Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat... - Quote Conversation A bit about Hermann Goering ... Hermann Wilhelm Goering (January 12, 1893 October 15, 1946) was an early member of the Nazi party, founder of the Gestapo, and one of the main leaders of Nazi Germany. He was tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials in 1945-1946 and sentenced to death, but he avoided execution by committing suicide in his cell, a few hours before the sentence was to be carried out. These people bookmarked this quote: Hermann Göring - Wikiquote Hermann Göring Jump to: navigation , search I don't have to worry about Justice ; my mission is only to destroy and to exterminate; nothing more. 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 danger . It works the same way in any country.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Wilhelm Göring [also rendered as Goering] ( 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946 ) was a German politician, military leader, and leading member of the Nazi party. He was founder of the Gestapo , and Head of the Luftwaffe . Contents Quotes[ edit ] We will go down in history either as the world 's greatest statesmen or its worst villains . My measures will not be crippled by any bureaucracy. Here I don't have to worry about Justice ; my mission is only to destroy and to exterminate; nothing more. Speech in Frankfurt (3 March 1933), as quoted in Gestapo : Instrument of Tyranny (1956) by Edward Crankshaw, p. 48 Shoot first and inquire afterwards, and if you make mistakes , I will protect you. Instruction to the Prussian police (1933); as quoted in The House that Hitler Built (1937) by Stephen Henry Roberts. p. 63 Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat.

Radio broadcast (1936), as quoted in The New Language of Politics: An Anecdotal Dictionary of Catchwords, Slogans, and Political Usage (1968) by William L. Safire, p. 178 Variants: Guns will make us strong, butter will only make us fat. We have no butter... but I ask you, would you rather have butter or guns? Preparedness makes us powerful. Butter merely makes us fat. We will go down in history either as the world's greatest statesmen or its worst villains . Statement (1937); quoted in Great Powers and Outlaw States : Unequal Sovereigns in the International Legal Order (2004) by Gerry J. Simpson, p. 291 The Jew must clearly understand one thing at once, he must get out! Speech in Vienna after the Austrian Anschluss (1938); when asked at the Nuremberg trials whether he meant what he said in this speech he replied "Yes, approximately." As reported from testimony in the Imperial War Museum, Folio 645, Box 156, , (20 October 1945), pp.

5-6 Now you see. You are even turning the Fuehrer against me. Ah, the Jews, the Jews, they'll be the death of me yet! Exclamation made by Göring in November 1938, soon after Kristallnacht. He returned from a day of dealing with the aftermath of the vandalism and looting to find his wife Emmy asking him to help Jewish friends of hers yet again, and the following day, received a note from Hitler, indicating this assistance must stop. As quoted in The Reich Marshal: A Biography of Hermann Goering (1974) by Leonard Mosley, p. 229. Ah, the Jews, the Jews, they'll be the death of me yet! Excellency, please sign. I hate to say it, but my job is not the easiest one. Prague, your capital- I should be terribly sorry if I were compelled to destroy this beautiful city. But I would have to do it, to make the English and French understand that my air force can do all it claims to do. Because they still don't want to believe this is so, and I should like an opportunity of giving them proof.

Said by Goering to the President of Czechoslovakia Emile Hácha on March 15, 1939, when Hácha, tired and under heavy pressure from Hitler to sign a document effectively handing his country over to Germany, nonetheless tried to resist signing. Hácha eventually gave up, and the combined pressure that Hitler and Goering had put on him caused Hácha to have a heart attack at 4:00 that morning. As quoted in On Borrowed Time: How World War II Began (1969) by Leonard Mosley, p. 167. No enemy bomber can reach the Ruhr . If one reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Göring. You may call me Meyer. Addressing the Luftwaffe (September 1939) as quoted in August 1939: The Last Days of Peace (1979) by Nicholas Fleming, p. 171; "Meyer" (or "Meier") is a common name in Germany.

This statement would come back to haunt him as Allied bombers devastated Germany; many ordinary Germans, especially in Berlin, took to calling him "Meier", and air raid sirens "Meier's Trumpets". It is said that he once himself introduced himself as "Meier" when taking refuge in an air-raid shelter in Berlin. Supplementing the task assigned to you by the decree of January 24, 1939, to solve the Jewish problem by means of emigration and evacuation in the best possible way according to present conditions, I hereby charge you to carry out preparations as regards organizational, financial, and material matters for a total solution (Gesamtlösung) of the Jewish question in all the territories of Europe under German occupation. Where the competency of other central organizations touches on this matter, these organizations are to collaborate. I charge you further to submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired final solution (Endlösung) of the Jewish question. Letter sent to Reinhard Heydrich, 31 July 1941 The only one who really knows about the Reichstag is I, because I set it on fire !

Statement at a luncheon on 20 April 1942, as recounted by General Franz Halder, about the Reichstag Fire , which the Nazis had blamed on "Communist instigators" in securing many of their dictatorial powers. In a way that might indicate Göring was simply joking, Halder testified: "At a luncheon on the birthday of Hitler in 1942 the conversation turned to the topic of the Reichstag building and its artistic value. I heard with my own ears when Göring interrupted the conversation and shouted: 'The only one who really knows about the Reichstag is I, because I set it on fire!' With that he slapped his thigh with the flat of his hand." Göring later testified: "I had nothing to do with it. I deny this absolutely. I can tell you in all honesty, that the Reichstag fire proved very inconvenient to us. After the fire I had to use the Kroll Opera House as the new Reichstag and the opera seemed to me much more important than the Reichstag. I must repeat that no pretext was needed for taking measures against the Communists.

I already had a number of perfectly good reasons in the forms of murders, etc." ...and suddenly there appears this misbegotten monster of welded-together engines one cannot get at! Why has this silly engine suddenly turned up, which is so idiotically welded together? They told me then, there would be two engines connected behind each other, and suddenly there appears this misbegotten monster of welded-together engines one cannot get at! Comment by Göring to a report submitted to him by Oberst Edgar Petersen , the Kommandeur der Erprobungsstellen (commander of German military aircraft test facilties in the Third Reich) on 13 August 1942, regarding the usage and deficient installation design for the trouble-prone, complex Daimler-Benz DB 606 "power system" powerplants for the He 177 A, Nazi Germany's only operational heavy bomber, which was suffering from an unending series of engine fires . As quoted in Heinkel He 177-277-274 (1998) by Manfred Griehl and Joachim Dressel, p.

52 The people were merely to acknowledge the authority of the Führer , or, let us say, to declare themselves in agreement with the Führer. If they gave the Führer their confidence then it was their concern to exercise the other functions. Thus, not the individual persons were to be selected according to the will of the people, but solely the leadership itself. Statement (18 March 1946) Cross Examination of Hermann Goering "Eighty-Fourth Day, Monday, 3/18/1946, Part 16" in Trial of the Major War Criminals Before the International Military Tribunal Vol. IX. Proceedings: 3/8/1946-3/23/1946 (1947) I especially denounce the terrible mass murders, which I cannot understand ... I never ordered any killing or tortures where I had the power to prevent such actions! Göring's closing statement to the Nuremberg tribunal (31 August 1946); as quoted in Witness to Nuremberg (2006) by Richard Sonnenfeldt, p. 70 The German people trusted the Führer.

Given his authoritarian direction of the state, they had no inﬂuence on events. Ignorant of the crimes of which we know today, the people have fought with loyalty, self-sacrifice, and courage, and they have suffered too in this life-and-death struggle into which they were arbitrarily thrust. The German people are free from blame. Göring's closing statement to the Nuremberg tribunal (31 August 1946) The German people trusted the Führer. Given his authoritarian direction of the state, they had no inﬂuence on events. Ignorant of the crimes of which we know today, the people have fought with loyalty, self-sacrifice, and courage, and they have suffered too in this life-and-death struggle into which they were arbitrarily thrust. The German people are free from blame. Nuremberg Diary (1947)[ edit ] These statements were recorded in Gustave Gilbert 's transcriptions of conversations with many of the Nazi leaders during the War Crimes Trials at Nuremberg , and later published in Gilbert's Nuremberg Diary(1947).

After the United States gobbled up California and half of Mexico , and we were stripped down to nothing , territorial expansion suddenly becomes a crime . It's been going on for centuries, and it will still go on. Do you think I give that much of a damn about my lousy life ? Naturally, the common people don't want war ; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America , nor for that matter in Germany . That is understood... Der Sieger wird immer der Richter und der Besiegte stets der Angeklagte sein. The victor will always be the judge, and the vanquished the accused. p. 4 (1995 edition); also quoted in Nuremberg: A Personal Record of the Trial of the Major Nazi War Criminals in 1945—46 (1978) by A. Neave, p. 74; original German, as quoted in Der Nürnberger Prozess (1958) by Joe J. Heydecker and Johannes Leeb, p. 103 After the United States gobbled up California and half of Mexico, and we were stripped down to nothing, territorial expansion suddenly becomes a crime.

It's been going on for centuries, and it will still go on. At lunch during the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal (11 December 1945); Nuremberg Diary p. 66, 1947 edition. Do you think I give that much of a damn about my lousy life? — For myself, I don't give a damn if I get executed, or drown, or crash in a plane, or drink myself to death! — But there is still a matter of honor in this life! — Assassination attempt on Hitler! — Ugh! — Gott im Himmel!! I could have sunk through the floor! And do you think I would have handed Himmler over to the enemy, guilty as he was? Dammit, I would have liquidated the bastard myself! Interview in Göring's cell (3 January 1946) Göring: Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece?

Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship. Gilbert: There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars. Göring: Oh, that is all well and good, but, 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 danger. It works the same way in any country. In an interview with Gilbert in Göring's jail cell during the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials (18 April 1946) The Nuremberg Interviews (2004)[ edit ] What do I care about danger?

I've sent soldiers and airmen to death against the enemy — why should I be afraid? To Leon Goldensohn (15 March 1946) Hitler decided that. I thought it was stupid because I believed that first we had to defeat England. To Leon Goldensohn, about attacking Russia (15 March 1946) No. It was the last hours and he (Hitler) was under pressure. If I could have seen him personally it would have been different. To Leon Goldensohn, after being asked if he felt any resentment toward Hitler (15 March 1946) I know you want to study me psychologically. That's reasonable and I appreciate it. At least you don't lecture to me and pry into my affairs. You have a good technique as a psychiatrist. Let the other fellow talk and stick his neck into the noose. I don't mean that the way it sounds. But you hardly say anything. Someday I'm going to ask you questions. To Leon Goldensohn (21 May 1946) I have always been interested in family history. Chromosomes are funny things, aren't they?

They may skip a generation and you can find children who resemble the grandfather, rather than either parent. Heredity is more important than environment. Blood will tell. For example, a man is either musical by heredity or he is not. You can't make a man musical by the environment. You can find a person who is very musically inclined and be puzzled because neither parents nor grandparents had any ear for music. But if you trace it back, you will find that the great-grandfather was a musician. But the environment plays a great part in the development of a man. It is significant whether a man is brought up in the city or in the country, near a lake or on the shores of the ocean. To Leon Goldensohn (21 May 1946) In Berlin Jews controlled almost one hundred percent of the theaters and cinemas before the rise to power. To Leon Goldensohn (21 May 1946) Hitler had the willpower of a demon and he needed it. If he didn't have such a strong willpower he couldn't have achieved anything.

Don't forget, if Hitler had not lost the war, if he did not have to fight against the combination of big powers like England, America, and Russia — each one he could have conquered individually — these defendants and these generals would now be saying, 'Heil Hitler,' and would not be so damn critical. To Leon Goldensohn (24 May 1946) To me there are two Hitlers: one who existed until the end of the French war; the other begins with the Russian campaign. In the beginning he was genial and pleasant. He would have extraordinary willpower and unheard-of influence on people. The important thing to remember is that the first Hitler, the man who I knew until the end of the French war, had much charm and goodwill. He was always frank. The second Hitler, who existed from the beginning of the Russian campaign until his suicide, was always suspicious, easily upset, and tense. He was distrustful to an extreme degree. To Leon Goldensohn (24 May 1946) I am a man who is basically opposed to atrocities or ungentlemanly actions. In 1934, I promulgated a law against vivisection.

You can see, therefore, that if I disapprove of the experimentation on animals, how could I possibly be in favor of torturing humans? The prosecution says that I had something to do with the freezing experiments which were performed in the concentration camps under the auspices of the air force. That is pure nonsense! I was much too busy to know about these medical experiments, and if anybody had asked me, I would have disapproved violently. It must have been Himmler who thought up these stupid experiments, although I think he shirked his responsibility by committing suicide. I am not too unhappy about it because I would not particularly enjoy sitting on the same bench with him. The same is true of that drunken Robert Ley, who did us a favor by hanging himself before the trial started. He was not going to be any advantage for us defendants when he took the stand. To Leon Goldensohn (24 May 1946) The atrocities are, for me, the most horrible part of the accusation in this trial. They thought that I took it lightly or laughed about it or some such nonsense, in court. That is definitely a mistake.

I am the type of person who is naturally against such things and my own psychological reaction is to laugh or smile in the face of adversity. Perhaps that explains my attitude in court. Besides, I was not to blame for these horrors. It's not just that I am a hard man because of my long experience in the army and in politics. It's true that I saw plenty in the First World War and during the air raids and at the front in this war. But I was always a person who felt the suffering of others. To paint me as an unfeeling ogre who laughs in court at the atrocities is stupid. To Leon Goldensohn (24 May 1946) All nonsense. Nobody knows the real Göring. I am a man of many parts, but the autobiography, what does that tell you? Nothing. And those books put out by the party press, they are less than useless. To Leon Goldensohn (27 May 1946) I think that women are wonderful but I've never met one yet who didn't show more feeling than logic.

To Leon Goldensohn (27 May 1946) If I didn't have a sense of humor, how could I stand this trial now? To Leon Goldensohn (27 May 1946) In the first place I'm sure Hitler did not write that damned testament himself. Probably some swine like Bormann wrote it for him. But I don't see what is so terrible in the testament when you examine it, anyway. There was Berlin, bombed every minute. The noise of artillery from the lousy Russians, the American and British bombers overhead. Maybe Hitler was a trifle unbalanced by all that. If he wrote the testament at such a time, it was hysteria. But essentially, what difference does it make? To Leon Goldensohn (27 May 1946) I have to laugh when the English claim they are such a wonderful nation. Everyone knows that Englishmen are really Germans, that the English kings were German, and that in Russia the emperors were either of German origin or received their education in Germany. To Leon Goldensohn (28 May 1946) The Russians are primitive folk.

Besides, Bolshevism is something that stifles individualism and which is against my inner nature. Bolshevism is worse than National Socialism — in fact, it can't be compared to it. Bolshevism is against private property, and I am all in favor of private property. Bolshevism is barbaric and crude, and I am fully convinced that that atrocities committed by the Nazis, which incidentally I knew nothing about, were not nearly as great or as cruel as those committed by the Communists. I hate the Communists bitterly because I hate the system. The delusion that all men are equal is ridiculous. I feel that I am superior to most Russians, not only because I am a German but because my cultural and family background are superior. How ironic it is that crude Russian peasants who wear the uniforms of generals now sit in judgment on me. No matter how educated a Russian might be, he is still a barbaric Asiatic. Secondly, the Russian generals and the Russian government planned a war against Germany because we represented a threat to them ideologically. In the German state, I was the chief opponent of Communism.

I admit freely and proudly that it was I who created the first concentration camps in order to put Communists in them. Did I ever tell you that funny story about how I sent to Spain a ship containing mainly bricks and stones, under which I put a single layer of ammunition which had been ordered by the Red government in Spain? The purpose of that ship was to supply the waning Red government with munitions. That was a good practical joke and I am proud of it because I wanted with all my heart to see Russian Communism in Spain defeated finally. To Leon Goldensohn (28 May 1946) Misattributed[ edit ] When I hear the word culture, I reach for my Browning! Variant: "When I hear the word culture, I reach for my revolver." Often attributed to Göring, who might have used such lines, these statements are derived from those in the play Schlageter by Hanns Johst : "Wenn ich Kultur höre … entsichere ich meinen Browning!" [Whenever I hear of culture... I release the safety-catch of my Browning!] (Act 1, Scene 1) The play was first performed in April 1933 for Hitler's birthday.

Reported as a misattribution in Paul F. Boller, Jr., and John George, They Never Said It: A Book of Fake Quotes, Misquotes, & Misleading Attributions (1989), p. 36. "When I hear the word culture, I reach for my revolver" was also is used in the 1981 Cannes Film Festival Award winner Mephisto spoken by a character known as "The General" in the English dubbed version. I will decide who is a Jew! Göring is stated to have said this in Non-Germans Under the Third Reich: The Nazi Judicial and Administrative System in Germany (2003) by Diemut Majer, p. 60, and in other works, but he might have merely been repeating or paraphrasing the statement, Wer a Jud is, bestimm i (Only I will decide who is a Jew) which in Strangers at Home and Abroad: Recollections of Austrian Jews Who Escaped Hitler (2000) by Adi Wimmer, p. 6, is said to have originated with Vienna mayor Karl Lueger in response to the observation that despite his anti-semitic speeches he still dined with Jews.

In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft, but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy. The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that? There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops. After the war is over I'm going to buy a British radio set - then at least I'll own something that has always worked. This comment has been reported to have been said by Goering in 1943, and was displayed for a time on the English-language page of the De Havilland Mosquito on Wikipedia. It was removed from the Wikipedia page, however, when it was found there was no definite source to confirm Goering had ever said this about the Mosquito. Quotes about Göring[ edit ] When we put all their stories together, the impression which emerges of the Third Reich, which was to last a thousand years, is ludicrous .

… It is a temptation to ponder the wondrous workings of a fate which has left only the guilty dead and only the innocent alive . It is almost too remarkable. … It was these dead men whom these living chose to be their partners … and the crimes that they did together they must pay for one by one. Goering, wreathed in smiles and orders and decorations received us gaily, his wife at his side. There is something un-Christian about Goering, a strong pagan streak, a touch of the arena, though perhaps, like many who are libidinous-minded like myself, he actually does very little. People say that he can be very hard and ruthless, as are all Nazis when occasion demands, but outwardly he seems all vanity and childish love of display. Hermann Goering Quotes - BrainyQuote Hermann Goering Quotes Find on Amazon: Hermann Goering Cite this Page: Citation Artillery Quotes.

A Collection of Artillery Related Quotations Ultima Ration Regum – The King of Battle Enjoy the Artillery Quotes “Artillerymen believe the world consist of two types of people; other Artillerymen and targets.” – Unknown “There is NO job in the Field Artillery for the weak, the timid or the indecisive.” – Unknown “Artillery adds dignity, to what would otherwise be an ugly brawl” – Frederick the Great, king of Germany, 1740 to 1786 “Gunners will always fight together, drink together, laugh together, and morn together.” – Unknown A Toast to the Guns By them we live, For them we would die. Whatever the Mission, We’ll give it a try. We’ll serve them with Honor For they are the ones; That make us Artillerymen, So here’s to the Guns: TO THE GUNS!! “You can’t describe the moral lift, when in the fight your spirits weary hears above the hostile fire, Your own artillery. Shells score the air like wavy hair from a forward battery.

While from positions further back, in bitter sweet song overhead crashing discordantly Division’s pounding joins the attack; Mother like she belches shell; Glorious it flies, and well, As, with a hissing screaming squall, A roaring furnace, giving all, she sears a path for the infantry….” – Aleksandr Tvardovskiy, from the poem “Vasily Tyorkin” 1943 “St Barbara of the Artillery Corp, Be at the bursting of the doors of doom, And in the dark deliver us, Amen.” Irish field Artillery poem Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon in front of them, Volley’ed and thundered. – The Charge of the Light Brigade Ultima ratio regum. (The final argument of kings) – Inscription on french cannons, on order of Louis XIV “The artillery was my strongest tool. Often it was my only reserve …. I repeatedly said it was more a matter of the infantry supporting the artillery than the artillery supporting the infantry…. I wish I knew the countless times that positions were taken or held due solely to TOT’s ….” – Major General R. 0.

Barton Commanding US 4th Infantry Division World War II (Reminiscing with his division artillery commander) CANNON, n. An instrument employed in the rectification of national boundaries. – Ambrose Bierce “The thanks of the infantry, in my opinion, must be treasured more by every artilleryman than all decorations and citations. ” – Colonel Georg Bruchmuller, Imperial German Army Artillery Officer and Father of Modern Fire Support “If you don’t have enough artillery, quit.” – General Richard Cavasos The speed, accuracy and devastating power of American Artillery won confidence and admiration from the troops it supported and inspired fear and respect in their enemy. – Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower Do not forget your dogs of war, your big guns, which are the most-to- be respected arguments of the rights of kings. – Frederick the Great Artillery conquers and infantry occupies. – J.F.C. Fuller Guns will make us powerful, butter will only make us fat. – Hermann Goering “Too much praise cannot be bestowed on those who managed my artillery” – General Andrew Jackson after the Battle of New Orleans, 1815 “The Guns, Thank God, The Guns. . .

– Rudyard Kipling No one accuses the gunner of maudlin affection for anything except his beasts and his weapons. He serves as least three jealous gods–his horse and all its sadlery and harness; his gun, whose least detail of efficiency is more important than men’s lives; and, when these have been attended to, the never-ending mystery of his art commands him. – Rudyard Kipling In many situations that seemed desperate, the artillery has been a most vital factor. – Gen Douglas MacArthur “Artillerymen have a love for their guns which is perhaps stronger than the feeling of any soldier for his weapon or any part of his equipment.” – Brigadier General S. L. A. Marshall The harder the fighting and the longer the war, the more the infantry, and in fact all the arms, lean on the gunners. – Field Marshal Montgomery “The first shot is for the Devil, the second for God, and only the third for the King.” – Napoleon Bonaparte Nothing is more destructive than the charge of artillery on a crowd. – Napoleon Bonaparte The best generals are those who have served in the artillery. – Napoleon Bonaparte God fights on the side with the best artillery.

– Napoleon Bonaparte With Artillery, War is made. – Napoleon Bonaparte “Leave the Artillerymen alone, they are an obstinate lot. . .” – Napoleon Bonaparte I do not have to tell you who won the war. You know, the artillery did. – Gen George S. Patton The World War demonstrated the importance of Field Artillery. The majority of casualties were inflicted by the arm. – Gen John J. Pershing “Where a goat can go, a man can go, where a man can go, he can drag a gun” – COL William Phillips 1777 “Our artillery . . . The Germans feared it almost more than anything we had.” – Ernie Pyle “Brave Men”, 1944 “If, -after the battle is over, your infantry don’t like you, you are a poor artilleryman.” – Captain Henry Reilly The Field Artillery Journal, September-October 1940 A battery of field artillery is worth a thousand muskets. – General William Tecumseh Sherman “There is no other arm of the service whose efficiency is so directly dependent upon its officers as is the field artillery.” – Major General William J.

Snow Letter in “The Shrapnel-1924” The Field Artillery School 1 March 1924 Artillery is the god of war. – Stalin The work for giants…to serve well the guns! – Walt Whitman Renown awaits the commander who first restores artillery to its prime importance on the battlefield. – Winston Churchill I can’t guarantee that these artillery quotations are correct or true, but I have tried to verify as many of the artillery related quotes as possible. Please contact me if you find any errors in artillery quotes, have some additional information about them or if you know any artillery quotations that’s not listed here. Submit your own quotes/quotations in our military quotes forum Site Content John Heartfield, the original culture jammer | Dangerous Minds John Heartfield, the original culture jammer 12.26.2013 John Heartfield I recently stumbled upon some images by John Heartfield, and I haven’t been able to get them out of my head. I had never heard of Heartfield before, but the more I look into him, the more central and essential his work seems.

Despite the WASP-y name, Heartfield was German, and although he lived until 1968 his best-known work was during the Weimar era and also the years preceding World War II. He was born Helmut Herzfeld in 1891 and, in a detail that tells you everything you need to know about him, he adopted the English name John Heartfield (“Herzfeld”) in 1917 to protest the anti-British sentiment that was engulfing Germany at the time. His brother was born Wieland Herzfeld and for reasons I don’t fully understand decided to add an “e” to his name, making him Wieland Herzfelde. Heartfield and Herzfelde (along with the expressionist painter George Grosz) started an influential publishing company called the Malik Verlag—that also happened in 1917, the same year Helmut became Heartfield. “Adolf, der Übermensch: Schluckt Gold und redet Blech,” 1932 (“Adolf the Superman: Swallows Gold and Spouts Tin”) Heartfield designed book covers for Upton Sinclair and many other authors and also designed stage sets for Bertolt Brecht.

As with his anti-nationalist protest, Heartfield’s connection to the names “Sinclair” and “Brecht” indicates much about his artistic and political sensibility. He was part of the Dada scene as well (check out the “Soeben erschienen” cover below). One thing I didn’t realize until I began researching Heartfield was how much more politicized the German Dada scene was, as opposed to the French variety. If Heartfield’s work is anything to go by (it may not be), the German Dadaists were far more engaged with political struggle. The man led an interesting life. As a child he and his siblings were abandoned in the woods by their parents—eventually an uncle consented to raise them. In the spring of 1933, the Nazis raided his apartment, but he escaped through the window. Eventually he emigrated to Czechoslovakia on foot—that is, he walked to Czechoslovakia in order to escape the Nazis. “Das ist das Heil, das sie bringen!” 1938 (“This is the cure that they bring!”) That’s enough about Heartfield’s life—let’s talk about the work.

I’m hesitant to say that Heartfield “invented” photomontage or anything like that, there were certainly people doing that sort of thing before World War I. But there is surely a case to be made that Heartfield was one of the pioneers of photomontage and arguably one of the very first to use it to such powerful effect. In many ways Heartfield might be the first photomontage artist to influence directly a lot of the counterculture movements of the Sixties and beyond. It’s pretty clear he occupies a very special position, and many of his images are decades ahead of their time. You can see Heartfield’s influence in culture jammers of all kinds, from Plunderphonics to every kind of sampleriffic noise collage and beyond. If you look around the world today, especially on the Internet, you’re sure to see a Heartfield heir somewhere in the mix. Every time you see the head of Obama or George W. Bush pasted onto something else as a political comment, you’re seeing the Heartfield ethic in action. Adbusters has been doing Heartfield-type stuff for years now.

The question arises, Why does Heartfield’s work seem so rich and penetrating whereas (as an example) the Adbusters approach tends to pall after a while? It’s tempting to say that it’s because Heartfield was so willing to go for the jugular in his images, but I actually think it’s something like the opposite. Adbusters isn’t exactly known for pulling its punches either, you know? No, I think what makes Heartfield’s images work so well is actually a kind of delicacy, a perhaps-Continental sensibility that avoids hyperbole in favor of nuanced depth—even the crazy images of Hitler and Goering aren’t all that hyperbolic, they’re witty and they have one foot grounded in the regular world somehow. In a way there’s a lesson there. It doesn’t take artistry of craftsmanship to come up with a visual pun, the craft comes in the execution, the ability to create an image that may have blood, skeletons, misery, and suffering in it and yet not make you turn away. Siouxsie and the Banshees appropriated one of Heartfield’s most famous images when they released a German translation of their song “Metal Postcard”—you can compare the two images above.

The name of the Siouxsie single is “Mittageisen,” which is a pun. The German word Mittagessen means “lunch”—Mittageisen would translate as “midday iron.” The original Heartfield print is called “Hurrah, die Butter ist alle!” which means, “Hurrah, the butter is gone!”—it’s a reference to Hermann Goering’s famous 1936 speech in which he said, “Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat.” Heartfield’s ingenious answer is to make a typical Aryan household in which there is only iron on the dinner table. Here’s Siouxsie and the Banshees playing “Mittageisen” in 1979: Here’s a playful documentary about Heartfield’s work: “Soeben erschienen!” 1917 (“Just released”) Franz Jung, “Die Eroberung der Maschinen,” 1923 (“The Conquest of the Machines”) Maxim Gorki, “Der 0.

Januar” (“The 0th of January”) “Der Sinn von Genf: Wo das Kapital lebt, kann der Friede nicht leben!” 1932 (“The Meaning of Geneva: Where Capital Lives, There Peace Cannot Live!”) “Goering: Der Henker des Dritten Reichs,” 1933 (“Goering: The Executioner of the Third Reich”) “O Tannenbaum in deutschen Raum, wie krumm sind deine Astel,” 1934 (“O Christmas Tree in German Soil, How Crooked Are Your Branches”) Nazi Germany quotations Search for: Nazi Germany quotations This collection of Nazi Germany quotations has been selected and compiled by Alpha History authors. It contains quotes from Nazi leaders, contemporaries or historians who specialise in the history of Nazi Germany. If you would like to suggest a quote for inclusion here, please contact Alpha History .

“If today I stand here as a revolutionary, it is as a revolutionary against the Revolution.” Adolf Hitler, Nazi fuhrer “I joined the party because I was a revolutionary, not because of any ideological nonsense.” Hermann Goering, NSDAP leader “In many ways Nazism was antithetical to what the great mass of Germans said they admired – and certainly to what they paid homage. It was noisy, undisciplined, vainglorious; its leader was a half-educated posturing foreigner. For a decade the National Socialists were regarded as hoodlums, as part of the breakdown of what had been, if anything, an excessively ordered society before.” Eugene Davidson, historian “The Nazi Party was, in the early 1920s, but one among many nationalist and volkisch radical political groups.

It was catapulted to prominence with the onset of economic recession in the late 1920s… The Nazis owed their spectacular to a combination of two discrete sets of factors: first, their distinctive organisation and strategy; and secondly, the wider socio-economic conditions which created climates of opinion and sets of grievances on which the Nazis could prey.” Mary Fulbrook, historian “The NSDAP, as it was renamed on February 24th 1920, at first represented a modest nucleus of war veterans, the unemployed and the lower working classes… the party built its political fortune to the point of attracting wide-ranging support and taking power on the basis of this popular support.” Enzo Collotti and Valerio Lintner, historians “Since the inception of the Nazi Party, social scientists have attempted to define its nature in terms of its membership.

Scholars have described the party variously as a class movement, a regional movement, an anti-urban revolt against modernity, a generational revolt, even as a collection of losers, cut-throats and criminals.” Paul Madden, historian “The repeated claim before the ‘seizure of power’ – that the NSDAP, as a national social-revolutionary movement, and not simply another political party… would create new bonds of unity through its elimination and transcending of the party system, was highly attractive and conveyed much of Nazism’s dynamic appeal.” Ian Kershaw, historian “Support for the NSDAP extended far beyond the lower middle class to elements of the socially established Grossburgertum (upper middle class) as well as to sizeable segments of the blue-collar working class. At the height of its electoral popularity in 1932, the NSDAP had managed to transcend the basic cleavages of German political culture, mobilising a mass following that was without precedent in its extraordinary social diversity.” Theodore Abel, historian “Nazism seemed to many just an extreme version of what [most Germans] had always believed in or taken for granted.

It was nationalistic, respectful of the armed forces, socially conservative, disdainful of laziness, hostile to eccentric or incomprehensive ideas that came from cities, disapproving of homosexuals and other unconventional human types, and avid to achieve ‘greatness’ for Germany. They welcomed parts of the Nazi political and social smorgasbord and told themselves that the rest was less important or was not meant seriously.” Walter Rinderle and Bernard Norling, historians “Before total war, Nazism was a pot-pourri. Racialism… and nationalism… jostled shoulders with the socialistic revolutionary conservatism of many members of the Mittelstand (middle class). Romantic ideas came from right-wing youth groups. Hitler could utter the gospel of anti-capitalism to workers and the gospel of profits to businessmen. [It was] a rag-bag of inconsistent and incoherent ideas.” Walter A. P.

Phillips, historian “What we must fight for is to safeguard the existence and reproduction of our race and our people, the sustenance of our children and the purity of our blood, the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may mature for the fulfillment of the mission allotted it by the creator of the universe.” Adolf Hitler “It is thus necessary that the individual should finally come to realize that his own ego is of no importance in comparison with the existence of the nation, that the position of the individual is conditioned solely by the interests of the nation as a whole.” Adolf Hitler “Many of the ‘ideas’ enthusiastically propagated and ruthlessly put into practice by the Nazis predate Hitler’s ‘seizure of power’ and even the founding of the NSDAP … The view of Nazism as an aberration, a society inexplicably gone mad, or taken over by a ‘criminal clique’ against its will, has not been corroborated by the the historical evidence.” David F. Crew, historian “A ‘Hitler myth’ was cultivated which built on people’s desire for strong leadership, and presented Hitler as an almost God-like figure.

Hitler’s image was laboured over in a manner not dissimilar to that of pop stars today. What he wore, what he said, what postures he adopted during speeches were all worked out carefully… Many people began to separate Hitler from the Nazi Party, enabling Hitler’s popularity to remain high whilst the popularity of the Nazi Party fell.” Alison Kitson, historian “For their concept of the heroic leader, the Nazis turned once again to volkisch thought and the notion of Fuhrerprinzip, of a mystical figure embodying and guiding the nation’s destiny… The roots and antecedents of such a concept are more complex and derive from many sources: the messianic principle of Christianity, the kings of the Middle Ages, the Nietzschean ‘superman’ of volkisch mythology.” David Welch, historian “The people can always be brought to the bidding of their leaders. All you have to do is tell them that they are in danger of being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.” Hermann Goering “The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us.

But, we don’t ask for their love; only for their fear.” Heinrich Himmler “All of us, who are members of the Germanic peoples, can be happy and thankful that once in thousands of years fate has given us, from among the Germanic peoples, such a genius, a leader, our Fuehrer Adolf Hitler, and you should be happy to be allowed to work with us.” Heinrich Himmler “Hitler’s theatricality was linked to his oratorical force. He was persuasive with small groups, but he electrified large audiences.” Sherree Owens Zalampas, historian “Hitler’s oratory moved people and appealed to their hopes and dreams. But his speeches malevolently twisted hope into some gnarled ghastly entities, and appealed to the latent, darkest prejudices of Germans.” Richard M.

Perloff, historian “Within the Nazi Party, the beginnings of a personality cult around Hitler go back to the year before the [Munich] putsch… Outside these small groups of fanatical Bavarian Nazis, Hitler’s image and reputation at this time – so far as the wider German public took any notice of him at all – was little more than that of a vulgar demagogue, capable of drumming up passionate opposition to the government among the Munich mob, but of little else.” Ian Kershaw (historian) “Hitler, who founded the Third Reich, who ruled it ruthlessly and often with uncommon shrewdness, who led it to such dizzy heights and such a sorry end, was a person of undoubted, if evil genius. It is true that in the German people, as a mysterious Providence and centuries of experience had molded them up to that time, he found a natural instrument which he was able to shape to his own sinister ends.

But without Adolf Hitler, who was possessed of a demonic personality, a granite will, uncanny instincts, a cold ruthlessness, a remarkable intellect, a soaring imagination and – until the end, when, drunk with power and success, he overreached himself – an amazing capacity to size up people and situations, there almost certainly would never have been a Third Reich.” William Shirer (historian) “All Germany was in turmoil. Revolutionaries seized power in the cities of Munich, Hanover and Cologne. One regional German government after another was toppled by workers’ and soldiers’ councils. Adolf Hitler, recuperating in a military hospital, reacted violently to this news. “It became impossible for me to sit still one minute more,” he wrote in Mein Kampf.” James Giblin “The idea of a ‘doomed republic’ is difficult to shake off… [but] the fact is, in 1918 the republic’s future was open, its history yet to be determined.

Hitler was neither its pre-destined nor its obvious conclusion.” Anthony McElligott (historian) “Some commentators have drawn such a stark and gloomy picture of the [Weimar Republic’s] early difficulties that the Republic seems foredoomed to failure from the outset… The conditions in which Weimar democracy were born were certainly not such as to help it flourish; and as it unfolded, it was clearly saddled with a burden of problems, in a range of areas.” Mary Fulbrook (historian) “Without the changed conditions, the product of a lost war, a revolution and a pervasive sense of national humiliation, Hitler would have remained a nobody. His main ability by far, as he came to realise during the course of 1919, was that in the prevailing circumstances he could inspire an audience which shared his basic political feelings, by the way he spoke, by the force of his rhetoric, by the very power of his prejudice, by the conviction he conveyed that there was a way out of Germany’s plight.” Ian Kershaw (historian) “If there had been a strong democratic sentiment in Germany, Hitler would never have come to power .

[Germans] deserved what they got when they went round crying for a hero.” AJP Taylor (historian) “A state does not simply fall apart as a result of depression… [Weimar Germany] was not destroyed by economic depression or widespread unemployment, though these naturally contributed to the atmosphere of doom, but because the Weimar Right was resolved to abolish the parliamentary state in favour of a vaguely conceived authoritarian state.” Sebastian Haffner (historian) “Hitler was no inexorable product of a German ‘special path’, no logical culmination of long-term trends in specifically German culture and ideology.

Nor was he a mere ‘accident’ in the course of German history.” Ian Kershaw (historian) “Whoever can conquer the street will one day conquer the state, for every form of power politics and any dictatorship-run state has its roots in the street.” Joseph Goebbels “The SA is, and remains, Germany’s destiny.” Ernst Rohm “If the enemies of the SA are hoping that the SA will not return from leave, we are ready to let them enjoy the hope for a short time.” Ernst Rohm “The fuhrer of the Third Reich has freed the German man from his external humiliation and from the inner weakness caused by Marxism – and has returned him to the ancestral Germanic values of honor, loyalty and courage.” Conrad Grober (Catholic archbishop) “Certainly I shall use the police, and most ruthlessly, whenever the German people are hurt. But I refuse the notion that the police are protective troops for Jewish stores. No, the police protect whoever comes into Germany legitimately, but it does not exist for the purpose of protecting Jewish money-lenders.” Hermann Goering “Every bullet fired from the barrel of a police pistol was my bullet.

If you call that murder, then I am the murderer.” Hermann Goering “Terrorism is the best political weapon for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death.” Adolf Hitler “We have captured all the positions And on the heights we have planted the banners of our revolution. You had imagined that that was all that we wanted We want more – we want all. Your hearts are our goal, it is your souls that we want.” Anonymous NSDAP poet “Unless a man has talents to make something of himself, freedom is an irksome burden. Of what avail is freedom to choose if the self be ineffectual?

We join a mass movement to escape individual responsibility, or, in the words of the ardent young Nazi, “to be free from freedom.” Eric Hoffer (writer) “Universal education is the most corroding and disintegrating poison that liberalism has ever invented for its own destruction.” Adolf Hitler “Education is dangerous – Every educated person is a future enemy.” Hermann Goering “The goal of female education must invariably be the future mother.” Adolf Hitler “The National Socialist Party will prevent in the future, by force if necessary, all meetings and lectures which are likely to exercise a depressing influence on the German state.” Adolf Hitler “When I hear anyone talk of culture, I reach for my revolver.” Hermann Goering “In relation to the political decontamination of our public life, the government will embark upon a systematic campaign to restore the nation’s moral and material health.

The whole educational system, theater, film, literature, the press and broadcasting – all these will be used as a means to this end.” Adolf Hitler “All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach.” Adolf Hitler “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie.

It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” Joseph Goebbels “The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly – it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.” Joseph Goebbels “Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise.” Adolf Hitler “Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” Joseph Goebbels “The National Government will regard it as its first and foremost duty to revive in the nation the spirit of unity and cooperation. It will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our nation has been built. It regards Christianity as the foundation of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national life.” Adolf Hitler “Parallel to the training of the body a struggle against the poisoning of the soul must begin. Our whole public life today is like a hothouse for sexual ideas and simulations.

Just look at the bill of fare served up in our movies, vaudeville and theaters, and you will hardly be able to deny that this is not the right kind of food, particularly for the youth. Theater, art, literature, cinema, press, posters, and window displays must be cleansed of all manifestations of our rotting world and placed in the service of a moral, political and cultural idea.” Adolf Hitler “Eugenics was central to the entire Nazi enterprise, joined with romantic nativist and racist myths of the pure-bred Nordic. The emphasis on ‘blood’ called for a purifying of the nation’s gene pool, so that Germans could regain the nobility and greatness of their genetically pure forebears.” Alison Thompson (historian) “We are socialists, we are enemies of today’s capitalistic economic system for the exploitation of the economically weak, with its unfair salaries, with its unseemly evaluation of a human being according to wealth and property instead of responsibility and performance, and we are determined to destroy this system under all conditions.” Adolf Hitler “We have no butter… but I ask you, would you rather have butter or guns? Preparedness makes us powerful.

Butter merely makes us fat.” Hermann Goering “Before Hitler took power, sometime after the middle of 1932, the depression bottomed out in Germany and the economy began a natural conjunctural upswing … The conditions believed to be necessary for successful economic stimulation through public work creation programs were beginning to appear prior to Hitler’s appointment to the chancellorship.” Dan Silverman (historian) “It is sometimes suggested that the [Nazi economic] recovery was a product of a specific fascist economic strategy, which distinguished it from the recovery efforts of other capitalist states. While few would disagree that the Nazi regime had a number of clear ideological preferences when it came to the economy, the policies pursued in 1933 had much in common with those adopted in other countries, and with the policies of the pre-Hitler governments.” R. J. Overy (historian) “Industrialisation was a fact of life and the foundation of Germany’s power. For this reason, industry received top priority in Hitler’s calculations… Under Nazi rule, corporate giants such as I.G.

Farben, Krupp and Siemens not only grew, but accumulated more economic power and wealth, to the detriment of labour and smaller businesses.” Joseph Bendersky (historian) “The development of Nazi economic policy occurred in phases. From 1933 to 1936 the major priority was to overcome the adverse effects of the depression and to restore the economic stability that was crucial to the projection of national power… Autarky was the main goal of the second phase of Nazi economic policies, which began with the official introduction of the Four-Year Plan in September 1936… the goals of the plan were to make the German army and the economy ready for war within four years.” Roderick Stackelberg (historian) “The Reichswirtschaftsministerium (‘Reich Ministry of Economic Affairs’) tells the shop managers what and how to produce, at what prices and from whom to buy, at what prices and to whom to sell. It assigns every worker to his job and fixes his wages. It decrees to whom and on what terms the capitalists must entrust their funds. Market exchange is merely a sham.” Ludwig von Mises (historian / economist) “Who are the moneylenders?

They are those who were driven out of the Temple by Christ Himself 2000 years ago. They are those who never work but live on fraud.” Julius Streicher “The Jew always lives from the blood of other peoples, he needs such murders and such sacrifices. The victory will be only entirely and finally achieved when the whole world is free of Jews.” Julius Streicher “As socialists, we are opponents of the Jews, because we see in the Hebrews the incarnation of capitalism, of the misuse of the nation’s goods.” Joseph Goebbels “With satanic joy in his face, the black-haired Jewish youth lurks in wait for the unsuspecting girl whom he defiles with his blood, thus stealing her from her people.” Adolf Hitler “We have only one task, to stand firm and carry on the racial struggle without mercy.” Heinrich Himmler “In the election campaign of 1930, Hitler seldom spoke explicitly of Jews. The crude tirades of the early 1920s were missing altogether.

‘Living-space’ figured more prominently, posed against the alternative international competition for markets … The key theme now was the collapse of Germany under parliamentary democracy and party government into a divided people with separate and conflicting interests, which only the NSDAP could overcome by creating a new unity of the nation, transcending class, estate and profession.” Ian Kershaw (historian) “Though anti-Semitism had been only one of several sources of Nazi voting strength, after 1933 Hitler placed anti-Semitic ideologues, the most important of whom were Joseph Goebbels, Otto Dietrich and Alfred Rosenberg, at the top of the key opinion-shaping institutions. In a dictatorship resting on the ‘leadership principle’, Hitler’s anti-Semitic convictions defined policy.” Jeffrey Herf (historian) “Any alliance whose purpose is not the intention to wage war is senseless and useless.” Adolf Hitler “Chamberlain’s stubborn, fanatical insistence on giving Hitler what he wanted, his trips to Berchtesgaden and Godesberg and finally the fateful journey to Munich rescued Hitler from his limb and strengthened his position in Europe, in Germany, in the Army, beyond anything that could have been imagined a few weeks before.

It also added immeasurably to the power of the Third Reich.” William Shirer (historian) “If the day should ever come when we [the Nazis] must go, if some day we are compelled to leave the scene of history, we will slam the door so hard that the universe will shake and mankind will stand back in stupefaction.” Joseph Goebbels Information and resources on this page are © Alpha History 2014. Content on this page may not be copied, republished or redistributed without the express permission of Alpha History. For more information please refer to our Terms of Use . Quotations from Hermann Goering Quotations from Hermann Goering » More about Hermann Goering on Poemhunter Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat. Hermann Goering (1893-1946), German Nazi leader, air marshal. Alleged radio broadcast (Summer 1936). On the Four-Year Plan. Share this Quote: Whenever I hear the word culture, I reach for my revolver. Hermann Goering (1893-1946), German Nazi leader. Attributed.

Whether or not Goering ever said it, the only recorded source of this remark is the play Schlageter (1933) by Hanns Johst (1890-1978), Nazi playwright and president of the Reich Chamber of Literature. The line is spoken by a storm trooper in act 1, sc. 1: "When I hear the word culture, I cock my Browning." Read more quotations about / on: culture Share this Quote: Whenever I hear the word culture, I reach for my revolver. Hermann Goering (1893-1946), German Nazi leader. Attributed. Whether or not Goering ever said it, the only recorded source of this remark is the play Schlageter (1933) by Hanns Johst (1890-1978), Nazi playwright and president of the Reich Chamber of Literature. The line is spoken by a storm trooper in act 1, sc.

1: "When I hear the word culture, I cock my Browning." Read more quotations about / on: culture Share this Quote: Hermann Göring - Biography - IMDb Hermann Göring Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trivia (18) | Personal Quotes (10) Overview (5) 5' 10" (1.78 m) Mini Bio (1) Hermann Göring was born on January 12, 1893, in Rosenheim, Bavaria, the son of a prominent judge. He entered the German Royal Military Academy at Gross Lichterfeide outside Berlin in his teens and graduated in 1911. At the beginning of World War I he saw service as an infantry lieutenant but soon transfered to the air corps. During the war he racked up 22 aerial kills, earning the coveted Blue Max and a promotion to commanding officer of Manfred von Richthofen 's "Flying Circus" in 1918 after that famous ace was killed in action. In the years following World War I Göring became one of Adolf Hitler 's most devoted followers.

The former war hero was named head of Hitler's private army, the Brownshirts, a Nazi paramilitary organization similar to the Blackshirt fascist group in Italy commanded by Benito Mussolini , in 1922. Göring took part in the unsuccessful "Beer Hall Putsch" attempt to overthrow the Bavarian state government in 1923, was wounded and spent some time in prison. In 1933, after Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, Göring became commissioner for aviation and in 1935 commander in chief of the newly established German Air Force (the Luftwaffe). By the opening days of World War II, Göring had built the Luftwaffe into the largest air force in the world. His planes performed superbly in the "blitzkrieg" campaigns against Poland, the Low Countries, Norway and France. In recognition of his work, Göring was promoted to Reichsmarschall (a rank above field marshal) on June 19, 1940. The tall, heavyset Göring became well known for his garish, colorful uniforms and his devotion to the war aims of the Nazi party, rivaled only by Hitler's.

Göring didn't confine his efforts on behalf of the Nazi party to purely military matters, however; he also developed much of Nazi Germany's anti-Jewish legislation. Unfortunately for Göring, his hour of military triumph was short-lived. He seriously botched the Battle of Britain in August and September of 1940 by overestimating the Luftwaffe's capability for long-range combat and underestimating the resolve of Britain's Royal Air Force, which resulted in the loss of huge numbers of his aircraft in daily air raids against England, not to mention the death or capture of thousands of his most experienced bomber crews. During the invasion of the Soviet Union in June of 1941, the Luftwaffe first held the upper hand against the undertrained and underequipped Soviet Air Force. However, it wasn't long before the tide turned, and before long the Russians were turning out thousands of fighters and bombers and inflicting serious damage on the Luftwaffe, which could ill afford such losses.

Starting in 1943 Allied bombers had turned the tide of the air war against Germany, and Göring's vaunted Luftwaffe began losing increasing numbers of planes, not to mention experienced pilots, to the US and British air forces, and Allied bombing campaigns smashed many more German aircraft on the ground in addition to destroying many aircraft factories. In April 1945, with the defeat of Germany a certainty, Göring suggested to Hitler that he make peace with the Allies before they brought total destruction to Germany. Enraged, Hitler ordered his arrest. Göring managed to escape from Nazi custody but was captured on May 2, 1945, by soldiers of the U.S. 7th Army. He was eventually tried, convicted and sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during the war crimes trials at Nuremberg late in 1945. His lawyers fought for time with appeals and requests to overturn his death sentence, but they were all denied.

On October 15, 1946, just two hours before the former Reichsmarshall was to face the hangman to pay for his crimes, the 53-year-old Hermann Göring committed suicide in his jail cell by taking poison that he somehow had smuggled in with him. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Matthew Patay Spouse (2) The highest-level Nazi official captured alive by the Allies. Committed suicide hours before his scheduled execution. A pilot in World War I in the squadron headed by Manfred von Richthofen , aka "The Red Baron", Goring assumed command of the unit after von Richtofen was shot down and killed by Anglo-Canadian forces. Supreme commander of the Luftwaffe during the Third Reich. Earned the rank of Reichmarshall. He was the only recipient of the Grand Cross of The Iron Cross during WWII. He was given the nickname "Fatso Göring" by Allied soldiers.

At the close of World War II, Göring's official titles included Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, Reich Minister of Aviation, Reichstag President, Minister President of Prussia, Commissioner of the Four Year Plan, Reich Chief Forestor, Reich Commissioner of Hunting, Gruppenfuhrer (Lieutenant General) in the Stormtroopers, and second in command (by Adolf Hitler 's declaration) in the leadership of the NSDAP (the Nazi party). In 1944 Göring was offered an honorary commission as an SS-Oberstgruppenfuhrer (Colonel General). Göring, however, refused to accept an SS commission, since it would have meant swearing loyalty to SS chief Heinrich Himmler , who historians believe Goring despised. Technically he was the highest ranking General Officer in the World War II German military. Upon being awarded the rank of Reichsmarshall in 1940 by Adolf Hitler , Goring became senior to Army Field Marshals and Navy Grand Admirals. In reality, though, neither Goring nor his rank were respected by the professional army commanders who were technically his subordinates, and he knew it.

Lived perhaps the most sybaritic lifestyle of any of the top Nazi leaders, having built a lavish palace known as the "Karinhall" (in tribute to his deceased first wife) where he indulged in lavish dressing gowns, large feasts and an elaborate model train set. During the aborted Munich Beer Hall Putsch staged by the Nazis in 1923, Goring was shot by Munich police, who crushed the attempted coup. His wounds resulted in his becoming addicted to painkillers, primarily morphine, for the rest of his life. Daughter, Edda Göring , with Emmy Göring . During the Nuremberg Trials, he underwent psychological testing that revealed he had an IQ of 138. Was longtime personal friend of Gustaf Mannerheim . Mannerheim and Goering were hunting partners during the 1930s and 1940s - they specialized in killing deer. According to Görings letzte Schlacht - Das Tribunal von Nürnberg (2006), Göring told one of his jailers that he was on his way to a Freemasons meeting when he picked up a girl who recognized him.

Göring claimed had it not been for that encounter, he would never have joined the Nazi Party as Freemasons were banned from joining the Nazi Party.

Question: Who said in 1935 'Guns will make us powerful, butter will only make us fat'?
Answer: Hermann Goering