Force.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available