Gæring

Hermann Wilhelm Göring (29 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German political and military leader in Nazi Germany. A celebrated World War I flying ace and recipient of the Pour le Mérite, he joined the Nazi Party in 1920 and quickly rose to prominence as a close ally of Adolf Hitler.

After the Nazis rose to power in 1933, Göring helped consolidate control by establishing the Gestapo in Prussia and taking key roles in the regime. He headed the Luftwaffe, the German air force, and in 1936 was placed in charge of the Four Year Plan, directing economic and military mobilization for war. He was named Reichsmarschall, the highest rank in the German military, in 1940.

During World War II, Göring was a central figure in the regime’s expansion and its war economy, directing air operations and the exploitation of occupied territories. He also played a major role in policies that led to the persecution and murder of Jews and other groups as part of the Holocaust.

After Hitler’s downfall, Göring was captured by Allied forces, tried at the Nuremberg Trials, and convicted of crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. He died by suicide in prison in 1946 before an execution could be carried out.

Göring remains a controversial figure associated with the militarization, imperialist ambitions, and murderous policies of the Nazi regime.