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History | Culture | Justice
The Nazi IQ Tests And Their Results
Why we must prevent bad ideas from flourishing.
There was a collective call for justice in the wake of World War II. Too many horrors had been revealed.
More than a hundred Nazis stood trial between 1945 and 1949.¹ Nuremberg was chosen because of its symbolic value. It is where many initial Nazi protests and marches were held.
The trials included extremely graphic pictures and testimonials of the atrocities committed, as detailed by both its perpetrators and victims. You may recall the commonly cited defense “I was just following orders.”
Among those on trial were a “Nuremberg 21”. They were the most senior officials of the group, which included a killer’s row of 20th-century villains.
The push for clarity
There was a rush to conduct psychological examinations on these leaders prior to the trials, as they might result in quick executions.
It was driven by the science community’s desire to understand what could drive an otherwise sane person to such acts. Their war crimes called into question the very nature of humanity, and how we define good and evil.
