Hermann Göring: drug lord of Nazi Germany. How is it: to be a descendant of Goering

Hermann Wilhelm Goering

Goering, Hermann Wilhelm (Goering), (1893-1945), "Nazi number two", the second military and economic leader of the Third Reich after Hitler.

Hermann Göring was born on January 12, 1893 in Rosenheim, Bavaria. His father - a personal friend of Bismarck - in 1885 received the post of Governor-General of German South-West Africa. After graduating from the universities of Bonn and Heidelberg, having served his term as an officer in the Prussian army, Goering's father was completely imbued with the spirit of Prussianism. Early widowed in his first marriage, with five children in his arms, Dr. Goering married a second time to a young Tyrolean woman, whom he took to Haiti, where he was appointed to his second colonial post. When the time came for little Herman to be born, he sent her back to Bavaria.

Herman's childhood passed in fights and clashes. He was constantly expelled from all the schools where he had to study, for being aggressive and intractable. Seeing such inclinations of his son, his father decided to send him to Karlsruhe, to a cadet school, from where he was transferred to the Berlin military school.

Goering graduated from this school one of the first in terms of academic performance and in March 1912 was appointed to serve in the infantry regiment of Prince Wilhelm, stationed in Mulhouse, with the rank of second lieutenant. At this time, he had just turned 19 years old. The routine of garrison service disgusted the energetic young man, and he enthusiastically received the news of the beginning wars. In October 1914 he secured his transfer to the military aviation. He flew first as an observer, then as a reconnaissance and bomber pilot. Finally, in the autumn of 1915, he became a fighter pilot. He managed to shoot down one of the first British Hundley Page heavy bombers, and then he himself was shot down by British fighters. Having been wounded in the thigh and leg, he soon returned to duty, and being recognized as one of the best fighter pilots in Germany, in May 1917 he received the post of commander of the 27th squadron. At the beginning of 1918, he had 21 victories in air battles, and already in May he was awarded the Order of Merit, which was considered the highest award in Germany. It was then that he was transferred to the famous No. 1 Squadron, better known as the "Richthofen Squadron" - after the name of its first commander, Baron Manfred von Richthofen.

April 21, 1918 Captain Baron Richthofen, who had more than 80 victories in air battles, was shot down and killed. Lieutenant Reinhard, who took his place, died on July 3. His place was taken by Hermann Goering, leading the famous squadron. He took up this post on July 14, when the German troops began their withdrawal on the Marne. The courage shown in battles did not soften the severity of the defeat for the pilots of squadron No. 1. Goering fell on hard times. In November, he had to return his aircraft and personnel to Germany. In total, the squadron scored 644 victories during the fighting; 62 pilots were listed as dead.

Goering was demobilized at the end of 1919 with the rank of captain. On his chest were the Iron Cross of the 1st degree, the Order of the Lion with swords, the Order of Karl Friedrich, the Order of Hohenzollern of the 3rd degree with swords and the Order of Merit. He will never forget this period of his life, nor his friends from the Richthofen Squadron. When in 1943 one of his comrades, Jew by the name of Luther, was arrested by the Hamburg Gestapo, Goering immediately intervened, secured his release and took him under his protection. Demobilized, Goering was forced to look for a job. He could have continued to serve in the Reichswehr, but, being an opponent of the Weimar Republic, he did not want to serve in its army. To earn a living, he began to take part in demonstration flights in Denmark, and then in Sweden. On Sundays, he rode thrill-seekers in his little Fokker. So he earned a living for himself and his beloved woman, whom he took away from her husband and son and took him to Germany, to Munich, where their wedding took place.

Upon his return to Bavaria, the unemployed war hero barely made ends meet. He entered the first year of the University of Munich, not so much for the sake of studying political science and history, but to make his forced idleness look respectable. He lived in a pretty house on the outskirts of Munich on handouts that his wife Karin received from her family. In the autumn of 1922, the Allies demanded that the German government extradite certain war criminals. Goering was furious at this demand, since his name also appeared on the lists submitted by France.

One Sunday in November, a demonstration was held at Königsplatz in the center of Munich, the participants of which protested against the demands of the allies. Goering was at this demonstration. Here he first saw Hitler, which has already begun to be talked about in Bavaria. The crowd asked Hitler to speak. A week later, Göring attended one of the Nazi Party meetings, where Hitler gave a speech. The leitmotif of his speech was the struggle against the "dictat of Versailles". Since the Versailles Treaty of 1919 turned a brilliant officer Goering into a semi-poor fellow living at the expense of his wife, the speaker's thoughts found a lively response from him, and after the meeting he offered his services to Hitler.

For Hitler's party, still weak but rapidly gaining strength, Goering was a gift from heaven. His prestige as a war hero could be put to good use. A few days later he became a member Nazi Party, determined to put "body and soul" at the complete disposal of a man with whom he had known less than two weeks. The strike force of the party is its assault squads (Sturmabteilung - SA) - needed a leader. It was necessary to organize them well, discipline them, coordinate their actions and "turn them into an absolutely reliable combat unit capable of successfully carrying out Hitler's orders." In early January 1923, Hermann Göring assumed command of the Nazi strike force.

In a few months, from this large but poorly organized army, Goering made a real army with the help of the military, in particular with the assistance of Ernst Röhm, who at that time served as commander of the seventh division, at the same time being the head of underground militia groups. But soon between Rem and Goering, whose arrival Rem met with displeasure, a dull rivalry arose. Goering sensed a dangerous rival in Ryoma. Nevertheless, thanks to their far from cloudless cooperation, the Nazi Party was able by the beginning of November 1923 to create a real army, dressed in gray-green tunics, with a military bearing, with cadres from among former military officers recruited from advertisements published by Goering in the Völkischer Beobachter ". Brown shirts and the specific Hitler salute appeared much later.

Having such powers and entrusting to them big hopes, Hitler and his friends attempted a coup d'état in Munich on November 9, 1923. Göring wasted no time in arresting several hostages, but after a brief firefight with the police at Feldherrnhale, the matter quickly ended. Goering received two bullets in the lower abdomen. He managed to hide in the house of the Jewish family Ballen in the first hours after the shootout. Soon, faithful people sent him to Austria, to Innsbruck, where he was able to begin treatment. In 20 years, for participation in the fate of Goering, the Ballen family will be spared from the destruction that threatened it.

Hitler, Goebbels and Goering at the rally. 1931
Photo from the book: The 20th century a chronicle in pictures. new york. 1989.

The injuries and the forced inactivity that followed had a significant impact on Goering's temperament. He could not return to Germany, where a warrant had already been issued for his arrest. He had to spend four years, first in Austria and Italy, and then in Sweden. Due to the late start of treatment, the wounds healed poorly, bringing acute pain. I had to give injections of morphine, to which Goering became addicted, began to abuse it, which caused a mental breakdown. He became dangerous in communication, and he had to be placed in a psychiatric clinic in Langbrough, then in a similar one in Konradsberg, then again in Langbrough, from where he was discharged under the regular supervision of doctors under medical supervision. Forensic physician Karl Lundberg, who examined him at the Langbro clinic, said that Goering showed a hysterical temperament, a split personality was observed, he was found to have fits of tearful sentimentality, interspersed with fits of insane rage, during which he was able to go to extremes.

For members of his family, this was not surprising: they had long given him the most severe assessment. According to his cousin Herbert Goering, the family believed that Herman's character was dominated by vanity, fear of responsibility and complete promiscuity in means: "If necessary, Herman will go over the corpses." Protracted idleness, stay in psychiatric hospitals and hospitals, left a deep imprint on the appearance of Goering. He always had a tendency to be overweight, but now she has turned into obesity. At 32, he was unusually obese, filled with unhealthy fat, which he could never get rid of. Cut off from his Nazi friends, he to some extent escaped the influence of their environment. From now on, the methods of forceful influence began to disgust him, he came to the conclusion that Nazism should look for a different solution to its problems. Yesterday's predator has changed its appearance, the beast has become unrecognizable. Now Goering was preparing to fight using completely different, much more dangerous means. Upon his return to Germany in 1927, he became, like Hitler, a staunch supporter of the taking of power by political means. By "political" he meant, of course, the dirtiest methods.

After an amnesty announced in the autumn of 1927, he returned to Munich, where he found all his friends. Goering tried to take over the assault troops again, but felt that he could hope for something better: he was nominated as a candidate in the elections in 1928. Although the Nazis received only 12 seats in the Reichstag, Goering was among the elect. The atmosphere of the meetings of the Reichstag, not devoid of solemnity, impressed Goering, and the monthly salary of a deputy of 600 marks significantly improved his financial situation. The origin of Goering, like his military rank, opened for him access to high Berlin society and, most importantly, to the circles of large industrialists, where he soon began to be regarded as Hitler's "plenipotentiary representative and closest ally." A visit to the Berlin salons alienated him even more from the thugs of Rem and from the assault squads. From that time on, his ostentatious passion for collecting works of art and pretentious patronage began.

Maneuvering between the stormtroopers on the one hand and the political wing of the party, led by Gregor Strasser on the other hand, Goering, following his master Hitler, skillfully took advantage of the rivalry of those close to him, pushing them against each other in order to keep all the threads of leadership in his hands. As a result of the September 1930 elections, Goering came to the Reichstag at the head of a group of 107 Nazi deputies. In October 1931, he suffered a heavy loss: his wife Karin, who had suffered from tuberculosis for many years, died. With even greater zeal, he gave himself up to politics, devoting his life to someone who was now something like a deity for him - Hitler.

Hitler and Goering select paintings for the "Degenerate Art" exhibition

The 1932 presidential election was approaching, as the aged President Paul von Hindenburg's term was due to expire in April. Hitler's candidacy was also considered, but one difficulty arose: Hitler did not have German citizenship. It was Goering who found the salutary solution: he proposed to organize the appointment of Hitler to the post of economic adviser to the Braunschweig representation in Berlin with the assistance of Goering's friends in the Braunschweig government, members of the Nazi Party - Chairman Küchental and Minister of the Interior Klagges. Such an appointment automatically gave Hitler German citizenship. And although Hitler still lost the April elections, the trick was quite a success: on February 24, Hitler received this appointment, on the 26th he took the oath, refusing to receive a salary, and on March 4, he resigned. It took him eight days to become a German. Already after the July elections, Goering was rewarded for his efforts: he was elected chairman of the Reichstag and settled in a luxurious palace opposite the German parliament building. Despite an endless series of elections (from 1925 to 1932 elections in Germany were organized more than 30 times), Goering retained the post of chairman of the Reichstag. In this post, he could significantly influence the course of events. On September 12, 1932, Göring submitted a vote of no confidence in von Papen's government, forcing him to resign before the draft decree to dissolve parliament was used. On January 22, 1933, Goering managed, a few hours before the fall of Schleicher's cabinet, to convince Oskar von Hindenburg, the son of the marshal-president, to convince his father that Hitler alone was capable of forming a new government.

Goering's activities played a decisive role in the Nazi conquest of power. On the evening of January 30, when Hitler was in power for only a few hours, Goering made a radio address to the German people. He said that shameful story recent years now and forever gone. "Today, a new page in the history of Germany has been opened," he said, "and, starting from this page, freedom and honor will become the basis of a new statehood." As part of the new cabinet, Goering became, as it were, a counterbalance von Papin. He was Reich Minister, Chairman of the Reichstag, Prussian Minister of the Interior and Air Commissar. He managed to get the Prussian police out of the control of the Reichskommissar (von Papen) and the Reich Minister of the Interior Frick and resubordinate it directly to himself. From that moment on, Goering began to work on the creation in Germany of a well-organized political police, omnipotent and all-pervading, consisting of people not burdened by the framework of morality - the Gestapo. He also initiated the creation in Germany of the first concentration camp near Oranienburg. After arson of the Reichstag Goering ordered the arrest of over 4,000 communists and social democrats and banned the communist press. June 30, 1934 during the events of the "Night of the Long Knives" Goering led the actions of the SS in Berlin. On March 1, 1935, Goering was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the German Air Force and energetically set about organizing the production of the latest military aircraft and training pilots. By this time he had become the most important figure in the Third Reich after Hitler. He was the owner of a small but luxurious palace in Berlin and a country estate north of the capital, named after his first wife Carinhall. In 1935 Goering married for the second time to actress Emma Sonnemann.

Hitler is the guest of honor at the wedding of Göring and Emma Sonnemann.

Among Hitler's entourage, Goering was a controversial figure, being a kind of German version of Falstaff - a fat, charming adventurer and at the same time a sybarite who naively received sincere pleasure from the enormous power that fell on him. He said: "I joined the party because I was a revolutionary, not because of some ideological nonsense." However, this did not prevent him from remaining extremely careful and unconditionally fulfilling all the orders of the Fuhrer. He knew how to enjoy life, was an avid hunter, loved children and at the same time did not feel the slightest remorse in relation to the destruction of millions of people in concentration camps. In the eyes of the German people, Goering was a very popular person. Against the background of the caustic hysterical Goebbels, the dull and gloomy Rudolf Hess, the sinister Himmler, Goering favorably distinguished himself by his cheerful disposition, respectability, humor towards himself, lordly imposingness and innocence. He understood the advantage of the image he created and supported it in every possible way: "People want to love, and the Fuhrer was too often far from the broad masses. So they grabbed me."

In 1936, Hitler instructed Goering to implement the "four-year plan" - a program to transfer the German economy to a war footing. On the eve of World War II, Goering, together with Himmler, carefully planned and carried out measures to remove Generals Blomberg and Fritsch from the highest military posts, which provided Hitler with absolute power over the army. In 1938, with his direct participation, the Anschluss of Austria was carried out. Indulging Hitler, Goering, not being an anti-Semite at heart, turned a blind eye to the persecution and extermination of the Jews.

Hitler, Emma and Edda Göring.

On August 30, 1939, Hitler appointed Göring chairman of the Imperial Defense Council. The next day, he proclaimed Göring as his successor in the event of his death. During the Blitzkrieg, Goering commanded aviation operations in Poland, France and later in the Soviet Union, for which he was awarded the rank of Reichsmarschall on June 19, 1940. However, the failed attempt to seize air supremacy during the Battle of England and the disruption of Operation Sea Lion caused Hitler a sharp discontent, and their relationship with Goering deteriorated markedly. His prestige in the hierarchy waned, while the influence of Goebbels, Himmler and Martin Bormann grew significantly. On the eve of the collapse of the Third Reich, having learned that Goering carried out secret negotiations with the enemy behind his back, Hitler ordered Goering to be arrested, deprived of all ranks and awards, and shot. Later, he strongly denied his attempt at betrayal, and upon receiving the news of the Fuhrer's suicide, he told his wife: "He is dead, Emma! Now I will never be able to explain to him that I was faithful to him to the end!"

Goering was arrested by members of the US 7th Army on May 9, 1945. His requests for a personal meeting with General Dwight Eisenhower were ignored. In 1946 Goering appeared before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. He was found guilty on four counts, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, and sentenced to capital punishment. In a last letter to his wife, Goering expressed confidence in his posthumous rehabilitation: "In 50 or 60 years, statues of Hermann Goering will be erected all over Germany, and tiny busts will appear in every German house."

On October 15, 1946, two hours before the hanging, he took poison, which in a strange way eluded the vigilant guards. By order of the court, his remains were cremated in one of the remaining ovens at Dachau.

Used material Encyclopedia of the Third Reich - www.fact400.ru/mif/reich/titul.htm

October 15, 1945

Hermann Göring awards

Golden party badge of the NSDAP

Foreign

Hermann Göring family

Father - Ernst Heinrich Goering
Mother - Francis Goering (nee Tiefenbrunn).

First wife - Karin von Kantsov.

The second wife is Emmy Sonnemann, an actress.
Daughter - Edda Goering.

15.10.1946

Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Goring

War criminal

"Second man" after Hitler

Statesman of Germany

Reichsmarschall of the Greater German Reich

War criminal. Statesman of Nazi Germany. Reich Minister of Aviation. Reichsmarschall of the Greater German Reich. Obergruppenführer. Honorary SS Obergruppenführer. General of the infantry and general of the land police. He played an important role in organizing the Luftwaffe, the German air force. He was one of the most influential people in Nazi Germany. Often called the "second man" after Adolf Hitler, and according to the decree of June 29, 1941, he was officially the "successor of the Fuhrer." Committed suicide.

Hermann Wilhelm Goering was born on January 12, 1893 in Rosenheim, Germany. The boy grew up in the family of a high-ranking official, a personal friend of Otto von Bismarck. He was educated at the cadet school in Karlsruhe and at the Berlin military school, and then, in 1912, he was assigned to serve in the infantry regiment of Prince Wilhelm, with the rank of second lieutenant.

With the outbreak of the First World War, Herman achieved a transfer to military aviation and participated in hostilities as a fighter pilot. During the fighting, he personally shot down more than twenty enemy aircraft and was awarded many awards. However, after demobilization from the army at the end of 1919, Goering was left without work and barely made ends meet, speaking with demonstration flights in Denmark and Sweden.

Returning to Germany in 1922, he entered the University of Munich. Then Herman became a casual observer of one of the meetings of the National Socialist, Fascist Party, where Adolf Hitler gave a speech. And Goering was so imbued with his ideas that he immediately became not just a member of the Nazi Party, but also an active participant in the Nazi movement.

Already in January 1923, Hitler appointed him supreme leader of the Nazi shock forces: assault squads, which in a few months became a real army, a powerful combat unit. It was with her that Hitler, with his supporters, attempted a coup d'état in November 1923, known as the Beer Putsch.

Goering was then seriously wounded, but managed to escape, and was transported to Austria for treatment. He could not return to Germany, as a warrant for his arrest had been issued there. This had a severe impact on Herman's psyche, and in order to drown out the pain, he began to take morphine, to which he quickly became addicted, which also had a bad effect on his mental activity.

Only in 1927, after an amnesty, were the putsch participants able to return to Germany, and Goering was appointed Hitler's personal representative in Berlin. A year later, he was elected to the Reichstag from the NSDAP. This position, his origins and military background opened up access to high Berlin society and, most importantly, to the circles of large and military industrialists, with whom he established very close ties.

After the July elections of 1932, when the National Socialist German Workers' Party became the largest party in Germany, Goering was elected chairman of the Reichstag, a position he remained until the end of World War II. He played a decisive role in the conquest of power by Hitler and the establishment of a fascist dictatorship in the country.

Goering himself assumed the post of Head of the newly created Imperial Air Ministry, beginning the revival of the air force, which Germany was forbidden to have under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. He also managed to resubordinate directly to himself the police, on the basis of which he created the Gestapo. He also initiated the creation in Germany of the first concentration camp near Oranienburg, and he also led the actions of the SS during the tragic “Night of the Long Knives” in Berlin on June 30, 1934.

In 1935, Hermann Goering was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the German Air Force and did a lot to organize the production of the latest military aircraft and train pilots. A year later he became Commissioner for the four-year plan, and in his hands was the entire management of economic measures to prepare Germany for war.

In particular, under his leadership, a huge state industrial concern "Hermann Goering Werke" was created, which took over numerous factories confiscated from the Jews, and later, factories in the occupied territories. By this time, he had become Hitler's second man in the Third Reich and was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal of Aviation.

During the Anschluss of Austria on March 12, 1938, Goering led the actions of the Austrian Nazis, playing an important role in the annexation of this country to Germany. At the same time, he was appointed Hitler's permanent deputy in the Council of Ministers for the Defense of the Reich and elevated to the rank of Reichsmarschall of the Greater German Reich, specially created for him. Officially appointed heir to Adolf Hitler.

It was Hermann Goering who was one of the organizers of the Nazi terror in Germany and in the territories occupied by the Nazis during the Second World War, and on July 30, 1941, he signed a document on the “final solution” of the Jewish question, which was supposed to destroy almost twenty million people.

However, when in the course of hostilities the German aviation began to suffer defeat after defeat from Soviet pilots, Goering's influence in the highest echelons of power began to decline, while the influence of Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler and Martin Bormann increased significantly. And after the devastating defeat of the German troops in the Battle of Stalingrad, the Reich Marshal finally lost Hitler's trust.

On the eve of the collapse of the Third Reich, the Fuhrer, having learned that Goering was conducting secret negotiations with the enemy behind his back, ordered the arrest of the Reichsmarschall on charges of treason, depriving him of all titles and awards, and even in his Political Testament on April 29, 1945, expelled Goering from the NSDAP, although the latter strongly denied betrayal.

Goering was arrested on May 8, 1945 by American troops and, as the main war criminal, appeared before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. He was found guilty on several counts, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, and sentenced to capital punishment: death penalty through hanging.

Hermann Göring shortly before his execution October 15, 1945 committed suicide. In his prison cell in Nuremberg, he took poison, which the vigilant guards did not notice from him. By order of the court, his remains were cremated in one of the remaining Dachau ovens, along with the rest of those sentenced by the decision of the tribunal.

Hermann Göring awards

Royal Order of the House of Hohenzollern Knight's Cross with Swords (20 October 1917) (Kingdom of Prussia)

Order of Military Merit of Karl Friedrich Knight's Cross (Grand Duchy of Baden)

Order of the Zähringen Lion Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Swords (Grand Duchy of Baden)

Badge of a military pilot (Kingdom of Prussia)

Breastplate "For Wound" (1918) black (German Empire)

Honorary Cross of the First World War 1914/1918 (1934)

Danzig Cross II and I class (1939)

Golden party badge of the NSDAP

Foreign

Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus Grand Cross (1938) (Kingdom of Italy)

Imperial Order of the Yarm and Arrows Grand Cross (1939) (Spanish State)

Order of the Sword Grand Commander's Cross (1939) (Kingdom of Sweden)

Order of the Star of Karageorge Grand Cross (1939) (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)

Order of Michael the Brave, 1st class (1941) (Kingdom of Romania)

Order of the Rising Sun, 1st class (1943) (Empire of Japan)

Order of the Crown of Italy Grand Cross (1940) (Kingdom of Italy)

Supreme Order of the Holy Annunciation (1940) (Kingdom of Italy)

Order of the White Rose of Finland Commander's Cross (Finland)

Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius Grand Cross (Kingdom of Bulgaria)

Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen Grand Cross (Kingdom of Hungary)

Interesting Facts about Hermann Göring

Goering actively supported the version that he was a direct descendant of the French king Louis Saint.

Goering's younger brother, Albert Goering (1895-1966), was an opponent of the Nazi regime, helped the Jews, more than once declared his negative attitude towards his brother, although he enjoyed the status of a brother, including forging his signatures on documents that helped Jews avoid being sent to concentration camps. At the same time, when Albert was arrested by the Nazis, it was his brother who contributed to his release. Ironically, after the war, returning to Germany, Goering Jr. is forced to work in small positions, suffering from his relationship with the former Reichsmarschall.

The story of Goering's deputy - Milch. He was a "half-breed" (half-Jew), but Goering did not allow him to be arrested or fired, saying: "In my Luftwaffe, I myself decide who is Jewish and who is not." Later, Milch was “corrected” by his biography, declaring that his real father was a German aristocrat, not a Jew.

Goering, unwittingly, left a mark not only in military history but also in the history of world medicine. At the height of the war, the supply of opium stopped, and Goering ordered a pharmaceutical company to make a completely synthetic drug that would replace heroin in order to avoid possible breakdowns. Through the efforts of scientists, methadone was invented, which in our time is used to treat patients with opium (heroin) addiction.

He dressed luxuriously, had a habit of painting his face, and actively used perfumes.

He was a fan of football, did not allow sending professional football players who were subordinate to him to the front.

The Reichsmarschall's gold marshal's baton, confiscated by the Americans, is in the US Armed Forces Museum in Washington.

Hermann Wilhelm Goering (01/12/1893 - 10/15/1946) went down in history as a person who managed to make an enchanting political career in a short time, becoming the next person in Germany after Hitler. He always supported the version that he is a direct descendant of Saint Louis - the king of France. The future fascist No. 2, who subordinated the military and economic sectors of the Third Reich, from childhood was distinguished by aggressiveness, obstinacy and pugnacity. To eradicate these qualities, the reasons for the constant change of educational institutions, his father, a high-ranking official and close friend of Otto von Bismarck, was forced to send his son first to a cadet school in Karlsruhe, and then to a military school in Berlin. These educational establishments a dysfunctional teenager graduated with honors.

Hermann Wilhelm Göring - young years

Göring's military career began in 1912 with a dull infantry service in Prince Wilhelm's regiment. Two dull, monotonous years did not bring any satisfaction to the young soldier, except for the received rank of lieutenant. A joyful event, carrying a wave of expectation of cardinal changes, for him was the First World War. Hermann Wilhelm Goering achieved a transfer to aviation and immediately began to participate in air battles, first as a reconnaissance officer, then as a fighter pilot.

Having shown himself to be a first-class virtuoso master, one of the best flight specialists in Germany, Goering easily won victories and steadfastly endured his injuries. At the age of 25, he already commanded a squadron of the most privileged air force of the German army, Richthofen, orphaned after the death of Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, the idol of all pilots, a wartime legend, who accounted for more than 80 downed aircraft. During the period of air battles, Goering Hermann destroyed 22 enemy aircraft, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross of I and II classes, the orders of Karl Friedrich and Hohenzollern, as well as the highest award of pre-Hitler Germany - the Order of Merit.

The year 1918 was marked for Goering by his declaration of a war criminal by the victorious countries, the ban on military aviation in Germany and the disbandment of the squadron that dropped bombs on peaceful cities. The revolution that took place in the same year, which overthrew Kaiser Wilhelm II and proclaimed a bourgeois-democratic republic, forced Goering to refuse service in the Reichswehr - the republican German army - and go to Denmark and Sweden. In these countries, he earned a living by demonstrative air flights commissioned by aircraft manufacturers. There he met the Swedish aristocrat Karin von Katztow, who later became his wife.

Göring's acquaintance with Hitler

In 1922 Goering, who thought seriously about the need for education, returned to Germany, where he was enrolled at the University of Munich. The student studied history and political science with particular care - sciences that were useful to him in his future political career.

It was in Munich at the demonstration against the Peace of Versailles that Goering Hermann Wilhelm and Hitler agreed rather quickly: the Fuhrer's bright speech touched his future assistant to the core. After the Nazi leader's speech, Goering, for whom the topic of the rally was very close, offered his help to the speaker. Hitler had heard a lot about the famous pilot hero and understood that this was a valuable find for the party, since the prestigious title of Hero of the War and the ability to attract new supporters were only in the hands of the Nazis. Goering Hermann Wilhelm joined the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party), and six months later was appointed to lead the assault squads. In this field of activity, he proved himself to be an excellent organizer and coordinator, who managed to turn attack aircraft into a quality military force.

Hitler, feeling confident in the reliability of the selected team, tried in November 1923 to carry out an attempted coup d'état, which went down in history as the "Beer putsch" and failed. Goering Hermann Wilhelm - the main participant in this action - led one of the coup columns and received two heavy bullet wounds during the shootout: in the thigh and stomach. True friends helped him avoid arrest; at first he took refuge in the home of the Jewish family Ballen, later he was illegally transferred to Austria, where he was treated in a hospital for a month and a half. He also lived for some time in Italy and Sweden, where he became addicted to morphine to relieve severe pain. The developed addiction to the drug negatively affected the psyche of the German politician, which led to treatment in a psychiatric clinic.

The year 1927 was marked by the declared political amnesty and Goering's return to Munich, where he plunged headlong into party work. His appointment as Hitler's personal representative in Berlin, as well as the possibility of participating in the parliamentary elections of the NSDAP party, which had become even more powerful by that time, opened up new prospects for Goering. The leadership of the stormtroopers, to which there was an opportunity to return, turned out to be less promising than running for the Reichstag elections. In this, Goering did not fail, being one of the twelve elected Nazi deputies. Bye political career Goering rushed up sharply, in his personal life there was a collapse: in 1931 he lost his beloved wife, who had been ill with tuberculosis for many years.

Goering Hermann Wilhelm, whose family collapsed in an instant, fell out of the rut of life for a long time. To drown out his mental pain, he began to devote himself completely to work in the party, which in 1932 received 230 seats in the Reichstag and became the largest in Germany. Goering was appointed its chairman.

In 1935, Göring reconnected himself with family ties by marrying the German actress Emmy Sonnemann, from whose marriage a daughter, Edda, was born.

Goering: the qualities of a politician

Possessing the important qualities of a successful politician (origin, upbringing, erudition only contributed to this), he managed to make useful and profitable acquaintances with the powers that be - bankers and big industrialists - and skillfully used these connections in the interests of the party. Hermann Goering, whose biography contains many interesting pages, was a rather well-fed, charming adventurer with a cheerful disposition, and in a political environment - a rather controversial figure. The division "Hermann Goering" was even formed. The successfully created image of a simple-minded politician and the enormous power that suddenly fell on his head allowed Goering to fully enjoy his position. Nevertheless, all the orders of the Fuhrer were carried out by him unconditionally.

Goering Hermann loved children, hunting, a luxurious life, without feeling the slightest remorse for his actions. This:

• the process against the communists, connected with the burning of the Reichstag;
• confiscation of property and taxation of the Jewish population living in Germany with indemnity after the pogroms that took place in November 1938;
• the creation of the Nazi security service and concentration camps in which millions of people were exterminated;
• management of preparations for war in the economic aspect;
• looting and looting in occupied countries;
• command of the German aviation, which criminally destroyed peaceful cities;
• the physical elimination in the summer of 1934 of the leadership of the attack aircraft, which was subsequently proven at the Nuremberg trials.

Göring's brilliant career rise

In 1935, Hermann Wilhelm Goering, with the rank of General of Aviation, was officially appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe (German air force). He attracted air military aces to leadership - his front-line friends, most of whom turned out to be unsuitable for leadership work. The division "Hermann Goering" became known not for participation in hostilities, but for the plundering of the historical treasures of the Benedictine monastery from Monte Cassino.

In 1936, in connection with the preparation of Germany for war, Goering was entrusted with the management of the 4-year plan, the entire control over the economic issues of which he concentrated in his own hands.

In 1937, the state association Hermann Goering Wirke, huge in scale, was created, absorbing numerous factories confiscated from the Jews and in the occupied territories.

In 1938, already in the rank of Field Marshal of Aviation, he controlled the actions of the Austrian Nazis during the Anschluss of Austria (its annexation to Germany). In September of the same year, in the Council of Ministers for the Defense of the Reich, he took the post of Hitler's permanent deputy. Goering became his official successor on September 1, 1939 - the day Germany declared war on Poland. On July 19, 1940, after the defeat of France by German aviation, he rose to the highest military rank specially invented for him - Reichsmarshal. Goering was appointed by law in June 1941 as Hitler's official successor in the event of the latter's death or the impossibility of fulfilling his duties for any reason.

Goering - chief forester and huntsman of Germany

In parallel with the above-mentioned ranks, Goering was the chief huntsman (Reichsjägermeister) and chief forester (Reichsforstmeister) of Germany, where he achieved significant success as a fighter for nature protection.

During his tenure, he:

• contributed to the restoration of the population of birds and animals exterminated or on the verge of extinction;
• initiated the importation of bison and elk from Canada and Sweden, as well as wild ducks, swans and various game from Spain and Poland;
• tightened penalties for poaching, as well as existing laws on hunting, limiting the issuance of permits for it and requiring all candidates to pass a weapon test (in addition, each hunter had to have a well-trained game dog to fully guarantee the location of a wounded animal);
• established large fines for shooting prey in excess of the prescribed quota;
• banned hunting from horseback and from a car, the use of lights during night safari, as well as the use of steel traps and wire snares;
• vetoed the vivisection of animals (surgical operations to study the functions of the body);
• approved schemes of green plantings, causing the creation of natural "lungs" around the central cities of the Reich and in places of mass recreation for workers.

Beginning of the End

In 1942, Albert Speer, Hitler's protege, was appointed to the post of Minister of Armaments and Ammunition. It was during this period that the influence on the war economy of Goering, who was responsible for the implementation of the 4-year plan, began to gradually fade away. At the beginning of 1942, understanding the true reality of the events, he told Speer, the Minister of Armaments, that if after this war Germany's borders remained at the level of 1933, it would be possible to argue that the country was simply very lucky.

The end of 1942 was marked by yet another miscalculation by Goering, who swore to Hitler that he was able to ensure that General Paulus's 6th Army, surrounded by Russian troops near Stalingrad, was properly supplied with everything necessary. Undoubtedly, this was unrealistic; in January 1943, Paulus had to capitulate. This act, as well as the complex intrigue started not in his favor by Martin Bormann, completely undermined Hitler's confidence in Goering.

German "Luftwaffe" planes, ruthlessly bombing Russian cities, spared only Lipetsk - the center of the military industry. Historians tried to figure out this illogicality, trying to compare it with the name - Goering Hermann Wilhelm. Lipetsk, as it turned out, was the residence of his mistress - Nadezhda Goryacheva, whom he met in 1925 during training in the study of the tricks of aerial combat.

Collapse of the Luftwaffe

In the course of the ongoing hostilities, the Luftwaffe gradually lost its air supremacy, which greatly reduced the influence of Göring. It was at this time that Goering Hermann Wilhelm, whose personal life was brought to the fore, became addicted to drugs again. On the Schönheide estate, he built the luxurious Carinhall Palace, gathering in it a luxurious collection of works of art looted in the occupied countries. His decorated chest was like the window of an exclusive jewelry store.

In the summer of 1944, the Luftwaffe effectively collapsed. The losses of German aviation were huge: there were no experienced aces pilots who fought from the first days. A new replenishment, due to lack of time for training, inexperience and lack of practice, could not replace the dead. At the end of 1945, when Berlin was surrounded by the Red Army, Goering flew to Bavaria to attempt to enter into negotiations with the Americans. The idea of ​​a separate peace with Western states, which Goering tried to carry out, was thwarted by Hitler, who ordered the arrest of the traitor. On April 23, the Fuhrer publicly accused the negotiator of treason, expelled him from the party, and also deprived him of all awards and titles. Goering was saved from SS massacre by Luftwaffe officers loyal to him, to whom he turned for help.

Göring's arrest

At the end of the war, on May 9, 1945, Goering was arrested again, this time by soldiers of the 7th United States Army. A year later, appearing before a court in Nuremberg, he was found guilty on 4 counts, declared one of the main wartime criminals and sentenced to death by hanging. Why was Nuremberg chosen for the trial of war criminals? Because for a long time it served as a hotbed and stronghold of fascism: it was here that the NSDAP party congresses were held and the Nazi Colosseum, the assembly hall, was built.

A steel soldier with the heart of a child, a participant in hostilities, a courageous person - this is how Hermann Wilhelm Goering appeared at the trial (his photos are presented in the review). Smart, well versed in trifles, possessing an amazing memory - this man was directly involved in building the diabolical Nazi system and was fully aware of the events that were taking place.

Nuremberg trials through the eyes of Goering

The Nuremberg trials were a skillfully staged spectacle in which Hermann Göring played the leading role.

His quotes, expressing complete disagreement with the process, were discussed more than once in the press. The defendant said: "The winner is always the judge, and the loser is the condemned. I do not recognize the decision of this court." Haggard and thinner, Goering held firm during the process, fully maintaining his composure. His successful speech, long hidden by the Allied press, was applauded by the entire hall.

Specifically, Goering received a death sentence for the order he gave to destroy British military pilots. This is the only accusation with which Goering agreed and explained his own act as revenge for a peaceful German plane shot down by a British ace. At the trial, Hermann Wilhelm Goering, whose quotes are accurate and memorable, said: "I defend my face, not my head."

Like the rest of the participants in the process, he asked for pardon. Simultaneously with the petition, he wrote a petition to replace the hanging, which he considered a disgrace, with execution if the request for pardon was denied, which actually happened. The execution was scheduled for October 16, 1946.

On October 15, 1946, an hour before the execution of the sentence, Goering took poison - potassium cyanide, which was given to him by a guard. There is a version that his wife was involved in this, giving a huge bribe for transferring the poison to the prisoner.

Next to the body of the dead Goering lay a note consisting of three words: "Field marshals are not hanged." His corpse was burned in one of the surviving furnaces of the Dachau concentration camp.

How does it feel to be a descendant of Goering?

The life of Goering - the favorite of the common people and the sworn enemy of the top leadership - was full of unimaginable ups and painful falls. It consisted of a constant struggle for power, money, a decent existence, the favor of the Fuhrer, Germany. Goering Hermann Wilhelm, short biography presented in the review, became the main character created in 2006 by the British documentary film"Nunberg: Göring's last standoff". After the death of the latter, his younger brother Albert, an ardent opponent of the Nazi regime, who helped Jews and often declared a negative attitude towards his brother's activities, suffered from kinship with Goering after the latter's death. After the war, Goering Jr., who returned to Germany, was forced to work in low positions. Suffering throughout his life brought him blood relationship with such a negative historical personality, directly and indirectly involved in the destruction of millions of people, like Hermann Wilhelm Goering.

An interview for one of the television projects was given by the daughter of a younger brother, who felt the full problems with employment due to the fact that she was the niece of a Nazi. Bettina Goering, Goering's great-niece, in addition to destroying photographs with her great-uncle, decided to be sterilized, explaining this by her unwillingness to give birth to children with such genes.

Göring Hermann Wilhelm

(01/12/1893-10/15/1946) - political, statesman and military leader, Reichsmarshal (1940)

Hermann Goering was born on January 12, 1893 in the Bavarian city of Rosenheim. His father was a personal friend of Bismarck and in 1885 received the post of Governor-General of German South West Africa. He had diplomas from Bonn and Heidelberg universities, but, having served in the army, he was imbued with the "Prussian military spirit."

Young Goering received an excellent military education, first graduating from the cadet school in Karlsruhe, and then from the prestigious cadet corps in Gross Lichtenfeld near Berlin. Hermann Goering graduated from this school one of the first in terms of academic performance, and in 1912, having received the rank of lieutenant, he was sent to the 112th Infantry Regiment. As part of this regiment, Hermann Goering participated in the battles on the Western Front. But in October 1914, he achieved a transfer to aviation - to the 25th squadron as an air observer.

At the new duty station, Goering showed himself to be a fearless pilot who completely ignored the danger. He flew first as an observer, then as a reconnaissance and bomber pilot, and in the autumn of 1915 he became a fighter pilot. During the "Verdun meat grinder" in 1915, he earned the Iron Cross 1st class. This was the start of his brilliant career. Goering ended the war as a captain, commander of the illustrious squadron No. 1 Richthofen. She bore the name of her first commander, Manfred von Richthofen, who died in action in April 1918 and had more than 80 victories in air battles. Goering himself shot down 22 enemy aircraft, for which he received the Blue Cross from the hands of the Kaiser, and in July 1918 he led the illustrious squadron.

Demobilized in 1919 with the rank of captain and refusing to serve in the Reichswehr because of his hatred of the republican regime, Goering was forced to look for a job. He began to take part in demonstration flights in Denmark and Sweden.

In 1922 he entered the University of Munich, where he met Rudolf Hess. Hess, in turn, brought Goering to Adolf Hitler, who made a huge impression on the former ace. Hitler in his speeches actively opposed the Versailles system. This resonated in the soul of Goering, and he firmly decided to connect his life with National Socialism. Already in March 1923, he led the SA detachments, which were to be well organized and disciplined. In a few months, with the assistance of Reichswehr Major Ernst Röhm, he managed to make a real army out of semi-bandit stormtrooper formations. Remus contributed to the secret armament of the assault squads, hoping sooner or later to take control of them in his own hands. Goering and Rehm saw each other as rivals, but so far their joint work continued.

On November 9, 1923, during an attempted coup, Goering was walking in the front ranks of the putschists when the police opened fire on them. Göring was badly wounded; he was transferred to Austria for treatment. Göring could not return to Germany, where a warrant had already been issued for his arrest. He had to spend four years, first in Austria, then in Italy and Sweden.

Returning to Germany after an amnesty in 1927, Goering was elected to the Reichstag among 12 other candidates from the National Socialist Party. In 1932, after the victory of the NSDAP in the elections, he became chairman of the Reichstag. Goering played an important role in the rise of the Nazis to power. Using his post, he rendered Hitler invaluable services. Adolf Hitler did not forget his faithful companion. Hermann Goering became the chief deputy to the Führer for the party and a minister without portfolio. In addition, he simultaneously held 16 positions, up to the chief forester and the country's chief Jägermeister.

On January 30, 1933, with Hitler only a few hours in power, Göring spoke on the radio. Addressing the German people, he declared that now a new page in the history of Germany is opening, when freedom and honor will become the basis of statehood.

Hermann Göring became Reichsminister, President of the Reichstag, Prussian Minister of the Interior and Commissar for Aviation. He succeeded in subordinating the police of Prussia to himself, and from that moment he began to work on the creation of a well-organized political police in Germany. On April 26, 1933, a decree was signed on the creation of the Gestapo - the secret police of the Third Reich. After that, having acquired such a powerful weapon in his hands, he, in alliance with SS chief Himmler, began to prepare to destroy his most dangerous enemy and rival, Rem.

Ernst Röhm, being the head of the SA since 1931, claimed the post of Minister of War, intending to replace the regular army with assault detachments (there were 4.5 million people). Preaching the need to continue the National Socialist revolution, the SA detachments began to pose a certain danger to the leadership of the NSDAP. This danger was eliminated on June 30, 1934, during the events of the “Night of the Long Knives”, when the SS and the Gestapo dealt with Rem and his associates. Goering personally directed the actions of the SS in Berlin.

However, on March 1, 1935, Goering was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). Goering energetically set about organizing the production of the latest military aircraft and training pilots. Officially, the air force appeared in Germany only on May 9, 1935, but work on their revival has been carried out since the mid-1920s.

Despite the fact that Goering was a member of the older generation of aviators, he was able to form a clear picture of the future of modern aviation. In his opinion, the Luftwaffe was obliged to carry out any tasks of modern warfare. Goering decided that all operational aviation should be under the leadership of the Luftwaffe commander only, which would ensure its unity of action both in defense and in the offensive. He considered his main task to be the creation of strong bomber aircraft, which could deliver powerful blows to the enemy. At the same time, he pushed the problem of providing the land army and navy with modern aviation into the background.

However, Goering did not have time to personally organize the Air Force. He passed this job onto the shoulders of the Reich Secretary for Aviation, Erhard Milch, the former chief executive of Lufthansa.

In 1933, at the General Staff of the Luftwaffe, the future Air Force was conceived as a means of defense against surprise attacks from outside, while Hitler was step by step getting rid of the chains of the Treaty of Versailles. But the dispatch of the Condor Legion to Spain in 1936 changed those plans. The first baptism of fire of the Luftwaffe was successful. This contributed to the development of a sense of self-confidence in the young German aviation, which brought brilliant success during the Polish campaign.

On the eve of World War II, Goering, together with Himmler, planned and carried out measures to remove Generals Blomberg and Fritsch from the highest military posts, which provided Hitler with absolute power over the army.

In August 1939, Hitler appoints Göring chairman of the Reich Defense Council, and the next day proclaims him his successor in the event of death.

During the German-Polish war, short-range bomber aircraft established interaction with ground forces. She was largely responsible for the success of the first blitzkrieg. During the campaign in the West, the Luftwaffe immediately gained air supremacy. This largely decided the outcome of Operation Weserubung. In June 1940, Goering was awarded the rank of Reichsmarschall.

The superiority of German military aviation over the French Air Force became obvious from the very first days. The landing of paratroopers in Holland was so unexpected that it immediately ensured victory on the right flank of the German army. But in the course of the fight between the Luftwaffe and the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk, it became clear that German aircraft could not get the better of the stubbornly fighting British fighter units.

After the defeat of France, Hitler offered England to make peace on the condition that his interests in Central Europe be recognized. But the British government ignored the Fuhrer's initiative. After that, Hitler gave the order to develop a plan for landing on Albion, codenamed "Sea Lion".

In accordance with this operational plan, the landing was to be preceded by intensified bombing strikes, the purpose of which was to suppress enemy aircraft and inflict as much damage as possible on the troops of the mother country.

Goering gave the order to start the operation on August 12, 1940. German planes took off and headed towards the British Isles. During this operation, the Luftwaffe inflicted serious damage on England, however, despite the victorious fanfare of Goebbels, it itself suffered very heavy losses. On August 24, German pilots mistakenly bombed London in the dark, and the next night, aircraft from the British Royal Air Force appeared over Berlin. If during the German-Polish war English pilots dropped propaganda leaflets on German territory, this time heavy air bombs rained down on the capital of the Reich. Berlin's air defense system was in its infancy, and not a single British aircraft could be shot down. A few days later, the British air raid was repeated.

Hitler staged a hysterical dressing down of his military leaders and ordered the main blow to be transferred to English settlements. The Fuhrer believed that in this way he would be able to demoralize the British and force the British government to negotiate. However, in response, from September 4, the British began to make constant raids on numerous industrial centers in Germany. There were casualties among the civilian population. On November 14, 1940, five hundred Luftwaffe aircraft bombed Coventry, the center of the British aircraft engine industry. It was the largest German air raid, during which 400 civilians were killed and the city suffered enormous damage.

Gradually, the battle over England took on a completely different turn, which Hitler and Goering had counted on. She absorbed a significant part of the best forces of the Luftwaffe. As a result of the loss of a large number of experienced pilots and the constant overstrain of the German Air Force, damage was inflicted from which they were never able to recover. In April-May 1941, raids on England intensified significantly. The German command launched a large-scale campaign to disinform Stalin, as a result of which he managed to convince him that Great Britain would be the next victim of the Wehrmacht. When this goal was achieved, most of the air formations were secretly transferred to the East.

The successes of German aviation in the first year of the war with the Soviet Union were significant. From the very first days, the Luftwaffe, having destroyed thousands of Soviet aircraft right on the airfields, reigned supreme in the sky.

In the second half of November 1942, during Battle of Stalingrad units of the Red Army surrounded the city, locking the enemy's 6th army in the cauldron. The plan developed by Paulus to break out of the encirclement was rejected by Hitler. It was impossible to persuade the Fuhrer to a different decision, not only because of the natural stubbornness of the Supreme Commander. Goering swore to Adolf Hitler that the Luftwaffe would be able to fully supply the encircled units with everything necessary, delivering up to 500 tons of cargo daily. However, in practice, the average daily aviation capacity in supplying the 6th Army could not exceed 100 tons. In addition, the delivery of goods to the encircled groups in Stalingrad and other boilers caused huge losses in German aviation, especially in its training units. This greatly harmed the training of new pilots and reduced the possibility of replenishing front-line aviation units with experienced pilots.

The German Air Force finished the battle for England, but the British themselves did not finish it. They continued to systematically bomb the Reich, gradually increasing the intensity of the raids. In 1942, the British Air Force made a terrible raid on Cologne, turning it into ruins.

Allied aviation felt at home in the skies of Germany. Almost all the forces of the German Air Force were engaged on the Eastern Front, and there was nothing to oppose the British air armadas. For nine days in late July - early August 1943, the British Air Force raided Hamburg, almost completely destroying this city and claiming 40,000 lives.

From that time on, British air supremacy became evident. In Germany, measures began to evacuate from the cities of the population not employed in production. Thus, the German command recognized the inability to protect its people from enemy bombs. Goering's authority was finally undermined. Hitler stopped yelling at his commander-in-chief of the Air Force, he gradually began to ignore him.

Since September 1944, allied air raids have assumed a terrifying character. Cities with unique architecture preserved from the late Middle Ages were bombed. The raid on Dresden, which, in terms of the number of dead, can be put on a par with Hiroshima, distinguished itself by special barbarity; in terms of the scale of the destruction of cultural values, it generally has no equal in history.

By the spring of 1945, Goering's relationship with the Fuhrer had escalated to the limit. Goering, who at the beginning of the war had sworn to the Fuhrer that no bomb would fall on Germany, now, as commander of the Luftwaffe, was responsible for the damage done to the Reich by continuous Allied air raids.

Despite this, one of the last diplomatic attempts to save the leadership of the Third Reich is connected with the name of Goering. The Fuhrer and his entourage believed that the inclusion of such an authoritative figure in negotiations with the Western allies would be acceptable to London and Washington. On April 20, 1945, on the orders of Hitler, Goering flew to Berchtesgaden, which was supposed to fall into the American zone of occupation.

On April 23, having learned that the Fuhrer had decided to stay in Berlin until the end, Goering demanded that he hand over the leadership of the state to him. Enraged Hitler stripped the Reichsmarschall of the title of official successor, which he had been since 1939, removed him from the post of chief of the OKL (Luftwaffe High Command) and ordered his arrest. On April 29, Air Force units loyal to Goering released him, and on May 7 he surrendered to the Americans, hoping to meet with Eisenhower and conclude a truce. He believed that the Allies were ready to accept him as an acceptable representative of the German transitional government. But Dwight Eisenhower gave the order to treat Hermann Göring like an ordinary prisoner of war.

On August 12, Göring and other major Nazi criminals were brought to Nuremberg and placed in the prison of the Palace of Justice. Goering stubbornly defended himself and managed to withdraw several points of accusation. However, he was found guilty on four counts, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, and sentenced to death by hanging. On October 15, 1946, two hours before his execution, Hermann Göring took poison.

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Another chapter from The Fuhrers. This was written a very long time ago, so the chapter does not contain a description of Goering's Kazan epic. Also, I didn't go too deep into it. personal life, this was not allowed by the general, rather limited volume of the book. I see no point in adding all this here now, because if I return to this topic, I will write in a radically different way. But perhaps this text will be interesting and useful to my friends.

Hermann Goering, the second son from the second marriage of Dr. Heinrich Goering, a high-ranking official of the German Empire, was born in Bavaria, in the city of Rosenheim on January 12, 1893. His father already had five children from his first marriage, but having been widowed, in 1885 he remarried an attractive young Bavarian Franzischka Tiefenbrun. The marriage took place in London, where Goering was sent by his personal friend Otto von Bismarck to study the working methods of the British colonial administration. Through her maternal grandmother, Caroline de Neree, Fraulein Tiefenbrun had French Huguenot ancestors who had settled in the Netherlands. In the same year, Heinrich Goering received the post of Governor-General of German South West Africa. A holder of diplomas from the universities of Bonn and Heidelberg, who had served his term as an officer in the Prussian army, he was imbued with the spirit of Prussianism. In Africa, he struck up a friendship with Cecil Rhodes and after five years of work was able to establish a German colony. Then he was transferred to Haiti to the post of Consul General. When the time came for Hermann to be born, Goering sent his wife back to Bavaria. Here, the wealthy aristocrat Count Ritter Hermann von Epenstein, half-Jew, with whom the Goerings had an old friendship, became her guardian and lover. He became the godfather of Herman, whose entire childhood was spent in Feldenstein, von Epestein's family castle.
The young Goering received an excellent military education, graduating from the academy in Karlsruhe and the prestigious Gross Lichtenfeld Cadet Corps in Berlin. In 1912, having received the rank of lieutenant, he was sent to the 112th Infantry Regiment, Prince Wilhelm, stationed in Mühlheizen. Since this city was located on the border with France, in 1914 Hermann Goering took part in the hostilities from the very first days of the war.
But soon he became bored with the infantry, and, following his friend and fellow soldier, Lieutenant Bruno Lerzer, he moved to the 25th Air Squadron as an air observer. Together with Lerzer, he photographed the forts of Verdun from the air, and also corrected the fire of German artillery. In the spring of 1915, friends received from the hands of the Crown Prince on the Iron Cross of the 1st degree. This event marked the beginning of a brilliant military career. Hermann Goering.
He became the first German pilot to install a machine gun on his plane - before that, pilots fired at enemy positions with a pistol or dropped primitive bombs. Acquaintance with Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm proved to be very useful for Goering. In October 1915, he was promoted to gunner pilot, but soon his plane was shot down, and Goering had to spend several months in the hospital, healing his wounds: fellow soldiers counted 60 bullet holes in the burnt fuselage of his car. At the beginning of 1916, he was discharged and transferred to the 26th air squadron, of which Lerzer was appointed commander. Within a year, Lieutenant Goering became a famous pilot on the entire front. Now his chest was decorated with the Order of the Zerin Lion with swords, the Order of Karl-Friedrich and the Hohenzollern medal with swords of the 3rd degree. In May 1917, the command appointed him commander of the 27th air squadron and began to use him on the most difficult and dangerous sectors of the front. Lieutenant Hermann Goering reached the peak of his fame on July 14, 1918, when, after the death of the Red Baron, he took over as commander of the famous Richthofen air regiment. He shot down 22 enemy aircraft, for which he received the Order of Poir le Merite from the hands of the Kaiser and was declared a war criminal by the allies. On November 19, 1918, eight days after the signing of the armistice, Goering lined up his regiment and delivered a provocative speech: “Now begins a new round of struggle for freedom, part, dignity and homeland. We've gone long and hard way that illuminated the light of truth and justice. We should be proud of what we have done. We must remember this. Our time will soon come.”(1)
Demobilized at the end of 1918 with the rank of captain, Heinrich Goering was forced to look for a job. He spent the first few months after the armistice in Munich, and at the very beginning of 1919 he arrived in Berlin. As a well-deserved veteran and famous aviator, he was offered a position in the new army, but Goering ended up serving in the reysver because of his hatred for the republican regime, which, in his opinion, had betrayed the national interests of the country. Since the allies urgently demanded his extradition as a war criminal, he ran off to Germany and began to take part in demonstration flights in Denmark and Sweden. Using his fame as commander of the Richthofen regiment, he earned good money by performing aerobatics in front of an astonished audience.
In 1922 Goering entered the University of Munich. There he met with his fellow soldier Rudolf Hess, who also changed his military uniform to a student's cap. Hess brought Goering to Adolf Hitler, who made a huge impression on Goering. He firmly decided to connect his life with National Socialism. For the NSDAP itself, Goering, with his military experience and reputation as a national hero, was a gift from heaven. Already in March 1923, he headed the SA, which had to be well organized and disciplined. In a few months, with the assistance of Reichswehr Major Ernst Röhm, he managed to make a real army out of semi-bandit stormtrooper formations. Remus contributed to the secret armament of the assault squads, hoping sooner or later to take control of them in his own hands. Soon between Rem and Goering, whose arrival confused the major all the cards, a hidden enmity arose. Goering, in turn, sensed in Rem a dangerous rival.
On the eve of the "beer putsch", when it became clear to the Nazis that the Reichswehr and the Bavarian government would refuse to participate in the coup, Goering, on behalf of Hitler, personally met with the commander of the Bavarian military district, General von Lossow, and unsuccessfully tried to persuade him to return to the camp of the conspirators. On November 9, 1923, Hermann Goering was walking in the front ranks of the putschists when the police opened fire on them. Two bullets hit him in the thigh and Goering collapsed onto the pavement. Dirt got into the wound and caused inflammation. To alleviate the suffering of the patient, he was injected with morphine in unlimited quantities. As a result, Goering turned into a drug addict, in addition, due to the consequences of the injury, he quickly began to gain weight. Using forged documents, he left Germany for Austria, from where, after completing his treatment, he moved to Italy. While in Rome, Hermann Goering received an audience with Benito Mussolini and told the Duce in detail about Hitler and the Munich Putsch. After learning first hand the history of the Nazi movement, Mussolini expressed a desire to meet with the Fuhrer when he was released from prison. Then Goering continued his wanderings around Europe until he reached Sweden, where he settled in Stockholm with relatives of his wife Karin. By this time, the drugs had so distorted his personality that on September 1, 1925, by decision of the Swedish police, he was forcibly placed in a psychiatric hospital. This happened after Goering, who fell into a rage, attacked a nurse who was giving him an injection of morphine.
In exile, Goering came to the same conclusions as Hitler did in the Langsberg prison: unlike in Russia, a revolution "from below" in Germany is impossible, so power must be taken by legal methods. Subsequently, this will lead him to a final break with Rem, who will remain a supporter of barricades, street fights and social upheavals. Returning to Germany after an amnesty in 1927, Goering was elected to the Reichstag among 12 other candidates from the National Socialist Party. Namely, he brought Hitler out of hibernation, into which the Fuhrer fell during the period of economic stabilization, and literally forced him to lead the party to the parliamentary elections. Hermann Guerin settled in Berlin and became the Fuhrer's representative in the capital, which fell under the influence of the Nazi left from among the supporters of Strasser. He also made acquaintances with big businessmen, and Lufthansa even began to pay him something like an allowance.
Guerin fully shared Hitler's concept of a legal coming to power, but did not consider it necessary to hide the true intentions of the NSDAP. When in March 1930 the law "On the Defense of the Republic" was repealed, he stated quite frankly: "We are fighting against this state and the present system, i.e. we want to destroy it without a trace - but in a legal way. While there was no law "On the Protection of the Republic", we said that we hate this state. Since this law exists, we say that we love this state. However, everyone understands perfectly well what we mean.”(2)
Representing the Fuhrer in Berlin, Hermann Goering had to play a rather complex role. His task was to win over to the side of the movement all completely polar political forces: workers and big capital. This required not only considerable diplomatic skill, but also a fair amount of cynicism - Göring possessed both in equal measure. So, on October 14, 1930, together with G. Strasser and Goebbels, he demanded the gratuitous confiscation of the property of banks and stock magnates in favor of the German people and the nationalization of all major banks, including the Reichsbank, and two weeks later, in a warm friendly atmosphere, he had a conversation with the President of the Reichsbank Schacht and produced the best impression on him. In general, it should be noted that until 1933 Goering's main field of activity was to establish contacts with the leaders of German heavy industry, especially with the IG Farbenindustri concern and Thyssen. Namely, he brought the Fuhrer together with representatives of big business, and Hitler believed that in his environment there was no person more competent in these matters than Goering. (3)
In 1932, after the victory of the NSDAP in the elections, he became chairman of the Reichstag. Goering played an important role in the rise of the Nazis to power. Using his post, he rendered Hitler invaluable services. Adolf did not forget his faithful companion - subsequently Hermann Goering became the chief deputy of the Fuhrer for the party and a minister without a portfolio. In addition, he simultaneously held 16 positions, up to the chief forester and the country's chief Jägermeister.
On January 30, 1933, with Hitler only a few hours in power, Göring spoke on the radio. Addressing the German people, he declared that now a new page in the history of Germany is opening, when freedom and honor will become the basis of statehood. Very little time will pass, and many Germans will be able to appreciate the true meaning of the words freedom and honor in the Third Reich, dying in the dungeons of the Gestapo, concentration camps, in the sands of the Sahara and Belarusian swamps. On April 26, 1933, Hermann Goering, Minister of the Interior of the Land Government of Prussia, signed a decree on the creation of the Gestapo, the secret police of the Third Reich.
The first chief of the Gestapo was the head of the political department of the Prussian criminal police, Rudolf Diels, with whom Goering became quite close during 1932. Immediately after the Nazis came to power, the Prussian police, under the command of Diels and Goering, began punitive operations against obvious and potential opponents of the regime. In February 1933, Hermann Goering wrote in Kripo's instructions: “Each bullet fired from the muzzle of a policeman's pistol is my bullet; if someone calls it murder, then I killed it. It was I who gave all these orders, and I insist on them. I take all the responsibility and am not afraid of it.”(4)
Goering successfully carried out an operation to set fire to the Reichstag, but suffered a complete fiasco at the trial in Leipzig. Georgy Dimitrov from the dock openly mocked the Minister of the Interior of Prussia, arranging a real interrogation for him right in the courtroom. During the meeting, Hermann Goering lost control of himself and, in the presence of the judges, burst into a stream of square abuse. In response to Goering's insanely divided cries, Dimitrov uttered a phrase that went down in the annals of history: “Aren't you afraid, Mr. Minister. You must be scared?"
Having acquired such a powerful weapon as the Gestapo, Hermann Goering, in alliance with SS chief Himmler, began preparing to destroy his most dangerous enemy and rival, Rem. Ernst Röhm claimed the post of Minister of War, intending to replace the regular army with his attack aircraft. By that time, the assault detachments, numbering four and a half million people, had become a serious political force, which was more and more out of Hitler's control. Preaching the need to continue the National Socialist revolution, turning it into a social upheaval on the Russian model, the SA detachments began to pose a certain danger to the leadership of the NSDAP. This danger was eliminated on June 30, 1934, when the SS and the Gestapo, with the tacit consent of the army, dealt with Rem and his associates. Defense Minister Blomberg, who in 4 years will himself become another victim of Goering, welcomed Hitler's actions to eliminate the "conspiracy" in the SA. The support of the generals, coupled with the constant pressure of the Gestapo, made the Fuhrer the absolute master of Germany. By helping to eliminate Rem, the military hoped, along with the party, to become the main pillar of the Third Reich. They hoped to gain political control, tame Hitler and keep the NSDAP in check. Their mistake was that the generals did not take into account Himmler and Goering, naively believing that they were working for the military. However, the real winners turned out to be this so far inseparable pair of executioners, each of whom had already begun to sharpen an ax on a partner. Subsequently, Himmler would be able to almost completely push Heinrich Goering away from the Fuhrer, turning the SS into the only support of the regime. But so far this was still a long way off. On December 7, 1933, Hitler signed two secret decrees, according to which Hermann Göring was appointed Deputy Fuhrer and his successor.
A few words should be said about Goering's character. He was distinguished by cruelty and deceit, cunning and ability to maneuver, diplomatic abilities in the absence of any moral restrictions. There were, as it were, two Goerings: one, a good-natured fat man, constantly changing his uniforms hung with awards and collecting works of art, fond of hunting and mountaineering, was intended for the general public, but woe was to the one who got in the way of the second Goering, a cruel and shameless predator, ready destroy any enemy. Heinrich Goering was well versed in people and knew how to find for himself those who dragged a load of concrete work for him, while he outlined only a general line and demanded results. Hitler admired the mental stability and phlegmatic composure of his colleague and believed that it was impossible to find a better adviser. In the most difficult situations, Goering did not lose his sanity and remained cold as ice.
After the NSDAP came to power, Goering continued to deal with economic issues. Already on February 13, 1933, he organized a meeting of the newly-made Reich Chancellor with the leaders of German heavy industry. A week later, Hitler, Goering and Funk and Schacht met secretly at the Belevue Palace, the residence of the Reich President, with 25 of Germany's most influential industrialists. After a lengthy conversation, Krupp thanked the Reich Chancellor “for having so clearly and clearly set out to us the course of his thoughts. In doing so, I want to emphasize that there is no need to discuss the details, but I want to highlight three points that everyone here will agree on:
1. The time has come in Germany to finally bring clarity to all internal political issues.
2. It is necessary that Hitler represent the general interests of the German people, and not representatives of individual professions or classes.
3. According to our firm conviction, only in a politically strong and independent state can the economy and handicrafts develop well.”(5)
When on June 26, 1933, Hugenberg resigned as Minister of Economics, Hermann Göring ensured that Kurt Schmitt, Director General of the Allianz Versicherungs-AG concern, became the new Minister. According to some reports, a few days before his appointment, Schmitt transferred 100,000 Reichsmarks to Goering's account. (6)
Remembering Goering's military past, almost immediately after coming to power, Hitler appointed him commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe. Officially, the air force appeared in Germany only on May 9, 1935, but work on their revival has been carried out since the mid-1920s, not without the help of Soviet Russia. On April 15, 1925, a secret Soviet-German agreement was signed in Moscow, according to which a secret aviation school was established in Lipetsk. Until August 1933, German military aircraft were tested at this airbase and more than a dozen future Luftwaffe aces were trained. Despite being a member of the older generation of aviators, Goering was able to form a clear picture of the future of modern aviation. In his opinion, the Luftwaffe should have been able to carry out any tasks of modern warfare. Goering decided that all operational aviation should be under the leadership of the OKL commander only, which would ensure its unity of action both in defense and in the offensive. He considered his main task to be the creation of a strong bomber fleet that could deliver powerful blows to the enemy. At the same time, he pushed the problem of providing the land army and navy with modern aviation into the background. However, Goering did not have time to personally organize the Air Force. He passed this job onto the shoulders of the Reich Secretary for Aviation, Erhard Milch, the former chief executive of Lufthansa.
The revival of the air force was closely connected with the creation of a powerful military-industrial potential of Germany. The main problem The problem that stood in this way was the lack of own capacities for the extraction and synthetic production of strategic raw materials, which had to be imported from abroad. In the conditions of the proposed war, this state of affairs was deadly, since the Reich found itself tightly tied to suppliers of strategic materials. Wanting to single-handedly lead the rearmament of the army, Goering obtained from Hitler the post of Deputy Fuhrer for Economic Affairs and the creation of the Armaments Directorate (Heerenwaffenamt - HWaA), which was supposed to concentrate all the levers of control of military production in his hands. But Hitler did not give Goering the appropriate powers, as a result of which he became a "paper" economic dictator. Moreover, not wanting to unnecessarily strengthen his old party comrade, in the summer of 1934 the Fuhrer removed the ill Schmitt and appointed Hjalmar Schacht, who by that time had become Goering's sworn enemy, as the new Reich Minister of Economics. In addition, Hitler disbanded the Prussian Ministry of Economics, transferring its staff to the Reich Ministry under the command of Schacht, who began to develop a plan economic development Germany. Unlike Goering, Schacht believed that it was impossible to achieve complete autarky of the German economy. At the same time, Wilhelm Keppler, a protege of Hermann Goering, drew up his own plan, in which he proved the opposite. Ultimately, the symbiosis of both concepts became the basis for the four-year plan for the economic development of Germany. However, the contradictions between Goering and Schacht were by no means limited to opposing autarky and integration into the world economy - they simply both wanted to lead the German economy alone. (7)
On May 21, 1935, Hitler signed the "Law for the Defense of the Empire", according to which Hjalmar Schacht became Plenipotentiary General for the war economy and received emergency powers to manage the war economy. After that, Goering began a real cold war against Shatkh, in which the powers of two statesmen constantly collided with a crash and sparks. The result of this "undercover" struggle was the Fuhrer's secret decree of April 4, 1936, according to which Goering became Inspector General of the German oil processing industry, i.e. he was in charge of all issues related to the production of fuels and lubricants, including synthetic gasoline. Wanting to strengthen his position and shame Mine, two weeks later Goering arbitrarily published the text of this secret decree, so that the whole country would know about his new position. In response to this, Hitler, who was about to give him the rank of field marshal of the Luftwaffe, decided that for the time being Goering would have enough of the epaulettes of a colonel general. However, a few days later the Fuhrer's anger subsided, and Hermann Goering was able to achieve the creation of the Headquarters for the provision of raw materials and foreign exchange reserves (Rohstoff - und Devisenstab), which he headed. Shakht gradually gave up one position after another. So, despite the active resistance of the Reich Minister of Economics, Goering was able to convince Hitler to conclude a new trade agreement with the Soviet Union at the end of April 1936.
The main goal of Goering's economic policy was to rearm the army as quickly as possible, which resulted in a four-year plan for the development of the national economy ("Vierjahresplan"), adopted at the next congress of the Nazi Party on September 9, 1936. This plan cemented the victory of the concept of autarky over the concept of exporting essential strategic raw materials advocated by Schacht. However, in reality, the achievement of complete autarky of the German economy was unrealistic, since Germany did not have its own oil, bauxite, and many other deposits necessary to support the fighting army.
Hermann Goering was appointed General Plenipotentiary for the implementation of the four-year plan. This was his final victory over Hjalmar Schacht. In July 1937, the famous Hermann-Göring Werke concern was created, which in a short time became the largest concern in the world. On September 4, 1938, Hitler signed the new Imperial Defense Law. According to this law, the Imperial Defense Council was created in the Reich, the chairman of which was the Fuhrer himself, and Hermann Göring as his permanent deputy. In the same year, Goering tried to become Minister of War. With the help of Heydrich and Himmler, he "dumped" Blomberg and Fritsch, but the post of Minister of War was abolished by the Fuhrer, and Goering had to be content with the rank of Field Marshal, which he was awarded in violation of all German military rules, regulations and traditions.
In 1933, at the General Staff of the Luftwaffe, the future Air Force was conceived as a means of protection against surprise attacks from outside, while Hitler, step by step, got rid of the chains of the Treaty of Versailles. But the dispatch of the Condor Legion to Spain in 1936 changed those plans. The first baptism of fire of the Luftwaffe was successful. In addition, from experience civil war in Spain, the Luftwaffe command made a very important conclusion that determined the further development of the German Air Force - those who are going to attack do not need strategic bombers. Since that time, German industry has been reoriented towards the creation of tactical aviation.