German soldiers admit atrocities

17th December 1943: As the "Kharkov Trial' concludes, the world begins to learn of the extent of war crimes against Soviet Citizens

The defendants in the Kharkov Trial. Reinhard Retzlaff is third right, wearing spectacles. This was the first time that Nazi personnel had been tried for war crimes by the Allies. First right is Bulanov, a Russian collaborator.

The Ukrainian city of Kharkov, (known to the Germans as ‘Charkov’, now often spelt Kharkiv), was twice fought over in 1943, fina…