Albert Goering's brother, Hermann, was Hitler's closest and most loyal associate in the Nazi High Command, a top Nazi and Successor designate No. 1 to The Fuehrer: Reichmarshal and Head of the Luftwaffe; President of the Ministerial Council for the Defense of the Reich; member of the Secret Cabinet Council; Reich Forest Master; Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force; Prime Minister of Prussia; President of the Prussian State Council; President of the Reichstag; Plenipotentiary for the Four Year Plan; Head of the "Reichswerke Hermann Goering"; SS Obergruppenfuehrer; SA- Obergruppenfuehrer.

The young Hermann Goering

When Hermann Goering joined the Nazi Party in 1922, Hitler gave him command of the SA Brownshirts. Badly wounded in the Munich Beer Hall putsch of 1923, Hermann Goering fled the country for four years. Upon his return, he aided Hitler's rise to power and later became No. 1 only to Hitler.

In 1933, when the Nazis came to power, Goering was made commander of the Luftwaffe, Germany's air force. He soon became the strongest man in the Nazi ruling circle and by 1936, he controlled Germany's economy completely.

Hermann with little Edda

Hermann Goering was addicted to drugs and his behavior became quite bizarre. But even though he became less effective, and seldom was seen at Hitler's headquarters, Hitler would not dump him. "Der dicke Hermann" was the only Nazi leader, other than Hitler, that Germans could identify with.

Hermann Goering was put on trial at Nuremberg in 1946. During his trial Goering, who had been taken off drugs, defended himself with aggressive vigor and skill, frequently outwitting the prosecuting counsel. With Hitler dead, he stood out among the defendants as the dominating personality, dictating attitudes to other prisoners in the dock.

Nevertheless, Hermann Goering failed to convince the judges, who found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death by hanging.

Hermann Goering arrested

On 15 October 1946, two hours before his execution was due to take place, he committed suicide in his Nuremberg cell, taking a capsule of poison that he had succeeded in hiding from his guards during his captivity.

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