Hermann Göring’s telegram triggered the rage of Adolf Hitler. Although Göring’s presence during the film was very short, Hitler constantly shouts the name Göring out as Hermann Göring starts a consecutive streak of ‘betrayals’ by Adolf Hitler’s most loyalists. Hermann Göring was one of the most powerful figures during the Nazi regime of Germany along with other such as Albert Speer, Heinrich Himmler, and Joseph Goebbels. Who was this ‘scowl pig’ and why did Adolf Hitler felt so betrayed that Hitler had to screech of misery towards the miserable downfall of Nazi Germany?
Hermann Göring was the Reichsmarschall (grand marshal) of the German Luftwaffe (air force) in 1940, the most highest-ranking officer in the German air force during World War II. Herman Göring was an ace-fighter pilot during World War I. He initially joined the army, however transferred as an aviator officer. He commanded the unit of the Red Baron, Manfred Von Richthofen, after Richthofen’s death and the death of Manfred Von Richthofen’s successor, Wilhelm Reinhard.
However, his political significance stands out from his military career. Adolf Hitler even personally appointed Göring as the next Führer if emergency measures happen to Hitler in 1939.
After World War I, Herman Göring spent some time as a civil aviator out of Germany. After his return to Germany, Hermann Göring joins the Nazi Party and he was given command of a unit of the SA(Sturmabteilung, the storm troopers which was the dominant paramilitary force of the early years of the Nazi party) . During the Beer Hall Putsch, where Hitler and the Nazi party tried to overthrow the Bavaria government, Göring was severely injured and had to escape to Austria as the riot failed. Hermann Göring was infamous for his life-long drug addiction, and some suppose that Göring developed his drug addiction due to this injury.
Göring returns to Germany in 1927 and he took the early seats in the Reich stag that the Nazi party won by election.[1] As the Nazi party grew, in 1932, Göring is voted president of the Reichstag. With his position, he starts to solidify the Nazi’s political status and help to build the regime of Hitler up. While Göring is voted president of the Reichstag, he also became the minister of interior of Prussia, the most influential state in policing and military in Germany.
Hermann Göring establishes the ‘Gestapo’(Geheime Staatspolizei, the secret state police) the secret police of Nazi Germany as he became the minister of interior of Prussia. The Gestapo eventually is absorbed to the SS(Schutzstaffel) as all policing agencies were centralized. As there were internally competition between the Nazi official themselves, Göring was disappointed that the Gestapo was absorbed to the SS, which was under the control of Henrich Himmler.
Given the political status and power, Hermann Göring uses these opportunities to suppress opposing political parties to ease Nazi party’s road to seize power of Germany. Hermann Göring’s politicial abilities played a crucial role in paving the road to the parliament of the Enabling Act, which grants Hitler full power and solidify the Nazi party’s position as the only legitimate party in Germany.[2]
During the ‘Knight of Long Knives’, Hermann Göring also personally went over the list of the purge to sort out the necessary murders required for Adolf Hitler with Heinrich Himmler.
Göring was also responsible for the crimes the Nazi party committed against humanity and the Holocaust. In 1939, Göring opened the head office of the Central Office for Jewish Emigration in Berlin along with Reinhard Heydrich, another infamous Nazi figure notorious for policing and actions involved with the SD and the SS. [3] In 1941, Göring documented the order to orchestrate the ‘Final Solution’ to the ‘Jewish Question’.
Although this was ordered by Adolf Hitler, the memo sent to Reinhard Heydrich was documented with Göring’s signature. Upon receiving these orders, Reinahrd Heydrich takes lead in the Wannsee Conference, which held discussions of genocide as an official governmental policy which led to the organized mass murders of Jewish people under governmental control. [4]
Hermann Göring did, however contribute to the establishment of the German air force from scratch, as Germany was restricted from any kind of military aviation due to the Treaty of Versailles. However his arrogant manner hindered many operations of the German air force during World WarⅡ(air force is literally translated in German Luftwaffe but it seems to have become a proper noun).
Göring’s assurance to Hitler that the Luftwaffe could win the aerial battles against the Royal Airforce of Great Britain during the Battle of Britain and that the Luftwaffe could air supply the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad had waisted valuable assets of the Luftwaffe.
Also, armored divisions were created within the Luftwaffe, just for the greed of Göring which waisted valuable armored assets from being transferred to Army or Waffen SS units that would require such equipment’s that the air force wouldn’t necessarily require.
Herman Göring did contribute to support Hitler’s regime, in terms of industrialization as well. He was once appointed minister of economy and had several links with industrial figures. he installed the Reichswerke Hermann Göring industrial complex which becomes the mighty steel company Salzgitter AG in current days.[5]
As the downfall of the Third Reich came, Hermann Göring tried to assume Hitler’s power by the declaration Hitler made in 1939 which Hitler announced Göring to take over. However, Adolf Hitler considered this treason and disbanded Hermann Göring from all his positions. Hermann Göring eventually survived and sent to the International Military Tribunal of Nuremberg and sentenced death. By historic customs, it was a dishonor to be hanged to death for a military figure.
Hermann Göring insisted his execution by firing squad, but his request was declined, and he was hanged to death.[6] Hermann Göring was once an honored aerial ace and high political figure but his terrible ideologies and actions took a downfall with the Nazi regime with him becoming an infamous ‘fat’, ‘morphine addicted’ ‘arrogant pig’.
Martin Bormann was one of the powers of Nazi Germany, secretly without much exposure to the public. Originally, Martin Bormann was chief of staff of Rudolf Hess, one of the early high leaderships of the Nazi Party. Rudolf Hess helped Adolf Hitler write Mein Kampf, together in prison, although it was superficial, he was also once appointed as next in command after Göring. However, figures like Martin Bormann were able to take over Rudolf’s power.
On 1941, Rudolf Hess, who was always hasty on finishing the war with Britain, flew to Scotland alone trying to negotiate with the British Empire, which was solely Rudolf’s decision.[7] ]
On the absence of Rudolf Hess, Martin Bormann became head of the Party Chancellery in 1941 and becomes Hitler’s personal secretary officially in 1943. Already, Martin took control of promotions, human resourcing, Hitler’s personal schedules and exert his unofficial power upon important decisions within the Nazi party. Martin Bormann had access to every document sent to Hitler’s desk and even controlled the personal matters of Hitler including finance management.
The personal driver of Hitler, Erich Kempka recalled in his autobiography that Martin Bormann had his own way in manipulating with Adolf Hitler’s mind and exert his power among all the Nazi party. Even important Nazi officials like Albert Speer and Joseph Goebbels directly mentioned on how influential Martin Bormann was.[8]
Martin Bormann was also an extremist in the terms of antisemitism. Martin Bormann took lead in the horrible extermination programs and expanding the forced-labor programs.[9] He was involved in providing more jurisdiction to Adolf Eichmann, one of the key criminals regarding the Holocaust, and transfer important reference of Hitler to the public regarding the ‘Final Solution’.[10] He was also an extreme advocate on the extermination of the Slav race and even took part in the Euthanasia Program, an attempt to exterminate any individual with mental or physical disabilities.
For his crime and role during the Nazi regime, Martin Bormann was sentenced to death during the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in absentia, which means in absence because Martin Bormann was able to successfully escape from Berlin.[11] Nobody had a clue on where he fled. His remains were found in 1972 and confirmed by genetic testing in 1998. However, as there weren’t any witnesses or records of his death, many believe in conspiracy theories of Martin Bormann’s death. Some claim that zealous Nazi supporting organizations supported his escape to Southern America.
[1] “Hermann Göring.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 20 Apr. 2021, https://www.biography.com/political-figure/hermann-goring.
[2] “Hermann Göring.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hermann-Goring.
[3] “Preparations for the Final Solution Begin.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 5 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/this-day- -history/goering-orders-heydrich-to-prepare-for-the-final-solution.
[4] United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/final-solution-overview.
[5] “Reichswerke Hermann Göring.” DBpedia, https://dbpedia.org/page/Reichswerke_Hermann_G%C3%B6ring.
[6] United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/hermann-goering.
[7] “Rudolf Hess.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudolf-Hess.
[8] (john@spartacus-educational.com), John Simkin. Spartacus Educational, Spartacus Educational, https://spartacus-educational.com/GERbormann.htm.
[9] “Martin Bormann.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Bormann.
[10] Martin Bormann, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/martin-bormann.
[11] United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-bormann.
