Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 23 April 1945
- Early in the morning on this day, Goering sent to Berlin a carefully worded telegram in which he said that he was ready to take over the power from Hitler in case it was necessary. In Berlin, Hitler's private secretary Martin Bormann intercepted the telegram, and presented it to Hitler as if Goering betrayed the Führer.
On this day in 1945, at the end of the World War II, an unusual incident occured and made Adolf Hitler remove his until-then closest associate Hermann Goering.
Namely, Goering had an extraordinarily high position in the Nazi party long before it came to power in Germany. He earned a reputation in World War I, in which he served as a pilot and acquired the status of a fighter ace, shooting down 22 enemy aircraft.
After gaining power in Germany, Hitler appointed Hermann Goering as minister of aviation (Reichsluftfahrtminister), and commander-in-chief of the air force (Luftwaffe). Indeed, Goering was the only man in the Third Reich who was awarded the rank of Reichsmarschall, outranking all field marshals in German armed forces.
In April 1945, Goring arrived at his residence near Berchtesgaden (he had a lavish mansion just a few hundred meters away from Hitlers famed “Eagle’s Nest”).
Goering learned that Hitler had publicly admitted in Berlin that the war is lost. He was scared that Martin Bormann (Hitler’s personal secretary) will take power in the country if Hitler killed himself, so he activated a plan to takeover.
This plan was based on the fact that Hitler, back in 1941, appointed Goering as his successor in case he dies or becomes unable to perform his duties.
Goering, early in the morning on this day, sent to Berlin a carefully worded telegram in which he said that he was ready to take over the power from Hitler in case it was necessary. Moreover, he added that if the wire is not responded until 22:00 on that day, he will take over the position of Reich leader.
In Berlin, Martin Bormann intercepted the telegram, and presented it to Hitler as if Goering had betrayed the Führer. Hitler was very angry and dismissed Goering. In fact, he was soon arrested. Hitler appointed Goebbels as the new chancellor, and Admiral Donitz as his successor as head of state.
