Goering

by Roger Manvell

  10 Documents on British Foreign Policy, Second Series, IV, p. 431.

  11 Information given to H.F. by Bertus Smith of The Hague.

  12 The first of these two contradictory statements by Diels can be found in Shirer, op. cit., p. 193, the second in Papen’s Memoirs, p. 271.

  13 Martha Dodd’s interesting if melodramatic account of the behavior of both Diels and Goering during the trial can be found in her book Through Embassy Eyes, pp. 58—62. In spite of Goering’s threats, Dimitroff managed to leave Germany after the trial. When Ambassador Dodd published his diary in 1941, he claimed that Diels (who was already hostile to Goering and in danger because of certain knowledge he possessed about the Reichstag fire) appealed to an unnamed American journalist to do what he could to save Dimitroff from assassination. The story was then carefully leaked to the foreign press and thus elicited a denial from Goebbels, who admitted that Goering, who was away at the time, had spoken indiscreetly. When Hanfstaengl’s book appeared in 1957, he recalled that Martha Dodd told him what her father had learned and that, together with Louis Lochner, he arranged for Goering’s press officer, Sommerfeldt, to lunch with a new and inexperienced representative of Reuter’s agency who could brashly blurt out the rumor he had heard and ask for a statement on Goering’s behalf. Sommerfeldt was then forced to vouch for Dimitroff’s right to quit Germany unmolested, which he did. Unfortunately for Hanfstaengl, Goering subsequently found out his part in this affair. Martha Dodd makes no mention of this matter in her book.

  14 A legal inquiry into the causes of the Reichstag fire was organized privately in London during the autumn of 1933 on the premises of the Law Society in Carey Street. The chairman was Lord Marley, and Sir Stafford Cripps headed a group of prominent lawyers who sifted the evidence presented by many witnesses who had recently fled from Germany; H.F. was present. The inquiry has frequently been regarded as Communist-inspired; though many prominent Communists took part, those conducting the inquiry were by no means entirely from the left. For instance, the well-known American lawyer Arthur Garfield Hays took part and subsequently attended the trial at Leipzig; he describes his experiences in his book City Lawyer (1942). Lawyers from several countries were observers at the inquiry.

  15 Quoted in Shirer, op. cit., p. 195.

  16 The text of Hitler’s telegram is given in Blood-Ryan, op. cit., p. 211; Goering’s account appears in his Germany Reborn, p. 136.

  17 Kropp gave this account to H.F.

  18 Frau Goering gave H.F. the following details of her first acquaintance and subsequent friendship with Goering: Her first meeting was casual only, during a party rally in Weimar at which a private performance of scenes from the German classics in which she appeared had been arranged. The meeting that finally led to their friendship took place some months later in 1932, also at Weimar, when they were introduced to each other by a mutual woman friend. They walked and talked about Carin, whose death was still much on Goering’s mind. By the time he was made president of the Reichstag they were living together in his flat on the Kaiserdamm, where Emmy had her own room which Goering took pride in furnishing as well as he could afford.

  19 A possible affair with Margarete von Schirach is mentioned in Blood-Ryan, op. cit., p. 262. That with Käthe Dorsch belonged to his youth, and she remained a friend of the family after the marriage of Goering and Emmy, though Goering remained strictly faithful to Emmy.

  20 For these statements see Alan Bullock’s Hitler, p. 235, and Heiden, Der Führer, p. 462.

  21 Thyssen, op. cit., pp. 68, 168.

  22 Rieckhoff in Triumph oder Bluff? (p. 37) infers that Goering forced Hindenburg’s hand in the matter of his promotion by announcing to the press in advance that he had been made a general. Milch told H.F. that this story was untrue. He was himself sent to Blomberg to discuss a number of promotions, including his own and Goering’s. He told Blomberg that Goering expected to be created a full general and certainly not a major general as Blomberg had intended, since Goering was at that time only a captain. Blomberg finally agreed and on October 19, 1933, Goering was made a general, and the promotion was backdated to October 1, 1931, in order to give him seniority. Goering was delighted.

  23 The principal source for Goering’s private habits is the information given by Robert Kropp to H.F. Details provided by the cutter, Cap, which follow, were also given in conversation with H.F.

  24 A number of the particulars that follow come from Blood-Ryan, op. cit., pp. 216—25.

  25 Hanfstaengl, op. cit., p. 212.

  26 Galland, The First and the Last, p. 17.

  27 See Documents on British Foreign Policy, Second Series, VI, pp. 749—51.

  28 Details of this ceremony of interment were given H.F. by Bodenschatz, who played a prominent part in bringing the body to Carinhall. Bodenschatz also examined Himmler’s car; there were holes in the windshield, but they could just as likely have been made by flying stones as by bullets.

  CHAPTER 5

  Special sources for this and the next chapter, in both of which Goering’s life is closely bound to the history of the regime as a whole, include Papen, Bodenschatz and Schacht; of considerable interest and importance arc the published memoirs of ambassadors, ministers and diplomats, such as Nevile Henderson, Lord Halifax, François-Poncet, Coulondre, Kirkpatrick and, to a lesser extent, Ambassador Dodd. The comments of Ciano and Hassell are useful, and we have drawn considerably on the published Documents on German Foreign Policy and the Documents on British Foreign Policy, together with the diplomatic papers published in the Polish War Book, the French Yellow Book and other collections as indicated below. Namier’s studies of diplomacy were of particular use—Diplomatic Prelude, In the Nazi Era and Europe in Decay; so also were the studies published annually up to 1938 for the Royal Institute of International Affairs, the Survey of International Affairs and the subsequent volumes, Hitler’s Europe. Elizabeth Wiskemann’s Rome-Berlin Axis is helpful on Goering’s relations with the Italians. Goering’s own evidence at Nuremberg and the account of his activities that he gave in Germany Reborn, a book written specially for publication in England in 1934, have been drawn on, and so have the published reminiscences of Paul Schmidt, Hitler’s official interpreter, who also worked for Goering. Information concerning the nature of the periodic cures for drug addiction which Goering underwent were obtained from the Kahle sanatorium in Cologne and from Robert Kropp. Dahlerus, of course, published his own recollections of his discussions with Goering in his book The Last Attempt.

  1 See I.M.T., IX, p. 79.

  2 The entire German police were united under one department in June 1936. Writing in 1937, Gritzbach, Goering’s official biographer, says (p. 42) that his “direct and intimate connection with the German police remains as direct and intimate today as it was when he placed Himmler over them.” He then speaks of the “mutual trust and comradeship” between Goering and Himmler “in the pursuit of their common task.”

  3 Papen confirmed in conversation with H.F. that Goering undoubtedly saved his life by placing him under house arrest.

  4 See Wheeler-Bennett, Nemesis of Power, p. 323.

  5 This account of the ceremony was confirmed by Milch in conversation with H.F.

  6 Goering was echoing a remark once made by Dr. Lueger, mayor of Vienna and a notorious anti-Semite. There is ample evidence that Goering helped many Jews whom he favored for one reason or another, such as the Ballins, whose story has already been told. Frau Goering assiduously brought to his attention cases she thought deserving and interceded for the men and women involved; so also did Käthe Dorsch and Gustaf Gründgens, the famous actor, who was another family friend.

  7 Kropp told H.F. about Frau Goering’s first knowledge that Goering wanted to marry her: “I was to drive her somewhere where the Chief was to join her for the weekend—I think it was Weimar. The Chief had given me a sealed envelope which I was to hand to Frau Sonnemann with strict instructions she was not to open it until we had arrived. She took the envelope, but, being
a woman, she opened it at once. I saw her beam with delight; she jumped straight out of the car before we started, rushed back into the house, where she had just left Goering, and threw her arms round him. Only later did I learn what was in the letter—just two words in the Chief’s handwriting: ‘Wir heiraten ’ [We’re getting married].”

  8 Schmidt, Hitler’s Interpreter, pp. 30, 32.

  9 See Namier, Diplomatic Prelude , pp. 220-21; the Polish War Book, pp. 25—26; Survey of International Affairs, I, pp. 205— 6. For the April mission below, see Schmidt, op. cit., pp. 27—30.

  10 See Bullock, Hitler, p. 328.

  11 See I.M.T., IV, p. 66.

  12 Schacht’s account of his battle with Goering over economic policy can be found in his memoirs, My First Seventy-six Years, Chapter 49. See also Account Settled , pp. 98—100. On the matter of Goering’s ability as a minister handling economic affairs, Winkler, one of Hitler’s principal advisers on such matters, subsequently told H.F. that Goering could assess a balance sheet by intuition. When H.F. repeated this to Schacht he merely laughed and said, “Goering as an economist was a bloody fool.” But in many respects Goering was a good executive who knew how to delegate authority.

  13 For these various meetings in Italy see Wiskemann, Rome-Berlin Axis, pp. 72—74; Schmidt, op. cit., pp. 62—64; the Ciano Papers , pp. 80—81, and Documents on German Foreign Policy, Series D, I, Nos. 199, 208.

  14 See Hibbert, Mussolini, p. 83.

  15 See Survey of International Affairs, 1937, I, pp. 325-26, 409, 471n.

  16 Ellen Wilkinson gave her own account of this episode to H.F.

  17 For the visits of Lord Londonderry to Goering see Schmidt, op. cit., p. 52, and Papen’s Memoirs , p. 399; for the visit of the Windsors, Schmidt, p. 74.

  18 See François-Poncet, Souvenirs d’une ambassade à Berlin, pp. 10, 272, and Coulondre, De Stalin a Hitler, pp. 272-77.

  19 Polish White Book, pp. 36-39.

  20 Henderson, Failure of a Mission, p. 80. The quotations that follow are from p. 84

  CHAPTER 6

  The principal sources for background have already been outlined in the introductory note to Chapter 5. Special evidence as to Goering’s income and financial resources was given us by Dr. Justus Koch, Frau Goering’s legal adviser, from whom we obtained a copy of an affidavit on the subject sworn after the war by Herr Gerch, the senior administrative officer in charge of Goering’s personal affairs from 1937 to 1945.

  1 Hassell Diaries, pp. 23-24. Milch in conversation with H.F. considered that Goering knew something at any rate of the record of Blomberg’s wife before he married her. Milch was present when Hitler was confronted with the homosexual boy who was prepared to become Fritsch’s accuser. See also Wheeler-Bennett, Nemesis of Power, Gerald Reitlinger’s SS, and Schellenberg’s Memoirs, p. 32.

  2 A complete copy of the transcriptions is held at the Wiener Library in London, and it is from this that our quotations are taken.

  3 Goering’s activities during the night of the Anschluss and the following day receive particular attention in Survey of International Affairs, 1938, II, pp. 62-64; Namier, Europe in Decay, pp. 174- 76; Wheeler-Bennett’s Munich; and Henderson’s Failure of a Mission . See also Documents on German Foreign Policy, Series D, II, pp. 157, 164, 168, 183, and Documents on British Foreign Policy, Series III, I, pp. 32, 36, 40, 44.

  4 Transcript of Goering’s telephone call to Ribbentrop held at the Wiener Library.

  5 See Documents on British Foreign Policy, Third Series, I, Nos. 152, 241, 439.

  6 For the statements made by Goering in this paragraph see I.M.T., IV, 67; Trial Documents R-140 and USA 160; Survey of International Affairs, 1938, III, pp. 43-44, 530-32; and Shirer, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, pp. 476-77.

  7 See Survey of International Affairs, 1938, II, pp. 302-3.

  8 This famous document was quoted endlessly at Nuremberg. Our transcription is taken from the copy held by the Wiener Library.

  9 Trial Document PS 710. Quoted in Reitlinger, Final Solution , p. 21.

  10 Goering’s methods of work were described to H.F. by Milch, Bodenschatz, Brauchitsch, Wohltat and Schwerin von Krosigk and supported in an interrogation of Diels that took place on October 22, 1945. Kesselring’s quotation comes from his Soldat bis zum Letzten, p. 160. Speer’s statements come from a series of interrogations conducted during August and September 1945.

  11 Bernd von Brauchitsch described this conversation to H.F.

  12 See Documents on German Foreign Policy, Series D, II, Nos. 248 and 284; Documents and Materials relating to the Eve of the Second World War (U.S.S.R. Ministry of Foreign Affairs), I, pp. 149-50.

  13 Richthofen’s request is recorded in Documents on German Foreign Policy, Series D, III, No. 695.

  14 Ibid., II, No. 816.

  15 Ibid., IV, Nos. 68, 69 and 112. Also Bullock, op. cit., p. 440, and Shirer, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, p. 433.

  16 Goering also admitted this at the time to Henderson. See British Blue Book, pp. 18-19. And see Wheeler-Bennett, Munich, p. 344.

  17 Goering, of course, carried such instruments for other purposes. Milch told H.F. about this point of detail.

  18 See Alfieri, Dictators Face to Face, p. 25.

  19 See Documents on British Foreign Policy, Series III, V, Nos. 377 and 510.

  20 See German-Polish Relations , May 28, 1939, and Documents on German Foreign Policy, Series III, V, Nos. 658-659. Also Henderson, Failure of a Mission, pp. 225-27.

  21 See Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, VI, pp. 718-31.

  22 For reference to these meetings of the Council, see I.M.T., XVIII, p. 67; for the British ambassador’s report see German-Polish Relations, p. 119, and Documents on British Foreign Policy, Series III, VII, No. 263; for reference to the Vogler report, see Louis P. Lochner, Tycoons and Tyrants, p. 58.

  23 Goering had for some time been pressing for an increase in the importation of raw materials from Russia; see Shirer, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, pp. 476-77. For Bodenschatz’s visit to the embassies, see Namier, Diplomatic Prelude, p. 189.

  24 There can be little doubt as to Goering’s sincerity in not wanting war; this attitude is not at variance with his opportunism. That war was probably inevitable at some distant date in the future he obviously accepted, but he hoped that hostilities would be postponed as long as possible for his own comfort as well as for the good of Germany. This attitude coincided with that of Hitler’s generals and led them to consider replacing Hitler by Goering when the Führer forced the war on them sooner than they wanted it.

  25 For a fuller consideration of Goering’s dealings in art see Chapter 8.

  26 The names of the seven businessmen were given at the Nuremberg trial; see I.M.T., IX, p. 230. The names as they are reproduced are misspelled in a number of instances. They should read: Charles McLaren and C. F. Spencer, who were directors of John Brown and Co.; S. W. Rawson, a Sheffield manufacturer; Sir Robert Renwick; Brian Mountain; A. Holden; and T. Mensforth, a member of a large electrical firm.

  27 Apparently Goering made his famous boast on a number of occasions. See Shirer, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, p. 517n.; Semmler, Goebbels, p. 97n. Meier is the most common of all German names.

  28 See Halifax, Fulness of Days, p. 209.

  29 See above page.

  30 See Namier, Diplomatic Prelude, p. 331. Goering seems to have been the last person Hitler informed of this cancellation. Compare the situation later when he was not consulted by Hitler over the reply sent to the British ultimatum. See also the quotation from an interrogation of Goering after the war given in Shirer, op. cit., p. 557,

  31 At Nuremberg Goering strenuously denied behaving to Hitler in this manner.

  32 See the Hassell Diaries, pp. 69-72. On the same day, August 31, Thyssen claims he sent a telegram to Goering urging him to secure a period of truce “to gain time for negotiation”; later, on September 22, he sent him a memorandum from his place of exile in France demanding, among other things, that the Ge
rman public be told that he, Thyssen, was against war. Goering, according to Thyssen, demanded that he come back and recant, in which event he would suffer no recrimination for what he had done and said. Thyssen refused. See his I Paid Hitler, pp. 33, 36, 39-43 and 45.

  33 The text Goering gave Dahlerus is fuller than that which was subsequently published. See Dahlerus, The Last Attempt, and Namier, Diplomatic Prelude, pp. 430-31-

  34 See Henderson, Failure of a Mission, pp. 275, 282. Also Namier, Diplomatic Prelude, p. 377n. It would seem that Goering gave Henderson a copy of the note withheld from him by Ribbentrop.

  CHAPTER 7

  In addition to our principal background sources, information for this chapter was gathered from Telford Taylor, March of Conquest ; Elizabeth Wiskemann, Rome-Berlin Axis; Asher Lee, The German Air Force and Blitz on Britain; Adolf Galland, The First and the Last; Constantine Fitzgibbon, The Blitz; Reitlinger, The Final Solution and SS; Walter Ansel, Hitler Confronts England; H. J. Rieckhoff, Triumph oder Bluff?; and B. H. Liddell Hart, The Other Side of the Hill. We have also drawn on the diaries of Hassell, Ciano and Semmler and the memoirs and papers of Sumner Welles, Alfieri, Paul Schmidt, Schacht, Schellenberg, Goebbels and Rommel. The I.M.T. Trial Proceedings and the associated documents published in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression are of great importance for the period of the war, and we are specially grateful for the personal help and advice we have received for this period from Galland, Milch, Schacht, Semmler, Schwerin von Krosigk, Brauchitsch and Bodenschatz.