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Herman Göring Goering was the son of a senior army officer. He himself joined the army (1913). When war broke out the next year, Göring was serving in the infantry. After a few months active duty, he was hospitalized, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis of the knees. When released from the hospital he joined the German Army Air Service. His first dury was as an air observer, but he became a fighter pilot, shooting down his first Allied airplane November 16, 1915). When Manfred von Richthofen, the legendary Red Baron, was shot down Göring was appointed to lead the JG 1 squadron--the famed Flying Circus. Göring By the end of the war chalked up 22 victories and was awarded both the Iron Cross and the Pour le Merite (the highly coveted Blue Max) for bravery. Service as fighter pilots was the most dangerous assignment of the war. Most pilots were killed within a few weeks. To fly for 3 years meant that Göring was both very good and very lucky. He received considerable publicity and thus was well known in Germany after the War. He worked for a while in Holand as a pilot for the Fokker company. While in Holand he became acquainted with and married his wife--Baroness Karen von Fock-Kantzow.
Göring returned to Germany (1923) and after attending a NAZI Party rally, became very impressed with Adolf Hitler. He soon became one og Hilter;s cloesest supporters. He was instrumental in Hitler's seizure of power (1933) and in the Night of the Long Knives (1934) which eliminated any threat to Hitler's ;eadership within the NAZI Party. Because of their close assciation and Göring's background as a World War I pilot, Hitler gave him the task of building the new German air force (1935). He was spectacularly successful and the new Lufwaffe played a prominent role in early NAZI successes, most prominetly at Munich (1938). Göring basked in the glory. Hitler made him his deputy and legal heir. Göring became richthrough various activities, including investments in aircraft companies. The Luftwaffe when war broke out (1939) played key roles in the initial NAZI victories: Poland (1939), Norway (1940), and France (1940). His pledge to destroy the British at Dunkirk was his first major failure. This was followed by the Luftwaffee's defeat in the Nattle of Britain (1940). This seriously affected his relationship with Hitler. The Luftwaffe performed brilisntly in the opening phase of Barbarossa (1941), but the Eastern Front was too large to exert the decisive impact that it played in the West. Attempting to regain his lost influence, Göring pledged to supply the Stalingrad pocket without any consulation with his staff (1942). Hitler used this to refuse pleas from Wehrmacht geneals to order a breakout. The Luftwaffe airlift proved a disaster and ednded any creditibility and influence Göring had with Hitler. The expanding Allied stategic bombing campaign even widenened the breach.
Herman Göring was the son of a senior army officer. The Reichmarshal's mother was kept by a half Jewish Austrian nobleman, perhaps even his father.
Hermann W. Goering was born in Rosenheim, Bavaria (1893). Herman was apparently a cheerfully, unruly boy. which seems consistent with adult personality.
He was sent to a military boarding school at the age of 11 where he was punished for choosing his half Jewish godfather as a great German. His school mates found out about it and paraded him around the school with a placard hung around his neck, "Mein Pate ist ein Jude" ("My Godfather is a Jew."). The humiliated Hermann ran off home. Heydrich who organized the Holocaus had a similar experience.
He himself joined the army (1913). When war broke out the next year, Göring was serving in the infantry. After a few months active duty, he was hospitalized, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis of the knees. When released from the hospital he joined the German Army Air Service. His first dury was as an air observer, but he became a fighter pilot, shooting down his first Allied airplane November 16, 1915). When Manfred von Richthofen, the legendary Red Baron, was shot down Göring was appointed to lead the JG 1 squadron--the famed Flying Circus. Göring By the end of the war chalked up 22 victories and was awarded both the Iron Cross and the Pour le Merite (the highly coveted Blue Max) for bravery. Service as fighter pilots was the most dangerous assignment of the war. Most pilots were killed within a few weeks. To fly for 3 years meant that Göring was both very good and very lucky. He received considerable publicity and thus was well known in Germany after the War.
After the war he was employed as an aviation agent. He worked for a while in Holand as a pilot for the Fokker company.
While in Holand he became acquainted with and married his wife--Baroness Karen von Fock-Kantzow.
His wife died (1931). He later married actress Emmy Sonnemann.
Göring returned to Germany (1923) and after attending a NAZI Party rally, became very impressed with Adolf Hitler. He soon became one of Hilter's cloesest supporters within the NAZI Party. Göring proved useful to Hitler because of his prominance and social contacts.
Because of his close association with Hitler, Göring emerged as one of the most important NAZI leaders around Hitler. Goering was appointed for a time to command the Storm Troopers SA). He proved to be a liaison with business and military circles. He was elected to the Reichstag as a NAZI delegatev (1928).
Klintzsch gave up command of the Sturmabteilungen (May 11, 1923) and returned to the Freikorps Brigade Ehrhardt. Hitler replaced him with Hauptmann Hermann Göring. It was Göring that shaped the SA into the organization that most people are familiar with. He organised the SA along military lines. He set up standarten, sturmbannen and hundertschaften, standard German Army unit organizations. He also form specialized units. He set up the Vehrkehrsabteilung in Munich, composed of men who either had motor vehicles (cars, trucks, or motorcycles), access to them, or knowlege of mechanics. This would later become the NSKK. Göring also formed an elite SA guard--the Stabswache. It subsequently later merged with the Stosstrupp Hitler ehich would eventually evolve into the SS. Hitler was very impressed with Göring's work. He would later say that Göring "was the only one of its heads who ran the SA properly". His control over the SA was, however, very brief.
He was instrumental in Hitler's seizure of power. The NAZIs became the largest party in Germany. Göring was elected president of the Reichstag (1932).
Göring played a key role in establishing the NAZI police state.
Hindenberg appointed Hitler Chancellor (1933). Göring became ir Minister and Prussian Prime Minister. He founded the Gestapo (1933) which he headed until turning it over the Himmler (1936).
He played a major role alog with Heydrich and Himmler in the Night of the Long Knives (1934) which eliminated any threat to Hitler's leadership within the NAZI Party.
Because of their close assciation and Göring's background as a World War I pilot, Hitler gave him the task of building the new German air force (1935). He was spectacularly successful and the new Lufwaffe played a prominent role in early NAZI successes, most prominetly at Munich (1938). Göring basked in the glory. Hitler made him his deputy and legal heir.
Hitler gave him the assignment of overseeing the economy (1937) which he held until Speer assumed control of the economy durng the War (1943).
Göring became richthrough various activities, including investments in aircraft companies to hich the Luftwaffe awarded contracts. He ammassed a huge colection of art, largely acquired by threatening Jews or after the War began, looting art collections in occupied countries..
Göring rose to be the second most important NAZI. He plsyrdca major role in the NAZI rise to power and establishment of a NAZI dictatorship through establishing a police state. His role in building the Luftwaffe gave Hitler the ability to seize Austria (1938), the Sudetenland (1938), and Czechoslovakia (1939) and played a major role in the successes in Poland and France. Hitler named Göering his official successor and was rewarded with the new title of "Reichsmarschall (1939).
The Luftwaffe when war broke out (1939) played key roles in the initial NAZI victories: Poland (1939), Norway (1940), and France (1940). His pledge to destroy the British at Dunkirk was his first major failure. This was followed by the Luftwaffee's defeat in the Battle of Britain (1940). This seriously affected his relationship with Hitler. As his influence waned, he bagan to focus more on personal pleasures (looting art, eating, wine, and hunting) and resorted to drugs. The Luftwaffe performed briliantly in the opening phase of Barbarossa (1941), but the Eastern Front was too large to exert the decisive impact that it played in the West. Attempting to regain his lost influence, Göring pledged to supply the Stalingrad pocket without any consulation with his staff (1942). Hitler used this to refuse pleas from Wehrmacht geneals to order a breakout. The Luftwaffe airlift proved a disaster and ednded any creditibility and influence Göring had with Hitler. The expanding Allied stategic bombing campaign even widenened the breach. Göring tried to succeed Hitler after the Soviets surrounded Berlin (April 1945)
Göring was tried at the International Military Tribunals at the Nuremberg. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Not wanting to ne hanged which he saw as a criminal execution, he committed suicide (1946).
Leffland, Ella. The Knight, Death, and the Devil Morrow (1989/90).
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