Rudolf Hess
Nazi Party Deputy Führer

Walter Richard Rudolf Hess (Heß in German) (April 26, 1894 – August 17, 1987) was a prominent figure in Nazi Germany, acting as Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party. On the eve of war with the Soviet Union, he flew solo to Scotland in an attempt to negotiate peace, but was arrested. He was tried at Nuremberg and sentenced to life internment at Spandau Prison, where he died in 1987. Rudolf Hoess Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höß (in English commonly Hoess or Höss; November 25, 1900 – April 16, 1947) was a senior Nazi official, member of the SS and Waffen-SS (with the rank of SS-Obersturmbannführer) and commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp where he was responsible for... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (700x866, 99 KB)Photo by Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940. ... The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: , or NSDAP, commonly, the Nazi Party), was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945 that was known as the German Workers Party before the name was changed in 1920. ... Deputy Führer was the title for the deputy head of the Nazi Party, which was held by Rudolf Heß until his flight to the United Kingdom in 1941. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Hitler redirects here. ... The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: , or NSDAP, commonly, the Nazi Party), was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945 that was known as the German Workers Party before the name was changed in 1920. ... This article is about the country. ... For the 1947 Soviet film about the trials, see Nuremberg Trials (film). ... Spandau Prison from the air Spandau Prison was a prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin, constructed in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of the last prisoner. ...

His seemingly bizarre defection and subsequent lifelong imprisonment have given rise to many theories about his motivation for flying to Scotland, and indeed conspiracy theories about why he remained imprisoned alone at Spandau, long after other senior Nazis were released. The manner of his death in custody is also contested. On September 27 and September 28, 2007, numerous British news services published descriptions of how his Soviet captors were unusually merciless towards Hess even though other Allied captors sought humane treatment of Mr. Hess in the years after World War II had ended. [1][2] [3][4] [5][6] is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

He has become a figure of veneration among neo-Nazis.^[1][2][3] The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ...

Early life

Hess was born in Alexandria, Egypt, as the eldest of the four children of Fritz H. Hess, a Lutheran importer/exporter. His mother was of Greek descent, of the Georgiadis family ^[4] of Alexandria (where traditionally there had been a vibrant and rich Greek community until Nasser). The family moved back to Germany in 1908 and he enrolled in boarding school there. Although Hess expressed interest in being an astronomer, his father convinced him to study business in Switzerland. At the onset of World War I he enlisted in the 7th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment, became an infantryman and was awarded the Iron Cross, second class. After numerous injuries, including a severe chest wound (so bad he was not allowed to return to the front as an infantryman), he transferred to the Imperial Air Corps (after being rejected once), He took aeronautical training and served in an operational squadron at the rank of lieutenant. Antiquity and modernity stand cheek-by-jowl in Egypts chief Mediterranean seaport For other uses, see Alexandria (disambiguation). ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: جمال عبد الناصر) Gamal Abdel Nasser (January 15, 1918 - September 28, 1970) was the second President of Egypt after Muhammad Naguib and is considered one of the most important Arab leaders in history. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ...

On December 20, 1927 Hess married 27-year-old student Ilse Pröhl (June 22, 1900–September 7, 1995) from Hanover. Together they had a son, Wolf Rüdiger Hess (November 18, 1937–October 24, 2001). is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Wolf Rüdiger Hess (November 18, 1937—October 24, 2001) was the son of Rudolf Hess. ... is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

Hitler's deputy

After the war Hess went to Munich and joined the Freikorps. It has been claimed that he also joined the Thule Society, a völkisch occult-mystical organisation, but Goodrick-Clarke (1985: 149) has studied the membership lists and finds that he was no more than a guest to whom the Thule Society extended hospitality during the Bavarian revolution of 1918. Hess enrolled in the University of Munich where he studied political science, history, economics, and geopolitics under Professor Karl Haushofer. After hearing Hitler speak in May 1920, he became completely devoted to his leadership. For commanding an SA battalion during the Beer Hall Putsch, he served seven and a half months in Landsberg prison. Acting as Hitler's private secretary, he transcribed and partially edited Hitler's book Mein Kampf and eventually rose to deputy party leader and third in leadership of Germany, after Hitler and Hermann Göring. For other uses, see Munich (disambiguation). ... The designation of Freikorps (German for Free Corps, i. ... Thule Society emblem The Thule Society (German: Thule-Gesellschaft), originally the Studiengruppe für germanisches Altertum Study Group for Germanic Antiquity, was a German occultist and Völkisch group in Munich, named after a mythical northern country from Greek legend. ... The völkisch movement is the German interpretation of the Populist movement, with a romantic focus on folklore and the organic. ... Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke is the author of several books on modern occultism and esotericism with the history of its intersection with fascist politics. ... The Bavarian Soviet Republic (Bayrische Räterepublik) — also known as the Munich Soviet Republic (Münchner Räterepublik) — was a short-lived revolutionary government in the German state of Bavaria in 1919 that sought to replace the fledgling Weimar Republic in its early days. ... With approximately 48,000 students, the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (German: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München or LMU) is one of the largest universities in Germany. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Political Science is the field concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour. ... History studies time in human terms. ... ‹ The template below is being considered for deletion. ... Geopolitics is the study which analyses geography, history and social science with reference to international politics. ... General Karl Haushofer General Karl Ernst Haushofer (August 27, 1869, Munich - March 13, 1946, Pähl) was a German geopolitician. ... The seal of SA SA propaganda poster. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols This article is about the military unit. ... The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed coup détat that occurred between the evening of Thursday, November 8 and the early afternoon of Friday, November 9, 1923, when the Nazi partys Führer Adolf Hitler, the popular World War I General Erich Ludendorff, and other leaders of the... Entrance of the Landsberg Prison Landsberg Prison is a penal facility located in the town of Landsberg am Lech in the southwest of the German state of Bavaria, about 30 miles (45 km) west of Munich. ... Mein Kampf (English translation: My Struggle) is a book by the German-Austrian politician and dictator Adolf Hitler which combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitlers Nazi political ideology. ... Hermann Wilhelm Göring ( ) (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a German politician and military leader, a leading member of the Nazi Party, second in command of the Third Reich, and commander of the Luftwaffe. ...

Hess had a privileged position as Hitler's deputy in the early years of the Nazi movement but was increasingly marginalized throughout the 1930s as Hitler and other Nazi leaders consolidated political power. Hitler biographer John Toland described Hess's political insight and abilities as somewhat limited and his alienation increased during the early years of the war as attention and glory were focused on military leaders along with Hermann Göring, Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler. The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ... John Willard Toland (June 29, 1912 in La Crosse, Wisconsin - January 4, 2004 in Danbury, Connecticut) was an American author and historian. ... Hermann Wilhelm Göring ( ) (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a German politician and military leader, a leading member of the Nazi Party, second in command of the Third Reich, and commander of the Luftwaffe. ... Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation: IPA: ) (29 October 1897–1 May 1945) was a German politician and Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda during the National Socialist regime from 1933 to 1945. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; 7 October 1900–23 May 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany in the Nazi hierarchy. ...

Flight to Scotland

Like Joseph Goebbels, Hess was privately distressed by the war with Britain. According to William L. Shirer, author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Hess may have hoped to score a stunning diplomatic victory by sealing a peace between the Reich and Britain. Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation: IPA: ) (29 October 1897–1 May 1945) was a German politician and Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda during the National Socialist regime from 1933 to 1945. ... Shirer (at far left) after winning a National Book Award in 1961 for his The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, pictured with fellow authors and award winners Conrad Richter and Randall Jarrell. ... The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by journalist William L. Shirer was the first definitive history of Nazi Germany in English. ...

The wreckage of Hess's Bf 110.

Hess flew to Britain in May 1941 to meet the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, parachuting from his Messerschmitt Bf 110 over Renfrewshire on May 10 and landing (though breaking his ankle) at Floors Farm near Eaglesham, just south of Glasgow. Image File history File linksMetadata Rudolf_Hess_-_Bf_110D_Werk_Nr_3869_-_Wreckage_-_Bonnyton_Moor. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Rudolf_Hess_-_Bf_110D_Werk_Nr_3869_-_Wreckage_-_Bonnyton_Moor. ... Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton, 11th Duke of Brandon (February 3, 1903 - March 30, 1973), was born in Pimlico, London, England. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 110 (called an M.E. One-Ten by American pilots) was a twin-engine heavy fighter (Zerstörer - German for Destroyer) in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Later in the war it was changed to fighter-bomber (JagdBomber-Jabo) and night fighter operations... Renfrewshire (Siorrachd Rinn Friù in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary authority regions in Scotland. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Eaglesham is a village to the west of East Kilbride, Scotland, set amongst the hills of East Renfrewshire. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ...

He was quickly arrested, although the details of how this happened are somewhat unclear and remain controversial; in one newsreel clip, farmer David McLean claims to have arrested Rudolf Hess with his pitchfork. A newsreel is a documentary film that is regularly released in a public presentation place containing filmed news stories. ...

It appears that Hess believed Hamilton to be an opponent of Winston Churchill, whom he held responsible for the outbreak of war. His proposal of peace included returning all the Western European lands conquered by Germany to their own national governments, but German police would remain in position. Germany would also pay back the cost of rebuilding these countries. In return, Britain would have to support their war against Russia. Hess's strange behaviour and unilateral proposals quickly discredited him as a serious negotiator (especially after it became obvious he did not officially represent the German government). However, Churchill and Stewart Menzies, head of MI6, felt that Hess might have useful military intelligence. “Churchill” redirects here. ... Sir Stewart Graham Menzies (January 30, 1890 - May 29, 1968) was the Chief of MI6, British Secret Intelligence Service, during and after the World War II. Stewart Graham Menzies was born in London into a wealthy family. ... The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), more commonly known as MI6 (originally Military Intelligence Section 6), or the Secret Service, is the United Kingdom external security agency. ...

After being held in the Maryhill army barracks he was transferred to Mytchett Place near Aldershot. The house was fitted out with microphones and sound recording equipment. Frank Foley and two other MI6 officers were given the job of debriefing Hess—or "Jonathan", as he was now known. Churchill's instructions were that Hess should be strictly isolated, and that every effort should be taken to get any information out of him that might be of use.^[5] Maryhill is a residential district in the northwest of the City of Glasgow. ... Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland approximately 55 km (35 miles) southwest of London. ... Statue of Frank Foley in Highbridge, UK. Major Francis Edward Frank Foley (b. ...

This turned out not to amount to much. Although Hess was officially Deputy Führer, he had been squeezed out of Hitler's inner circle, and had little detailed military information to offer. Hess became increasingly agitated as his conviction grew that he would be murdered. Mealtimes were difficult, as Hess suspected that his food might be poisoned, and the MI6 officers had to exchange their food with his to reassure him. Gradually, their conviction grew that Hess was insane.

Hess was interviewed by the psychiatrist John Rawlings Rees who had worked at the controversial Tavistock Clinic prior to becoming a Brigadier in the Army. Rees concluded that he was not insane, but certainly mentally ill and suffering from depression—probably due to the failure of his mission.^[5] Hess's diaries from his imprisonment in Britain after 1941 make many references to visits from Rees, whom he did not like, and accused of poisoning him and "mesmerising" (hypnotising) him. Rees took part in the Nuremberg trial of 1945. The diary entries can be found in David Irving's book Hess: the Missing Years. John Rawlings Rees (1890-1969) was a wartime and civilian psychiatrist. ... The Tavistock Clinic is a noted centre for mental health therapy in the British NHS. It offers outpatient clinical services in London and provides many postgraduate training and academic courses for the mental health and social care professions. ... For other persons of the same name, see David Irving (footballer) and David Irving (politician). ...

Taken by surprise, Hitler had Hess's staff arrested, then spread word throughout Germany that Hess had gone insane and acted of his own accord. Hearing this, Hess began claiming to his interrogators that as part of a pre-arranged diplomatic cover story, Hitler had agreed to announce to the German people that his deputy Führer was insane. Meanwhile Hitler granted Hess's wife a pension. Martin Bormann succeeded Hess as deputy under a newly created title. Much controversy surrounds the case of whether Hitler knew of Hess' ideas to make peace with Britain and there has been a lot of contradictory material published on the matter. Along with the previous statement that Ilse Hess was granted a pension by the NSDAP government it is known that Hess had been getting flying lessons in a personalized Messerschmitt aircraft and in the early stages of this preparation he was accompanied by Hitler's personal pilot, Hans Baur. Also, as American journalist Louis C. Kilzer points out in his book Churchill's Deception; The Dark Secret That Destroyed Nazi Germany, on 5 May 1941 a four hour meeting was held between Adolf Hitler and Rudolf Hess where no one was allowed to attend. Adjutant Alfred Leitgen, keeping guard outside the meeting later recalled to have heard snippets of the meeting which made no sense. 'Albrecht Haushofer' and '[Duke] Hamilton' were mentioned; but interestingly Hess' voice was heard to say 'no problems at all with the airplane' and 'simply declared insane!' Inmates at Bedlam Asylum, as portrayed by William Hogarth Insanity, or madness, is a semi-permanent, severe mental disorder typically stemming from a form of mental illness. ... Martin Bormann Martin Bormann (June 17, 1900 - c. ... // is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ...

Trial and life imprisonment

Rudolf Hess (first row, second from left), in the defendant's box at the Nuremberg Trials.

Hess was detained by the British for the remaining duration of the war. Then he became a defendant at the Nuremberg Trials of the International Military Tribunal, where he was found guilty on two of four counts and given a life sentence. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For the 1947 Soviet film about the trials, see Nuremberg Trials (film). ...

He was declared guilty of "crimes against peace" ("planning and preparation of aggressive war") and "conspiracy" with other German leaders to commit crimes. Hess was found not guilty of "war crimes" or "crimes against humanity."

His last words before the tribunal were, "I have no regrets." For decades he was addressed only as prisoner number seven. Throughout the investigations prior to trial Hess claimed amnesia, insisting that he had no memory of his role in the Nazi Party. He went on to pretend not to recognise even Hermann Göring — who was as convinced as the psychiatric team that Hess had lost his mind. In a remarkably bizarre moment Hess then addressed the court, several weeks into hearing evidence, to announce that his memory had returned — thereby destroying what was likely to have been a strong defence of diminished responsibility. He later confessed to having enjoyed pulling the wool over the eyes of the investigative psychiatric team. For other uses, see Amnesia (disambiguation). ...

Hess was considered to be the most mentally unstable of all the defendants. He would be seen talking to himself in court, counting on his fingers, laughing for no obvious reason. Such behaviour was clearly a source of great annoyance to Göring, who made clear his desire to be seated apart from him. This request was denied.

Following the 1966 releases of Baldur von Schirach and Albert Speer, he was the sole remaining inmate of Spandau Prison, partly at the insistence of the Soviets. Guards reportedly said he degenerated mentally and lost most of his memory. For two decades, his main companion was warden Eugene K. Bird, with whom he formed a close relationship. Bird wrote a 1974 book titled The Loneliest Man in the World: The Inside Story of the 30-Year Imprisonment of Rudolf Hess about his relationship with Hess. Baldur von Schirach Baldur Benedikt von Schirach (May 9, 1907 – August 8, 1974) was a Nazi youth leader later convicted of being a war criminal. ... Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( ; March 19, 1905 – September 1, 1981), was an architect, author and high-ranking Nazi German government official, sometimes called the first architect of the Third Reich. His two bestselling autobiographical works, Inside the Third Reich and Spandau: the Secret Diaries... Spandau Prison from the air Spandau Prison was a prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin, constructed in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of the last prisoner. ... Lieutenant Colonel Eugene K. Bird (1926, Lambert, Montana – October 28, 2005, Berlin) was U.S. Director of the Spandau prison from 1964 to 1972. ...

Many historians and legal commentators have expressed opinions that his long imprisonment was an injustice. In his book, The Second World War Part III, Winston Churchill wrote, “Churchill” redirects here. ...

In 1977 Britain's chief prosecutor at Nuremberg, Sir Hartley Shawcross, characterized Hess's continued imprisonment as a "scandal." Hartley Shawcross, Attorney-General of England and Wales 1945-51 The Right Honourable Hartley William Shawcross, Baron Shawcross, PC, GBE KC (February 4, 1902–July 10, 2003), was a British barrister and politician and the lead British prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes tribunal. ...

Death

On 17 August 1987, Hess died while under Four Power imprisonment at Spandau Prison in West Berlin. At 93, he was one of the oldest prisoners in England, if not the world. By all accounts he was found in a "summer house" in a garden located in a secure area of the prison with an electrical cord wrapped around his neck. His death was ruled a suicide by self-asphyxiation, accomplished by tying the cord to a window latch in the summer house. He was buried in Wunsiedel, and Spandau Prison was subsequently demolished to prevent it becoming a shrine. ^{[6] [7]} is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Following the defeat of Nazi Germany and then the partition of German territory, two Four-Power Authorities, in which all 4 of the conquering forces (The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union) managed equally were created. ... Spandau Prison from the air Spandau Prison was a prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin, constructed in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of the last prisoner. ... Boroughs of West Berlin West Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... Wunsiedel is a town in the German free state of Bavaria. ...

Hess' son, Wolf Rüdiger Hess, a Nazi sympathizer and fervent supporter of Adolf Hitler, maintained until his own death that his father was murdered by British SAS soldiers.^{[citation needed]} According to Wolf, the British had always voted for freeing Hess while knowing the Russians would overrule it but when Gorbachev came to power this veto became less likely - thus the "need" to kill Hess.^{[citation needed]}. Wolf Rüdiger Hess (November 18, 1937—October 24, 2001) was the son of Rudolf Hess. ... Nazism, or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the totalitarian ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ... Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: ; Pronunciation: mih-kha-ILL ser-GHE-ye-vich gor-bah-CHOFF) (born March 2, 1931), was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. ...

Wunsiedel

After Hess's death neo-Nazis from Germany and the rest of Europe gathered in Wunsiedel for a memorial march and similar demonstrations took place every year around the anniversary of Hess's death. These gatherings were banned from 1991 to 2000 and neo-Nazis tried to assemble in other cities and countries (such as the Netherlands and Denmark). Demonstrations in Wunsiedel were again legalised in 2001. Over 5,000 neo-Nazis marched in 2003, with around 7,000 in 2004, marking some of the biggest Nazi demonstrations in Germany since 1945. After stricter German legislation regarding demonstrations by neo-Nazis was enacted in March 2005 the demonstrations were banned again. The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ... Wunsiedel is a town in the German free state of Bavaria. ...

Speculation on his flight to Britain

The Queen's Lost Uncle

Related claims were made in The Queen's Lost Uncle, a television programme broadcast in November 2003 and March 2005 on Britain's Channel 4. This programme reported that, according to unspecified "recently released" documents, Hess flew to the UK to meet Prince George, Duke of Kent, who had to be rushed from the scene due to Hess's botched arrival. This was supposedly also part of a plot to fool the Nazis into thinking the prince was plotting with other senior figures to overthrow Winston Churchill. A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... This article is about the British television station. ... The Prince George, Duke of Kent (George Edward Alexander Edmund) (20 December 1902–25 August 1942) was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of King George V. He held the title of Duke of Kent from 1934 to his death in 1942. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... “Churchill” redirects here. ...

Lured into a trap?

There is circumstantial evidence which suggests that Hess was lured to Scotland by the British secret service. Violet Roberts, whose nephew, Walter Roberts was a close relative of the Duke of Hamilton and was working in the political intelligence and propaganda branch of the Secret Intelligence Service (SO1/PWE), was friends with Hess's mentor Karl Haushofer and wrote a letter to Haushofer, which Hess took great interest in prior to his flight. Haushofer replied to Violet Roberts, suggesting a post office box in Portugal for further correspondence. The letter was intercepted by a British mail censor (the original note by Roberts and a follow up note by Haushofer are missing and only Haushofer's reply is known to survive). Certain documents Hess brought with him to Britain were to be sealed until 2017 but when the seal was broken in 1991-92 they were missing. Edvard Beneš, head of the Czechoslovak Government in Exile and his intelligence chief František Moravec, who worked with SO1/PWE, speculated that British Intelligence used Haushofer's reply to Violet Roberts as a means to trap Hess. ^[8] Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton, 11th Duke of Brandon (February 3, 1903 - March 30, 1973), was born in Pimlico, London, England. ... The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6),[1] is the United Kingdoms external intelligence agency. ... During World War II, the Political Warfare Executive (PWE) was a British clandestine body created to produce and disseminate both white and black propaganda, with the aim of damaging enemy morale. ... General Karl Haushofer General Karl Ernst Haushofer (August 27, 1869, Munich - March 13, 1946, Pähl) was a German geopolitician. ... Edvard BeneÅ¡ Edvard BeneÅ¡ with wife 1921, autochrome portrait by Josef JindÅ™ich Å echtl Edvard BeneÅ¡ (May 28, 1884 - September 3, 1948) was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement and the second President of Czechoslovakia. ... The Munich Agreement and the first Vienna Award After the Austrian Anschluss, Czechoslovakia was to become Hitlers next target. ... FrantiÅ¡ek Moravec (July 23, 1895, Čáslav – July 26, 1966, Washington, D.C.) was Czechoslovak military intelligence officer before and during World War II. In 1915 Moravec was drafted into Austro-Hungarian Army and sent to the Eastern Front, into Galicia. ...

The fact that the files concerning Hess will be kept closed to the public until 2016 does allow the debate to continue, since without these files the existing theories cannot be fully verified. Hess was in captivity for almost 4 years of the war and thus he was basically absent from it, in contrast to the others who stood accused at Nuremberg. According to data published in a book about Wilhelm Canaris, a number of contacts between England and Germany were kept during the war.^[9] It cannot be known, however, whether these were direct contacts on specific affairs or an intentional confusion created between secret services for the purpose of deception.- Martin Allen's book about the background of the flight is based on forged documents in the British National Archives (see the article by E. Haiger). Wilhelm Franz Canaris (January 1, 1887 – April 9, 1945) was a German admiral and head of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service, from 1935 to 1944. ...

Hess's landing

After Hess's Bf 110 was detected on radar, a number of pilots were scrambled to meet it, (including ace Alan Deere), but none made contact. (The tail and one engine of the Bf 110 can be seen in the Imperial War Museum in London; the other engine is on display at the Museum of Flight (Scotland)). The Messerschmitt Bf110 (later Me110) was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. History Based around the concept of the long-range Zerstörer or Destroyer Fighter the Bf110 enjoyed some success in the Polish and French campaigns. ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ... Air Commodore Alan Al Christopher Deere DSO, OBE, DFC and bar, DFC (US), Croix de Guerre (Fr), (December 12, 1917 - September 21, 1995), was a New Zealand Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britain and author of Nine Lives. ... The Imperial War Museum is a museum in London featuring military vehicles, weapons, war memorabilia, a library, a photographic archive, and an art collection of 20th century and later conflicts, especially those involving Britain, and the British Empire. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Museum of Flight is an aerospace museum at East Fortune Airfield, East Fortune, East Lothian, Scotland. ...

Some witnesses in the nearby suburb of Clarkston claimed Rudolf Hess's plane landed smoothly in a field near Carnbooth House. They reported seeing the gunners of a nearby heavy anti-aircraft artillery battery drag Rudolf Hess out of the aircraft, causing the injury to his leg. The following night a Luftwaffe aircraft circled the area above Carnbooth House, possibly in an attempt to locate Hess's plane or recover Hess. It was shot down. QF 3. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, literally Air Weapon, pronounced lufft-va-fa, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ...

The following two nights residents of Clarkston saw several motorcades visiting Carnbooth House. One resident claims to have seen Winston Churchill smoking a cigar in the back seat of a car while another resident saw what they thought were aircraft components being transported on the back of a lorry. ^{[citation needed]} “Churchill” redirects here. ...

The witness accounts are said to uncover various insights. Hess's flight path implies he was looking for the home of Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, a large house on the River Cart. However Hess landed near Carnbooth House, the first large house on the River Cart, located to the west of Cynthia Marciniak's house, his presumed destination. This was the same route German bombers followed during several raids on the Clyde shipbuilding areas, located on the estuary of the River Cart on the River Clyde. Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton, 11th Duke of Brandon (February 3, 1903 - March 30, 1973), was born in Pimlico, London, England. ...

The "Substitute Theory"

Since Hess's death and during his imprisonment, speculation has existed about Prisoner 7's true identity.

Richard Arnold-Baker, an MI6 interrogation officer, was assigned to question Hess because he spoke German and had lived there. While he never raised alarm about the man he was speaking to, his post-interrogation notes are peculiar. They suggest he was astonished at how little knowledge Hess had about German places and society. ^[10]

Further doubt was raised when the surgeon in charge of Hess's health in Spandau prison spoke out. British Army Doctor Hugh Thomas repeatedly claimed that the man he was looking after was not Hess. Not only did he not have wounds that he should have had, for example a WW1 bullet wound, he did not even know he should have had them. Army records and testimony from his wife clearly record several distinct features about Hess's body which could not be found, even during two autopsies. Distressed that his concerns were ignored, Dr. Thomas investigated further and apparently discovered other discrepancies. One example was that Prisoner 7 was seemingly unsure about exactly where he had been posted during WW1. ^[11]

Hess in popular culture

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• Martin Allen's book about the background of the flight is based on forged documents in the National Archives. Peter Allen's assertion that Hess piloted a Me 110 to Portugal in summer 1940 for peace talks with the Duke of Windsor is based on an alleged "document" of the German Federal Archives invented by P. Allen (see article of E. Haiger).

• The song "Warsaw" by Joy Division begins with the phrase "350125 Go!" and the term "31G" appears in the chorus. These numbers are likely to refer to Rudolf Hess's prisoner of war number 31G 350125. Around the time this song was written there was increasing public interest in how and why Hess had been kept in more or less solitary confinement at Spandau prison for several decades. On "At A Later Date" on the album Live At The Electric Circus, guitarist Bernard Sumner starts the song by saying to the crowd, "You all forgot Rudolf Hess!"

• "The Day The Nazi Died" by the British band Chumbawamba decries the Neo-Nazi commemorations of Hess's death.

• An aged Rudolf Hess, smuggled out of Spandau Prison after his death was faked, is revealed to be the secret central villain The Lodge of the Lynx (1992), the second book of Katherine Kurtz's The Adept series. At the culmination of the story, Hess is exposed as the leader of a cult dedicated to the Celtic thunder-god, Taranis, that has been using black magic to murder Freemasons en masse.

• Hess appears as a character Michael Moorcock's book The Dreamthief's Daughter (2001), Christopher Priest's book The Separation (2002), Eric Knight's book Sam Small Flies Again, David Edgar's play Albert Speer (2000) and in the movie Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa (2006).

• The Secret of Spandau (1986) by Peter Lovesey writing as Peter Lear is a fictional account of Hess's flight to Britain and the aftermath.

• The group Prussian Blue features a song entitled "Sacrifice" in which the first stanza goes "Rudolf Hess, man of peace/he wouldn't give up he wouldn't cease".

• The group Final War (band) features a song entitled "Tales Of Honor", which glorifies Hess as a hero and denounces his treatment. The song's general feel is exemplified with the quotation: "This is the story of Rudolf Hess, a brave and loyal man, He gave his life for his beliefs because he loved his land".

• Rudolf Hess was played by Sir Laurence Olivier in the 1985 film Wild Geese II, about a group of mercenaries hired to break Hess out of prison.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... This article is about the band. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Chumbawamba are an English band who started out playing punk rock but over a 25-year career have gone on to play music in a wide range of styles, including pop influenced by dance music and world music, and now play acoustic folk music. ... The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ... Katherine (Irene) Kurtz (born 1944) is the author of numerous fantasy novels, especially the Deryni novels. ... This article does not discuss cult in its original meaning. ... Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Celts until the Christianization of Celtic-speaking lands. ... In Celtic mythology Taranis was a god of thunder worshipped in Gaul and Britain and mentioned, along with Esus and Toutatis, by the Roman poet Lucan in his epic poem Pharsalia. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... American Square & Compasses Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization. ... Michael John Moorcock (born December 18, 1939, in London, England) is a prolific English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels. ... The name Christopher Priest can refer to: Christopher Priest, British writer of science fiction Christopher Priest, American writer of comic books also known as Jim Owsley Categories: Disambiguation ... Book cover of the U.S. edition of The Separation The Separation is a 2002 novel by Christopher Priest. ... Eric Knight (April 10, 1897 - January 15, 1943) was an author who is mainly notable for creating the fictional collie Lassie. ... David Edgar (b. ... Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( ; March 19, 1905 – September 1, 1981), was an architect, author and high-ranking Nazi German government official, sometimes called the first architect of the Third Reich. His two bestselling autobiographical works, Inside the Third Reich and Spandau: the Secret Diaries... Prussian Blue is a white nationalist folk teen duo formed in early 2003 by Lynx Vaughan Gaede and Lamb Lennon Gaede (pronounced gay-dee or in IPA, ), fraternal twin girls born June 30, 1992 (age 14) and brought up in the United States. ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM, (IPA: ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ... // Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson Rambo: First Blood Part II, starring Sylvester Stallone Rocky IV, starring Sylvester Stallone The Color Purple, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Rae Dawn Chong, Adolph Caesar Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and... The Wild Geese is a 1978 film about a group of mercenaries in Africa. ...

References

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See also

• animated GIF of Göring and Hess taken during the Nuremberg Trials on 6 December 1945

December 6 is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Further reading

• Allen, Martin. The Hitler/Hess Deception: British Intelligence's Best Kept Secret of the Second World War. London: HarperCollins 2003
• Allen, Peter. The Crown and the Swastika: Hitler, Hess, and the Duke of Windsor.
• Brenton, Howard. H.I.D.: Hess Is Dead.
• Costello, John. Ten Days to Destiny: The Secret Story of the Hess Peace Initiative and British Efforts to Strike a Deal With Hitler. Also published as Ten Days That Saved the West.
• Douglas-Hamilton, James Motive for a Mission: The Story Behind Rudolf Hess's Flight to Britain.
• Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas The Occult Roots of Nazism: The Ariosophists of Austria and Germany 1890-1935. (Wellingborough, England: Aquarian Press, 1985, ISBN 0-85030-402-4)
• Hess, Ilse. Prisoner of Peace.
• Hess, Rudolf. Selected speeches.
• Hess, Wolf Ruidger. My Father Rudolf Hess.
• Hutton, Joseph Bernard. Hess: The Man and His Mission.
• Irving, David John Cawdell. Hess: The Missing Years 1941–1945.
• Le Tissier, Tony. Farewell to Spandau.
• Knopp, Guido for ZDF Hitlers helfer - Hess, der Stellvertreter. (German TV,

1998, ISBN 0-7509-3781-5) John Aloysius Costello (20 June 1891 - 5 January 1976), a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney-General of Ireland from 1926-1932 and Taoiseach from 1948-1951 and 1954-1957. ... David John Cawdell Irving (born March 24, 1938) is a self-taught historian who, from the late-1960s to the mid-1980s, was a leading British author on World War II. Author of controversial works such as Hitler’s War and The Destruction of Dresden, Irving is also one... Guido Knopp, ZDF (2005) Professor Dr. Guido Knopp (born January 29, 1948 in Treysa, Hesse) is a German historian, author and journalist. ...

• Kilzer, Louis C. Churchill's Deception: The Dark Secret That Destroyed Nazi Germany.
• Leasor, James The Uninvited Envoy.
• Machtan, Lothar. The Hidden Hitler. (2001) ISBN 0-465-04308-9
• Manvell, Roger. Hess: A Biography.
• Moriarty, David M. Rudolf Hess, Deputy Fuhrer: A Psychological Study.
• Nesbit, Roy Conyers, and Georges Van Acker. The Flight of Rudolf Hess: Myths and Reality.
• Padfield, Peter. Hess: Flight for the Führer.
• Padfield, Peter. Hess: The Fuhrer's Disciple.
• Picknett, Lynn, Clive Prince, and Stephen Prior. Double Standards The Rudolf Hess Cover-Up. ISBN 0-7515-3220-7
• Pile, G. Rudolf Hess: Prisoner of Peace.
• Rees, John R., and Henry Victor Dicks. The Case of Rudolf Hess; A Problem in diagnosis and forensic psychiatry.
• Rees, Philip, editor. Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890. (1991, ISBN 0-13-089301-3)
• Royce, William Hobart The Behest of Hess's.
• Smith, Alfred. Rudolf Hess and Germany's Reluctant War, 1939-41.
• Tuccille, Jerome, and Philip S. Jacobs. The Mission. (Dutton Adult, 1991 novel, ISBN 1-55611-199-1)
• Thomas, Hugh. The Murder of Rudolf Hess (republished as Hess: A Tale of Two Murders).
• Schwarzwäller, Wulf. Rudolf Hess, the Last Nazi. (A Zenith edition)
• Ernst Haiger Fiction, Facts, and Forgeries: The 'Revelations' of Peter and Martin Allen about the History of the Second World War. The Journal of Intelligence History, Vol 6 no. 1 (Summer 2006 [published in 2007]), pp. 105–117.
• Cornell University Law Library [7] - "Analysis of the Personality of Adolph Hitler" Cornell University lawschool. Readers can download a PDF version of the whole document here

Lothar Machtan Ph. ... The Hidden Hitler is the English language title for the 2001 book by German professor and historian Lothar Machtan. ... Roger Manvell Roger Manvell was born in England on October 10th, 1909 and died on November 30th, 1987. ... Philip Rees is an writer and Librarian in charge of acquisitions at the J. B. Morrell Library, University of York. ... Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 is a reference book edited by Philip Rees. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... “Cornell” redirects here. ... Commissioned by Office of Strategic Services head, WilliamWild Bill Donovan, in 1943 a team of specialists brought together by William L. Langer prepared an Analysis of the Personality of Adolph Hitler. ... “Cornell” redirects here. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Rudolf Hess

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Rudolf Hess

• Rudolf Hess at Encyclopædia Britannica
• Interview with eyewitness of Hess's crash-landing outside Glasgow
• Rudolf Hess's relationship to Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy
• Biographical Sketch of Rudolph Hess - From Auschwitz Website

v • d • e The Hitler Cabinet – 30 January 1933 to 30 April 1945

Adolf Hitler | Franz von Papen | Konstantin von Neurath | Joachim von Ribbentrop | Wilhelm Frick | Heinrich Himmler | Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk | Alfred Hugenberg | Kurt Schmitt | Hjalmar Schacht | Hermann Göring | Walther Funk | Franz Seldte | Franz Gürtner | Franz Schlegelberger | Otto Georg Thierack | Werner von Blomberg | General Keitel | Freiherr von Eltz-Rübenach | Julius Heinrich Dorpmüller | Wilhelm Ohnesorge | R. Walther Darré | Herbert Backe | Joseph Goebbels | Bernhard Rust | Fritz Todt | Albert Speer | Alfred Rosenberg | Hanns Kerrl | Hermann Muhs | Otto Meißner | Hans Lammers | Martin Bormann | Karl Hermann Frank | Rudolf Hess | Ernst Röhm