Hermann Göring

**Hermann Wilhelm Göring** (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a German war criminal, politician, and military leader in Nazi Germany. He was one of the most powerful leaders of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). 

Göring was responsible for creating the Nazi concentration camps. He also created the Gestapo (the Nazi secret police), which he handed over to SS chief Heinrich Himmler. In 1941, he gave Reinhard Heydrich the order to arrange the "Final Solution" to kill at least 6,000,000 of Jews. 

## Early life
### Birth
Göring was born in Rosenheim, Upper Bavaria, Bavaria, Germany on 12 January 1893. His parents were Ernst Heinrich Göring (dad) and Franziska Göring (born Franziska Tiefenbrunn). Hermann Göring had two brothers, Albert and Karl Ernst, and two sisters, Olga Therese Sophie and Paula Elisabeth Rosa.

Göring's father was a judge. In 1885 the German chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, made Ernst Göring the first *Reichskommissar* (Governor-General) of South West Africa (which is now Namibia). When Göring was born, his father was serving as consul general in Haiti. His mother came home to give birth to Hermann and stayed for six weeks. Then she left the six-week-old baby with a friend in Bavaria. Epenstein and Göring's mother began an affair, which they continued for 15 years. Epenstein became Göring's godfather. Göring attended the grammar schools in Fürth and Ansbach. In the games he played as a child, the story was always about war.

## First World War
When the First World War started, Göring was a Lieutenant. He had served in the infantry. In 1915, because of his rheumatism, he had to go to a hospital. His friend, Bruno Loerzer, got him to join the air force. 

In France, he flew as an observer, a person who looked for targets and enemy planes. In 1915, he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class for his work. In 1916, he was trained to fly a plane. On 14 March of that year, he shot down his first bomber. The following year, he became the leader of the 27th Flying Group. Also, while leading the SA (*Oberste SA-Führer*), Göring participated in the Beer Hall Putsch with Hitler and was wounded. Afterward he went to Austria, but continued to have chronic pain from his injury. A doctor prescribed morphine, but Göring became dependent on it. 

Between 1925 and 1926, he was treated twice at the Långbro mental hospital in Sweden. He came back to Germany in 1927. In 1928, he became a member of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic. He remained a member until the end of the Second World War. (right) in 1939]]s of Hermann Göring]]Between 1932 and 1945, he was President of the German Reichstag and also a minister of the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler. In the Second World War, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the German air force. In 1942, he gave Fritz Sauckel the order to use the Russian population for industry-work. 

On 20 April 1945, he left Hitler's birthday party and went to Berchtesgaden. He told Hitler that he had very important things to do in south Germany. From Berchtesgaden, Göring sent a telegram to Hitler in Berlin. In the telegram Göring asked about taking over the  of state. After this, he was imprisoned in Nuremberg. Göring was the highest-ranking Nazi official tried at Nuremberg.

# Crimes against peace
# War crimes
# Crimes against humanity
# Conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity

He was found guilty on all four charges, and on 1 October 1946 he was sentenced to death by hanging.

At the Nuremberg trials, Göring said: Of course the people don't want war. But after all it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.

## Related pages
* Nazism
* Fascism
* Genocide
* Nazi Germany
* The Holocaust
* The Final Solution
* List of Nazi concentration camps

## References
### Bibliography
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