More recently, historians have modified that harsh verdict.
Even demography appears to be delivering its harsh verdict on the new Russia.
But justices also criticized him for committing errors of law that contributed to the harsh verdict.
Having taken the country into a prolonged war, the electorate delivered a harsh verdict at the first general election after the war was over.
While most legal experts expected the court to find the defendants guilty, they were surprised at the harsh verdict.
Some people may have lusted for the harshest verdict and penalty.
This even led some of his critics to soften their harsh verdicts later on.
There was another problem that provided perhaps the harshest verdict on the government's preparations - the drift-back to the danger areas.
This work marked a partial reconsideration of his earlier harsh verdict on the German people.
Nationalists had demonstrated outside the courthouse in his support, while human rights activists demanded a harsh verdict against him.