English source-aligned edition

Hans von Salmuth

sentenced to 20 years in 1948; sentence reduced and released in 1953 1888–1962

Hans von Salmuth served as army commander and Wehrmacht general. The profile reconstructs the person’s function in occupied Soviet Union · France through documented office, decisions, supervision or operational conduct. It does not assign every crime committed by an institution or region to one individual.

War crimesPrisoners of warForced labour

Confirmed findings

Hans von Salmuth was born on 11 November 1888 in Metz and commanded a corps and armies of the Wehrmacht during the war. (Source: Library of Congress, Trials of War Criminals, volume XI, judgment, printed pp. 615-637 and sentences pp. 696-697; Source: University of Georgia School of Law, Nuremberg Military Tribunal case 12 collection; High Command Case metadata and judgment set; Source: United States National Archives, section on sentence commutations and alphabetical defendant index; Hans von Salmuth)
The judgment found that he transmitted the Commando Order and held him responsible for unlawful treatment of prisoners and civilians within the scope stated by the tribunal. (Source: Library of Congress, Trials of War Criminals, volume XI, judgment, printed pp. 615-637 and sentences pp. 696-697; Source: University of Georgia School of Law, Nuremberg Military Tribunal case 12 collection; High Command Case metadata and judgment set; Source: United States National Archives, section on sentence commutations and alphabetical defendant index; Hans von Salmuth)
On 28 October 1948 he was convicted on Counts II and III and sentenced to 20 years; the sentence was later reduced and he was released in 1953. (Source: Library of Congress, Trials of War Criminals, volume XI, judgment, printed pp. 615-637 and sentences pp. 696-697; Source: University of Georgia School of Law, Nuremberg Military Tribunal case 12 collection; High Command Case metadata and judgment set; Source: United States National Archives, section on sentence commutations and alphabetical defendant index; Hans von Salmuth)

Place in the chain of responsibility

Responsibility is tied to documented orders, command practices and the tribunal’s individual findings. (Source: Library of Congress, Trials of War Criminals, volume XI, judgment, printed pp. 615-637 and sentences pp. 696-697; Source: University of Georgia School of Law, Nuremberg Military Tribunal case 12 collection; High Command Case metadata and judgment set; Source: United States National Archives, section on sentence commutations and alphabetical defendant index; Hans von Salmuth)

Key events and mechanisms

No victim-count ranking

The circle records authority, function and agency. Several profiles may describe different parts of the same persecution chain, so profile-level totals must not be added together.

Postwar accountability

The tribunal convicted Salmuth on Counts II and III and sentenced him to 20 years. The sentence was later reduced and he was released in 1953. (Source: Library of Congress, Trials of War Criminals, volume XI, judgment, printed pp. 615-637 and sentences pp. 696-697; Source: University of Georgia School of Law, Nuremberg Military Tribunal case 12 collection; High Command Case metadata and judgment set; Source: United States National Archives, section on sentence commutations and alphabetical defendant index; Hans von Salmuth)

Limits of the evidence

The tribunal did not find that the Commissar Order was carried out within his command; such executions are not attributed to him here. (Source: Library of Congress, Trials of War Criminals, volume XI, judgment, printed pp. 615-637 and sentences pp. 696-697; Source: University of Georgia School of Law, Nuremberg Military Tribunal case 12 collection; High Command Case metadata and judgment set; Source: United States National Archives, section on sentence commutations and alphabetical defendant index; Hans von Salmuth)

Sources

The source set combines institutional, archival, trial or scholarly material from at least two independent publishers.