The purpose of the Nuremberg Trials after World War II was to bring Nazi war criminals to justice and to establish a legal precedent for addressing crimes against humanity. Initiated in 1945, the trials aimed to hold individuals accountable for war crimes, genocide, and other atrocities committed during the war. The proceedings also sought to reinforce the principle that individuals, including state leaders, could be held liable for their actions. The Nuremberg Trials laid the groundwork for subsequent international law and established the importance of human rights and the concept of crimes against humanity on a global scale.