Goering, an early member of the Nazi Party, suffered injuries during a failed Munich beer hall raid in 1923, leading to long-term dependence on painkillers.
On May 9, 1945, Hermann Goering, commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, president of the Reichstag, head of the Gestapo, prime minister of Prussia, and Hitler's designated successor, was captured by the American Seventh Army in Bavaria.
Goering, an early member of the Nazi Party, suffered injuries during a failed Munich beer hall raid in 1923, leading to long-term dependence on painkillers.
After Hitler came to power, Goering was instrumental in setting up concentration camps for political dissidents.
Known for his lavish lifestyle, he often changed uniforms and displayed his decorations, jewelry, and stolen art.
After ordering German Jews out of the economy after Kristallnacht in 1938, he began policies of confiscating Jewish property and businesses.
Goering's inability to win the Battle of Britain and stop the Allied bombing of Germany reduced his standing within the party.
His egotism and close association with Hitler further alienated him from his fellow officers. As the war progressed, he battled drug addiction and fell into depression.
When captured by American forces, Goering was found in possession of a large quantity of ammunition.
Tried at Nuremberg for crimes against humanity, he defended himself vigorously but was eventually convicted and sentenced to hang.
However, he escaped execution by committing suicide with a hidden cyanide pill before the execution of the sentence.
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