Göring Telegram The Göring Telegram was a message sent by Adolf Hitler ' s designated successor — Hermann Göring — asking for permission to assume leadership of the crumbling Third " Reich " . The telegram caused Hitler to strip his hand - picked successor of power and appoint new political successors , Joseph Goebbels and Karl Dönitz . Hermann Göring , Adolf Hitler ' s political heir . Hermann Göring had been the second most - powerful man in the Nazi Party for some time before Hitler came to power in 1933 . During the early years of the Hitler regime , Göring continued to pile on titles at will , including President of the " Reichstag " , Minister - President and acting " Reichsstatthalter " ( governor ) and Reich Minister of Aviation , and commander - in - chief of the Luftwaffe ( air force ) . On the first day of World War II , Hitler made a speech stating that Göring would succeed him " if anything should befall me . " This status was underscored in a 1940 decree naming Göring as " Reichsmarschall des Grossdeutschen Reiches " ( Reich Marshal of the Greater German Reich ) , a military rank second only to Hitler ' s rank of Supreme Commander . On 29 June 1941 , one week into Operation Barbarossa , Hitler issued a secret decree which formally named Göring his successor in the event of his death . It also stated that in the event of Hitler ' s incapacity , disappearance or abduction , Göring was to act as his deputy , with full freedom of action to act on the dictator ' s behalf . Inside the " Führerbunker " and Göring ' s ' duty ' . Following the Red Army advance on Berlin in April 1945 , Göring moved to the South while Hitler , his personal secretary Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels remained in the " Führerbunker " to lead the defense of the capital against the Soviets . Not long afterward , Hitler , who had by this time concluded Germany had lost the war , suggested that Göring would be better suited to negotiate peace terms . When the Luftwaffes chief of staff , Karl Koller — heard this from OKW operations chief Alfred Jodl , he immediately headed for the Nazi alpine resort in Berchtesgaden to deliver the news to Göring personally . If Göring was indeed to take over the negotiation of a peace settlement , Koller felt that there was no time to waste . Although Göring had been looking forward for some time to the day he would succeed Hitler , he was taken by surprise at this development . He thought that if he waited to act , he would be accused of dereliction of duty . On the other hand , he feared being accused of treason if he did try to assume power . Göring gathered Koller and Hans Lammers , the state secretary of the Reich Chancellery , and pulled his copy of Hitler ' s secret decree of 1941 from a safe . To all present , the wording was unambiguous — Göring was not only Hitler ' s designated successor , but was to act as his deputy if Hitler ever became incapacitated . All agreed that by staying in Berlin , Hitler faced certain death and had incapacitated himself from governing . Therefore , they believed , Göring had a clear duty to assume power as Hitler ' s deputy . On 23 April , Göring sent a carefully worded telegram asking Hitler to confirm that he was indeed to become the leader of Germany , in accordance with the 1941 decree . Göring added that if Hitler did not reply by 22 : 00 that night , he would assume Hitler had lost his freedom of action and would assume leadership of the Reich as Hitler ' s deputy . Hitler ’ s reaction . Upon the telegram ' s arrival by radiogram from " Obersalzberg " at 00 : 56 on 23 April 1945 , Martin Bormann , who controlled access to Hitler , seized upon it as evidence of ' treason ' and Göring ' s attempt to launch a " coup d ' etat " . While Walther Hewel ( Joachim von Ribbentrop ' s liaison and a personal friend of Hitler ' s ) attempted to justify Göring ' s action by saying the bunker ' s communications system could fail at any time and thus sever the command structure , Goebbels reinforced Bormann ' s argument by agreeing that it smelled of a coup . According to Albert Speer ' s account ( see below ) , the Göring Telegram initiated an important crisis in Hitler ' s psychological breakdown which precipitated the political disintegration of military command and control in the ultimate stage of the destruction of the Third Reich . Upon learning of other communiqués between Göring and other officers which referred to his invocation of Hitler ' s secret testament , Hitler flew into a rage . On 25 April , Hitler issued a telegram to Göring telling him that he had committed " high treason " and gave him the option of resigning all of his offices in exchange for his life . However , not long after that , Bormann ordered the SS in Berchtesgaden to arrest Göring . On 28 April Hitler discovered that Heinrich Himmler was trying to discuss surrender terms with the western Allies . He ordered Himmler ' s arrest and had Hermann Fegelein ( Himmler ' s SS representative at Hitler ' s HQ in Berlin ) shot . The last will and testament of Adolf Hitler was written on 29 April , prompted by Hitler receiving the telegram from Göring , combined with news of Himmler ' s attempted negotiations of surrender with the western Allies and reports that Red Army troops were within a block or two of the Reich Chancellery . In the document , Hitler dismissed Göring from all of his offices and expelled him from the Nazi Party . It was dictated by Hitler to his secretary Traudl Junge in his Berlin " Führerbunker " , the day he and Eva Braun married . They committed suicide the next day on 30 April . The new political succession divided power between Goebbels and Grand Admiral ( " Großadmiral " ) Karl Dönitz , the Commander - in - Chief of the Navy ( " Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine " ) and chief of the Naval High Command ( " Oberkommando der Marine " ) , who would become President ( " Reichspräsident " ) of Nazi Germany . Post - war discovery of the Göring Telegram . Upon its reception in the " Führerbunker " , the Göring Telegram was typed onto a " Marinenachrichtendienst " ( Naval Intelligence ) form with a carbon copy and classified " " Geheim " ! " ( Secret ! ) . After the Soviet capture of Berlin , American officials entered the " Führerbunker " and took away papers and documents that were analyzed by historians . In July 1945 , Captain Benjamin M . Bradin entered the " Führerbunker " and discovered an original carbon copy of the Göring Telegram marked with an ' F ' in a group of Hitler ' s papers that in later years were given to Robert W . Rieke , a Professor of History at the Citadel , ( the college in South Carolina , USA ) . Trevor - Roper ' s translation . The British historian , Hugh Trevor - Roper , published an early English translation of the Göring Telegram in his book , " The Last Days of Hitler " . My Fuhrer : General Koller today gave me a briefing on the basis of communications given him by Colonel General Jodl and General Christian , according to which you had referred certain decisions to me and emphasized that I , in case negotiations would become necessary , would be in an easier position than you in Berlin . These views were so surprising and serious to me that I felt obligated to assume , in case by 2200 o ’ clock no answer is forthcoming , that you have lost your freedom of action . I shall then view the conditions of your decree as fulfilled and take action for the wellbeing of Nation and Fatherland . You know what I feel for you in these most difficult hours of my life and I cannot express this in words . God protect you and allow you despite everything to come here as soon as possible . Your faithful Hermann Göring . Speer ' s eyewitness account . Albert Speer wrote a detailed account of the Göring Telegram on the disintegrating psychology of Hitler in his book , " Inside the Third Reich " . The quotation below appears on pages 571 - 572 of the American edition of Speer ' s book . . . . there was a flurry of excitement in the vestibule . A telegram had arrived from Goering , which Bormann hastily brought to Hitler . I trailed informally along after him , chiefly out of curiosity . In the telegram Goering merely asked Hitler whether , in keeping with the decree on succession , he should assume the leadership of the entire Reich if Hitler remained in Fortress Berlin . But Bormann claimed that Goering had launched a " coup d ’ etat " ; perhaps this was Bormann ’ s last effort to induce Hitler to fly to Berchtesgaden and take control there . At first , Hitler responded to this news with the same apathy he had shown all day long . But Bormann ’ s theory was given fresh support when another radio message from Goering arrived . I pocketed a copy which in the general confusion lay unnoticed in the bunker . It read : To " Reich " Minister von Ribbentrop I have asked the " Fuehrer " to provide me with instructions by 10 p . m° . April 23 . If by this time it is apparent that the " Fuehrer " has been deprived of his freedom of action to conduct the affairs of the Reich , his decree of June 29 , 1941 , becomes effective , according to which I am heir to all his offices as his deputy . [ If ] by 12 midnight April 23 , 1945 , you receive no other word either from the " Fuehrer " directly or from me , you are to come to me at once by air . ( Signed ) Goering , Reich Marshal Here was fresh material for Bormann . ‘ Goering is engaged in treason ! ’ he exclaimed excitedly . ‘ He ’ s already sending telegrams to members of the government and announcing that on the basis of his powers he will assume your office at twelve o ’ clock tonight , " mein Fuhrer " . ’ Although Hitler remained calm when the first telegram arrived , Bormann now won his game . Hitler immediately stripped Goering of his rights of succession – Bormann himself drafted the radio message – and accused him of treason to Hitler and betrayal of National Socialism . The message to Goering went on to say that Hitler would exempt him from further punishment if the Reich Marshal would promptly resign all his offices for reasons of health . Bormann had at last managed to rouse Hitler from his lethargy . An outburst of wild fury followed in which feelings of bitterness , helplessness , self - pity , and despair mingled . With flushed face and staring eyes , Hitler ranted as if he had forgotten the presence of his entourage : I ’ ve known it all along . I know that Goering is lazy . He let the air force go to pot . He was corrupt . His example made corruption possible in our state . Besides he ’ s been a drug addict for years . I ’ ve known it all along . Apparently , Hitler knew about all of this , but never planned to do anything about it . And then , with startling abruptness , he lapsed back into his apathy : ‘ Well , all right . Let Goering negotiate the surrender . If the war is lost anyhow , it doesn ’ t matter who does it . ’ That sentence expressed contempt for the German people : Goering was still good enough for the purposes of capitulation . After this crisis , Hitler had reached the end of his strength . He dropped back into the weary tone that had been characteristic of him earlier that day . For years he had overtaxed himself ; for years , mustering that immoderate will of his , he had thrust away from himself and others the growing certainty of this end . Now he no longer had the energy to conceal his condition . He was giving up . Hitler and Braun committed suicide exactly one week after the arrival of the Göring Telegram .