Hermann Wilhelm Göring

source of text

Hermann Göring
(January 12, 1893 - October 15, 1946)

Early Life to Beginning of WWI
Born January 12, 1893 in Rosenheim, Upper Bavaria 
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (named after family friend) 
Fourth of five children 
Parents were Heinrich Ernst (d. 1913) and Franziska (Fanny) (d. 
August 1923) Göring 
Only a couple of months old, mother weaned him and left him for 
three years with a surrogate family 
1904 sent to boarding school at Ansbach, Franconia 
Attended the cadet institutes at Karlsruhe and then to the military 
college at Lichterfelde 
Given a commission in the Prinz Wilhelm Regiment No. 112 
World War I
Participated in infantry when World War I began 
Became ill with rheumatic fever 
October 1914 became flying observer 
Received Iron Cross, First Class 
June 1915 began course to become a pilot 
October 1915 posted to Jagdstaffel 5 
Hit by bullet in thigh 
Summer 1916 sent home on convalescent leave 
Formally asked Marianne Mauser's father for his approval of marriage 
- allowed to get secretly engaged 
November 3, 1916 reported back for duty; attached to Jagdstaffel 26 
Made commander of a new squadron - Jagdstaffel 27 
1917 awarded the Ordre Pour le Merite 
July 7, 1918 appointed Kommandeur of Jagdgeschwader Freiherr von 
Richthofen No. 1 (the Red Baron's squadron - the "Flying Circus") 
Disobeyed orders to disarm the squadron's planes and fly them to the 
French headquarters at Strasbourg; instead, he sent five planes to 
France and ordered the rest flown to Darmstadt, Germany and 
destroyed 
End of WWI to 1933
Worked at Fokker Aircraft Works for two years 
Became a stunt pilot and then a commercial pilot for Svenska 
Lufttraffik in Sweden 
Met Carin von Kantzow (nee von Fock) while she was married to 
Captain Nils von Kantzow (Carin also had a son, Thomas, from this 
marriage) 
1922 enrolled in the university at Munich 
Fall of 1922 heard Hitler speak 
1922 joined NSDAP 
Immediately after oath of allegiance to Hitler (December 1922), 
Hitler appointed him commander of the SA 
February 3, 1923 married Carin von Kantzow (she had finally become 
divorced from her husband) 
August 1923, mother died 
November 1923 participated in the Beer Hall Putsch, injured in groin 
and hip, fled to Austria; became addicted to the morphine that he 
was given to alleviate the pain from his injuries 
September 1925 admitted to the Langbro Asylum in Sweden (he says 
here he kicked his morphine addiction) 
1926 returned to Germany after amnesty 
1928 elected to Reichstag 
1930 reelected to Reichstag 
October 17, 1931 Carin (wife) died of tuberculosis 
1932 became President of the Reichstag 
1933 to the End
Held many posts including: Reich Minister without Portfolio, 
Prussian Minister President, Reich Commissioner for Air, and 
Prussian Minister of the Interior 
Some believe he was involved with the Reichstag Fire on February 27, 
1933 
March 1, 1935 named Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe (commander in 
chief of the Air Force) 
April 10, 1935 married Emmy Sonnemann (1893-1973) 
Appointed by Hitler as Plenipotentiary for the Implementation of the 
Four-Year Plan 
September 1, 1939 Hitler appointed him his first successor 
June 19, 1940 was made Reichsmarschall (Reich marshal) 
Began to lose favor with Hitler during the Battle of Britain because 
of the decreased effectiveness of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) 
May 9, 1945 captured by U.S. troops 
Tried at the Nuremberg Trials 
Found guilty on all four counts: conspiracy to commit crimes alleged 
in other counts, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes 
against humanity 
October 15, 1946, two hours before his scheduled execution, he 
committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule he smuggled into 
prison. 

Quotes
Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat.

---Hermann Göring (1936)


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I am what I have always been: the last Renaissance man, if I may be 
allowed to say so.


---Hermann Göring


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I joined the party because I was a revolutionary, not because of any 
ideological nonsense.


---Herman Göring

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