Chronology of World War II
Thursday, May 3rd
Trial of Warstein Massacre Offenders
A German civilian holds the remains of a child in his arms, Warstein, May 3, 1945. Twelve years after the massacre, the men who carried out the killings were finally put on trial. Even though the German court concluded that the motive was 'a lust for blood', the majority of the accused were acquitted on the basis of 'superior orders'. (Source: National Archives, Washington)