Final answer:
The Nuremberg Defense is a legal defense where defendants claim they were only following orders. It became well-known during the Nuremberg Trials, where Nazi officials were tried after WW2 for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The trials determined that following orders does not absolve individuals from responsibility for committing illegal acts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Nuremberg Defense refers to a legal defense where a defendant claims that they were only following orders when they committed illegal acts, particularly during wartime. This term stems from the Nuremberg Trials held after World War II, where leaders, officials, and organizations of Nazi Germany were tried for war crimes, crimes against peace, and crimes against humanity. Arguing that they were merely executing orders from higher up in the chain of command, the defendants attempted this defense to avoid personal responsibility for their actions during the Holocaust and other war atrocities. However, the Nuremberg Trials established that following orders is not a sufficient defense when those orders involve committing inhumane and illegal acts. As a result, nineteen of the defendants were convicted, and various sentences were handed down, including death by hanging for the most egregious offenses.