Goering, the Commander of the Luftwaffe during World War 2. Like Hitler, a World War I veteran (fighter pilot ace). Goering was from a well-to-do family and met Hitler through his first wife in 1922. Hitler was glad to have the World War I ace in the party, and Goering rose quickly in the Nazi party.
Goering was a fat, pompous but jolly figure who loved fancy uniforms and fine living. (He even had his own train). He often presented a garish figure wearing heavy rouge and apparently, on occasion, ladies coats.
Undoubtedly, Goering greatest crime as a leader was his role in the "final solution." On July 31, 1941, at Hitler's order, Goering sent a letter to Reinhard Heydrich ordering him to submit a plan for "a final solution". He sent the letter even though Goering had never shown any particular concern about the "Jewish problem" as had most of the other German leaders. In fact, Goering retained several high officials on his staff of questionable (Jewish?) ancestry. Also, Goring's wife, Emmy, was active in helping Jews and Goering had to apologize to Hitler on several instances because of that. Still, he wrote the letter and millions of people subsequently perished.
Goering was loyal to Hitler until the last few days of the war when he tried and failed to take over command of the government. At Nuremberg, Goering had fully recovered his vitality after shaking off his morphine habit. He bullied the other imprisoned German Leaders to such an extent he had to be separated from them.
Two hours before he was to wear the hangman's noose, Goering committed suicide with a cyanide pill. According to references, the German people were delighted to hear that Goering had beat the system. He was still their favorite.
In summary, Goering was a German leader who blindly followed Hitler and helped advance Hitler's brutish agenda but it should be noted, in his defense, that he had many human qualities that some of the other German leaders were sometimes lacking in.
Goring obviously cared for and was faithful to both his wives, Carin and Emmy.
During the "Night of the Long Knives," he was the German leader that finally prevailed on Hitler to stop the slaughter when it became obvious that the killings had gotten out of hand as each top German leader was busily eliminating anyone they didn't like. (Of course, it should be noted that this was after the individuals that Goering personally had targeted had been eliminated!)
It has been said that, of all the leaders of Nazi Germany, Goering was the only one with the stature to have had a chance to control Hitler and prevent World War 2. Goering had great physical courage. Too bad he didn't have the moral courage to have, at least, tried to control Hitler! Tens of millions might not have had to die in World War 2.
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Updated 07/14/17