The London Charter was part of an agreement concluded August 8, 1945, by the World War II allies to prosecute the "major war criminals of the European Axis." Several Allies had considered the possibility of summarily executing Nazi leaders. The United States then pressed for trials, and the other Allies agreed. Parties to the agreement were France, the United Kingdom, the USSR, and the United States. The Charter provided for the creation of a court, the International Military Tribunal (IMT), composed of four judges, one from each signatory state. The Charter gave the Tribunal jurisdiction over three categories of offense: crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

At the conclusion of World War I, the Treaty of Versailles had called for trial of the German Kaiser "for a supreme offense against international morality and the sanctity of treaties," but that trial was never held. The London Charter represented...