Walter Richard Rudolf Hess was a Deputy Fuhrer of Nazi Germany from 21 April 1933 to 12 May 1941, preceding Martin Bormann. He is considered the third most important politician in Nazi Germany after Hitler and Hermann Göring.
Education
Rudolf Hess received an evangelic and nationalistic education. The German community in Egypt was very strong and patriotic and also very close. Rudolf went to the small schools that had been set up by members of the German community. From the age of 12 onwards, Rudolf was taught by private teachers. The family lived in a villa in Ibrahimieh, a suburb of Alexandria. The family spent summer holidays on an estate in Reicholdsgrün in the Fichtel mountains in northern Bavaria, Germany.
In 1908, Hess was sent to a boarding school in Bad Godesberg near Bonn to take up an education at the evangelical Otto-Kühne-Schule (secondary grammar school). He did not return to Egypt. According to most sources, Rudolf showed an above-average intellect and he did well in subjects like natural sciences and mathematics. After graduation, Hess really wanted to study engineering but his father disapproved. He insisted Rudolf should take a course at the École Supérieure du Commerce (higher trade school) at Neuchâtel, Switzerland. After graduation, he became a trainee with a trading firm in Hamburg. Hess seemed to have enjoyed himself very much in Hamburg. He played tennis and visited a theatre often. He also read much and in particular books on the nautical history of Germany.
In 1919, he attended Munich University briefly and was a student of geopolitical professor Karl Haushofer, a former general whose ideas on politics and races made a profound impression on Hess and a close friendship evolved between the two. In his lectures on geopolitics, Haushofer claimed, among other things, Germany was in need of Lebensraum (space to live) in the East.
Career
When the First World War broke out in August 1914, Hess reported as a volunteer in the 7 Königliches Bayerisches Feldartillerie Regiment (Royal Bavarian Fieldartillery regiment), despite the disapproval of his father. After basic training, Hess had to perform garrison duties for some time, albeit very reluctantly as he wanted to fight for the Fatherland. This wish of his was fulfilled when he was transferred to the western front. He received his baptism of fire on the Somme, he also took part as an infantryman of the artillery regiment in the first battle of Ypres, which was launched on October 21, 1914.
On November 9th, 1914, Hess was transferred to 1 Bayerisches Infanterie-Regiment (Bavarian Infantry regiment), at that moment stationed in the vicinity of Arras. With this unit, he fought on the western front and in Belgium. He considered fighting and risking one’s life for the Fatherland highly honorable. His comrades described Hess as very courageous, someone who was always at the head of the fighting and who frequently reported as a volunteer to lead a reconnaissance patrol. On April 15th, 1915, Hess was promoted to Gefreiter (Corporal). On April 27th, 1915 he was awarded the Eisernes Kreuz 2 (EK 2, Iron Cross). In August 1915 he went to Münster for advanced military training and in October the same year, he was promoted to Vizefeldwebel (Staff Sergeant) and posted back to his regiment in the vicinity of Neuville-Saint-Vaast in Artois. He served here as commander of a shock troop and was injured in his left hand and upper arm during the fighting for Fort Douaumont near Verdun on June 12, 1916.
Rudolf Hess enrolled in the German air force in 1918. He commenced flight training in March on Fliegerhorst (air base) Lechfeld near Augsburg. Hess received his wings only a few weeks prior to the armistice of November 11, 1918. During the last days of the war, he served in the Bayerische Jagdstaffel (Bavarian Fightersquadron) 35. He took part in a number of dogfights over Valenciennes in a Fokker D.VII but did not manage anymore to distinguish himself in this short period. After the armistice, Hess left the army in December of the same year, a disillusioned man.
After the war, the possessions of the Hess family were confiscated by the British. Financially speaking, Rudolf did a lot worse than before. Hess joined the Freikorps, a right-wing organization of ex-soldiers for hire, involved in violently putting down Communist uprisings in Germany.
On May 19, 1920, Hess attended a meeting in a beer cellar in Munich of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP, National Socialist German Workers Party), a tiny extreme right-wing party, founded on February 24th, 1920. Here, for the first time, he heard Hitler speak. Later he said about this: "I heard a man speak today and if anyone can free us from the shackles of the Treaty of Versailles, he surely can. This man, this stranger will regain our honor." The impact of this meeting was huge and consequently, on July 1st, 1920, Hess became member number 16 of the NSDAP. In the fall of 1920, he founded, with like-minded people, the 1 Münchener NS Studentensturm (Munich Nazistudent group), a predecessor of the future national socialist student unions.
During the attempted coup on November 8 and 9, 1923 in Bavaria that was carried out by the party and led by Hitler, it was Hess’ task to stand guard over the ministers who had been taken hostage, including the conservative Prime Minister of Bavaria, Eugen Ritter von Knilling. Consequently, he was not present at the Bierhalle Putsch (coup of the beer hall) when the Bavarian police put a bloody end to it, resulting in 16 members of the NSDAP and four police officers dead. Later, on November 11, Hitler was arrested. When Hess heard of the failure, he fled with his hostages but they managed to escape. The escaped Nazi then went into hiding in Austria and later with the Haushofer family in the Bavarian Alps. Here he resumed his studies that he had neglected in the previous period.
When Hess learned that Hitler had been condemned to a relatively light sentence of five years in prison, he decided he would give himself up to the police, reasoning: "I can’t get it any worse than my master" For his participation in the coup, Hess was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Just like Hitler, he was sent to Landsberg prison to serve his sentence. The conditions in this prison were remarkably comfortable. Hess and Hitler both had a spacious cell, they were allowed to receive visitors and enjoyed much freedom within the prison. During his post-war imprisonment in Spandau prison, Hess often recalled it in sadness.
In prison, the future dictator started to write his book "Mein Kampf" (My struggle). Many sources claim Hitler dictated this book in large measure to Hess. This is not true, however. Research by historian Othmar Plöckinger shows that the first part of Mein Kampf had already been written by Hitler even before Hess was interned in this prison so he can’t have contributed much to this part. It is probable however that the concept of Lebensraum was included in this book on instigation by Hess. He was also charged with editing the second part of Mein Kampf.
After his release in early 1925, Hess was employed as Hitler’s personal secretary for a few years, although he did not have an official rank within the party. After Hitler had been discharged from prison he took it on himself to gain power the legal way. He re-organized the party and after the ban on the NSDAP, which had been imposed in November 1923 was lifted in February 1925, he and the party took part in regional and general elections. However, the first years brought little success to the party. In his capacity as secretary, Hess was continuously in Hitler's vicinity. He kept the agenda, organized party meetings, answered letters, and accompanied Hitler on his campaign tours. Persons who had requested a meeting with the party leader had to see Hess first before meeting the Führer himself.
Meanwhile, Hess busied himself with fundraising for the party among the German captains of industry. He was very successful in this. Hess was a former officer and came from wealthy circles, he was a gentleman and consequently could get along well with factory owners and bankers, causing the funds of the party to increase considerably. In these years, Hess enlarged the Parteikanzlei (party chancellory), the administrative heart of the party, until May 1941 designated the Stab des Stellvertreters des Führers (staff of the Führer’s deputy). In 1931, this organization moved into its own offices in the so-called Braunes Haus (brown house) in Munich, the party headquarters. In the meantime, Hess had also become a member of the Schutzstaffel. The successes of the party increased. Membership of the NSDAP gradually increased to 1,500,000 in 1929.
After the elections in November 1932, in which the communists achieved a sizeable victory, fear for a revolution increased in Germany. Hitler turned this fear to his advantage and threatened that the communists would seize power unless he was appointed Reichskanzler. On January 4th, 1933, conservative politician Franz von Papen entered into negotiations with Adolf Hitler to try and form a government. The country already suffered from a political crisis for months. On January 30th, 1933, Reichspräsident Von Hindenburg bowed to the pressure that mainly came from prominent industrialists and estate owners and he appointed Hitler Reichskanzler. Because of the fire in the building of the Reichstag on February 27th, 1933 and the subsequent proclamation of the Emergency Law, prohibiting all resistance and the Authorisation Law that was passed on March 23rd, Hitler was able to seize all power and establish the Third Reich.
On April 21, 1933, Hitler appointed Hess Stellvertreter des Führers (the Führer’s deputy). This position did not carry real power but now, Hess was allowed to attend meetings of the cabinet. In December 1933, he finally became a member of the cabinet after he was appointed Minister without Portfolio. As the Authorisation Law was passed on March 24, 1933, the unification of the party and State became a reality. From then on, the government did not have to lay its decisions before the parliament for verification, effectively sidetracking the Reichstag. From that day on, Hitler was able to yield his power by issuing decrees. As Hess was in charge of the central commission, his tasks consisted mainly of checking and converting these decrees into official language. Hess also supervised the Germans who were living abroad and the Auslandorganisation (AO, foreign agency) of the NSDAP. Furthermore, Hess was authorized to enter into negotiations with other countries on behalf of Hitler.
Despite the fact that Hess held an important position within the party, he had little power in comparison to the other top Nazis like for instance Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler. In his position, he could hardly take any initiative himself as his functions were more of a representative nature and he had to share his power with others.
The limited influence of Hess became obvious when he was not informed in advance of the Night of the Long Knives. During this bloodbath, which occurred in the night of June 30th - July 1, 1934, the entire top of the SA was murdered because Hitler did not trust the organization any longer. The SA had served Hitler well but once he had risen to power, the organization became more and more repugnant to him. The leader of the organization, Ernst Röhm wanted his SA to take the place of the German army. Moreover, Hitler was called on to do something about the aggressive and uncoordinated conduct of this paramilitary unit. Other opponents of Hitler’s were also murdered, including Gregor Strasser. Although Hess was angry over the fact that he had not been informed beforehand, later he did co-operate in explaining away this action.
On September 1, 1939, the day on which Nazi Germany invaded Poland and unleashed the Second World War, Hitler named Rudolf Hess his second successor after Hermann Göring. This was no more than a ceremonial act that did not carry additional power.
On September 3, 1939, Great-Britain and France declared war on Germany because of the invasion of Poland. This was a setback for Hitler who had never expected that the Allies would go to war over Poland. Hitler saw Great-Britain as Germany’s natural ally, as he had written in Mein Kampf. Germany’s real enemy was in the east, in the form of the Soviet Union. At that time, Hess may have gotten the idea to try and make peace with Great-Britain. He seems to have offered to join the Luftwaffe as a fighter pilot but Hitler forbade this and banned him from flying.
Initially, the war progressed highly successful for the Third Reich. Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxemburg were all captured by the Wehrmacht. In June 1940, Germany even settled an account with arch-enemy as France officially surrendered on June 22nd, 1940. Hess, in his capacity as deputy party leader, attended this ceremony in Compiègne. Despite the great success of Blitzkrieg, Hess remained convinced that peace had to be made with Great-Britain. He considered it strange that two Germanic nations were fighting each other, whilst the real enemy was in the east in the form of the Bolshevist Soviet Union. By achieving this peace, he probably hoped he could regain Hitler’s favor.
He made his first attempt through the German diplomat Albrecht Haushofer, the son of his former teacher. Hess tried to contact Douglas, Duke of Hamilton via Portugal. Why Hess choose exactly this person is not entirely clear. Hess had met the Duke during the Olympic Games of 1936 in Berlin. The Duke however did not hold an important position in the British government. He was however an opponent of Winston Churchill’s (Bio Churchill) and an advocate of peace. Hess probably overestimated the influence and power of this duke. On September 23, 1940, Albrecht Haushofer sent a letter to an acquaintance in Lisbon, Violet Roberts, who was to forward an enclosed message to the Duke of Hamilton. However, the message was intercepted by the British Secret Service MI5 and Douglas Hamilton would never receive it. The exact progress of the attempts at negotiations between Great-Britain and Germany is hard to ascertain as the files concerned are still classified in British archives.
At that moment, a plan began to arise in Hess to fly to England himself. Hitler was not aware of these plans. With help from the factory in Augsburg, Hess managed to get his hands on a Messerschmidt Me 110. He argued he needed this aircraft for testing. He had the plane fitted with additional fuel tanks and had radio and navigation equipment converted. Hess’ servant, Josef (Sepp) Platzer found a farm in Austria where Hess could prepare himself for his flight. Using his contact Hans Bauer, Hitler’s pilot, Hess obtained maps of the German air space. Hess also pored over English history and language. Apart from that, he wrote a speech he intended to deliver to British officers.
On May 10, 1941, Hess made a third attempt, he took off from Augsburg at 17:45. In his fighter plane, especially equipped for the long flight with two additional fuel tanks, he covered the more than 932 miles over the North Sea to Dungavel House, the residence of the Duke of Hamilton near Strathaven, not far from Glasgow. He wanted to propose to this man to use his influence on British politics to come to a peace treaty between Great-Britain and Germany, because Germany stood on the brink of plunging into a war on a second front by launching Operation Barbarossa. Hess wanted to prevent a war on two fronts; a war he probably knew, Germany could never win.
At a distance of just 31 miles from the residence of the Duke of Hamilton, at an altitude of 6.000 feet, Hess bailed out at about 22:50, pulled his parachute a little later, and eventually came down near Eaglesham, fracturing his ankle on landing. On Sunday morning he met the Duke of Hamilton for the first time. During this conversation, Hess identified himself as the deputy of Adolf Hitler. Douglas Hamilton however had his doubts about the identity of the prisoner. He contacted Winston Churchill who initially reacted with disbelief to the news that Hess had landed in Scotland.
On Churchill’s instruction, Hess was transferred to London. The British Prime Minister gave order that Hess should be considered a prisoner of war. He was to be kept isolated from other prisoners but was to be treated well. He was incarcerated in the famous/notorious Tower of London. Later on, he was interned in Mytchett Place in Surrey. From the interrogations by officers of MI6, the British authorities concluded that Hess was mentally unstable. Winston Churchill was very upset by the intentions and statements of Hess.
There is still debate amongst historians as to whether Hitler knew in advance of Hess’s flight. His reaction cited above and the fact that Hess’ fellow workers were subsequently severely punished, makes this unlikely. Hitler waited for a few days before taking action. He may have fostered a little hope something would emerge from the attempted negotiation. On May 13, however, an official proclamation was issued stating that party comrade Hess had become insane and was suffering from delusions making him guilty of treason by flying to England, even though a ban on flying had been imposed on him. Martin Bormann took over his functions. Hitler however did not appoint another deputy of the Führer. The co-workers of Hess, who had been involved in his escape (his adjutants, a technician, and his servant), were arrested and sent to concentration camp Sachsenhausen.
The Nazileaders were afraid that their allies, Italy and Japan, would deduce from Hess’s action that Germany wished to make peace with Great-Britain on her own initiative. That is why Germany immediately dispatched a diplomatic mission to Benito Mussolini (Bio Mussolini) to make it clear that Hess had acted alone and under the influence of a mental disorder. Hitler also feared that Great-Britain would inflate the story and use it for purposes of propaganda. This did not happen however as the British also feared that the impression would arise that they would be open to negotiations with Germany.
On October 10, 1945, Hess was transferred to Germany. In 1946 he stood trial along with other Nazi leaders before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. During the trial, Hess often seemed mentally absent. During the proceedings he usually read a book or he just sat staring into space. He usually answered questions by the judges by saying he could no longer remember. He gave the impression he was suffering from amnesia. Later on, he contradicted this and claimed that this simulated amnesia had been just a tactic of his. In the end, Hess was sentenced to life imprisonment.
To serve his sentence, Hess was transferred to Spandau prison in Berlin on July 1947 where he was henceforth designated as prisoner number 7. In Spandau, a rather strict regime was maintained, especially during the first years. A strict daily routine was enforced, one letter was allowed to be sent only once every four weeks and contact between prisoners was limited to a minimum. During his imprisonment, Hess occupied himself with reading (mainly historic and scientific works), writing letters, and walking in the prison garden.
The regime of Hess’s imprisonment however became more relaxed at the end of the sixties. He moved into a larger cell, he did not have to work anymore and he gained much freedom within the prison. On October 1, 1966, Albert Speer and Baldur von Schirach (Bio Von Schirach) were discharged from Spandau prison. From that moment on, Hess was the sole prisoner in a jail with 600 cells. The cost for his imprisonment rose to 800,000 Mark a year. In December 1969, his wife Ilse and his son Wolf Rüdiger visited him for the first time. At that moment, he had been admitted to a British military hospital in West-Berlin to be treated for a perforated ulcer and intestinal complaints. In January 1970, he returned to Spandau. Despite many persons speaking out in favor of the release of Hess, including Winston Churchill, Willy Brandt (German federal chancellor at the time), and Hartley Shawcross (the prosecutor for Great-Britain during the Nurnberg trial), the Soviet Union remained adamant.
On August 17, 1987, 93-year-old Hess was found dead in a garden house on the premises of the prison. He had hung himself with a power cable. The official version was suicide which became apparent, among other things, from a letter of farewell that was discovered near his body. A number of people, including his son, claimed he had been murdered on orders from the British because he allegedly knew too much about the negotiations between Germany and Great-Britain during World War Two. However, despite two post mortems and other intensive research, nothing was ever discovered to corroborate this theory.
Views
With his speeches and his work in the central commission, Hess did contribute to the fast-rising anti-Semitism in Germany during the 1930s. On May 15th, 1934, Hess was put in charge of the Rassenpolitisches Amt der NSDAP (department of the racial policy). In this capacity, he was involved in the proclamation of anti-Semitic measures, such as prohibiting party members to associate with Jews and the disbarring of Jewish lawyers. The Nurnberger racial laws were drafted by this party agency and some of them were written by Rudolf Hess himself. Later he issued the decrees imposing exceptional penal law on Poles and Jews. In 1936 he also paid a visit to Dachau concentration camp where he was shown around by Heinrich Himmler himself.
Despite his strong avulsion for Jews, Hess was shocked by the Kristallnacht of November 9th and 10th, 1938, during which Jewish shops were destroyed on a large scale, synagogues set on fire, and people tortured and killed. These vandalic actions went straight against the bourgeoise nature of Hess. He sent a message to the Gauleiter, calling on them to curb the violence but nothing was done. Again proof for the fact that his influence was decreasing. He was steadily given more representative functions. He was usually shut out from important meetings. Therefore, he seldom talked with his Führer. As deputy of the Führer in foreign affairs, he did however sign the law that legalized the Anschluss (unification) of Austria and Nazi Germany. He also took part in the negotiations with Czechoslovakia, leading to the annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938 and the remaining parts of the country in March 1939.
Hess always believed in the supernatural. He had practiced astrology - he was convinced that the future could be determined by reading the stars. He had an interest in other occult things like the divining rod. Before he went to sleep, he always checked his room for waterveins (subterranian streams of water with negative radiation). Hess suffered from inexplicable abdominal and intestinal pains which he could not shed, despite numerous medical treatments and adapted food. He visited prayer healers, magnetizers, and all kinds of alternative healers. His interest in the supernatural caused his esteem within the party to decrease. Many people claimed that Hess was going nuts. Hermann Göring said about him: "For as long as I have known Hess, he was already a little deranged. His appointment by Hitler to deputy party leader was a mystery to many. I have always thought it was caused by Hitler’s loyalty to old friends."
Quotations:
"The party is Hitler, Hitler is Germany, and Germany is Hitler!"
"I was permitted to work for many years of my life under the greatest son whom my people has brought forth in its thousand-year history. Even if I could, I would not want to erase this period of time from my existence. I am happy to know that I have done my duty, to my people, my duty as a German, as a National Socialist, as a loyal follower of my Führer. I do not regret anything. If I were to begin all over again, I would act just as I have acted, even if I knew that in the end, I should meet a fiery death at the stake. No matter what human beings may do, I shall some day stand before the judgment seat of the Eternal. I shall answer to Him, and I know He will judge me innocent."
Personality
Hess was polite, good-natured, and was a good listener. Hess was deeply impressed by Adolf Hitler and he was the first to address him as Führer. The German historian Guido Knopp writes that Hess was always on the look out for an authoritarian figure to guide him.
Despite the fact that he was a poor speaker, he soon did become one of the most popular figures of the regime. Probably because he was seen as the epitome of decency: he was incorruptible, reliable, and direct and that set him somewhat apart from other important Nazis as Hermann Göring and Josef Goebbels. Among others, it was Hess’s task to announce Hitler at the Reichsparteitage (days of the party) as can be seen in the documentary Triumph des Willens (triumph of the will) by Leni Riefenstahl and to direct the ceremony of oath-taking to Hitler. He frequently used phrases like: "Die Partei ist Hitler, Hitler ist aber Deutschland wie Deutschland Hitler ist" (Hitler is the Party but Hitler is Germany just like Germany is Hitler) and: "Our nationalsocialism is anchored in blind docility, in devotion to the Führer whom one does not ask why and for whom one does in silence whatever he orders." The German historian Guido Knopp describes Hess in his role in the adoration of the Führer as the "high priest of the Hitler cult."
Hess possessed little personal ambition. He had a somewhat naive character and did not strive after power or luxury; being a faithful servant and being in Hitler’s favor was more important to him. The fact that Hess joined the Geheime Kabinettsrat (secret ministerial council) in February 1938 and became a member of the Reichsverteidigingsrat (council for national defense) in August 1939 made little difference. Both councils had more of a symbolic function without having any power of decision; moreover, Hess seldom attended the meetings.
Despite his busy work for Hitler, Hess continued to pursue his great hobby: flying which he had learned in World War One. He regularly took part in air races and even fostered plans to cross the Atlantic. In 1930 he received his own airplane which he used, among other things for purposes of advertising and campaigning.
Physical Characteristics:
Even today, there is still much debate over Hess’s mental condition. It was well enough to complete the flight to Scotland; an enterprise that displayed a sound mind and professional ability, according to friend and foe alike. It is obvious however that mentally speaking, he was not well, the psychological records are clear about this. It is unclear however where the real disorders ended and the simulated ones began as it is also obvious that Hess frequently simulated something or other and then mainly amnesia.
During the Nuremberg trials, Hess often seemed mentally absent. During the proceedings, he usually read a book or he just sat staring into space. He usually answered questions by the judges by saying he could no longer remember. He gave the impression he was suffering from amnesia. Later on, he contradicted this and claimed that this simulated amnesia had been just a tactic of his.
During his imprisonment, Hess suffered from psychic and bodily disorders, simulated or not. He complained about nightmares, sleeplessness, and stomach and intestinal pains. He saved chunks of bread and other left-overs in order to have them examined to prove that they contained poison. Hess was examined by many psychiatrists and they concluded that Hess was a hypochondriac and suffering from paranoia.
Quotes from others about the person
"Reflecting upon the whole of the story, I am glad not to be responsible for the way in which Hess has been and is being treated. Whatever may be the moral guilt of a German who stood near to Hitler, Hess had, in my view, atoned for this by his completely devoted and frantic deed of lunatic benevolence. He came to us of his own free will, and, though without authority, had something of the quality of an envoy. He was a medical and not a criminal case, and should be so regarded." - Winston Churchill
"I saw Hess's pendulum and he used it. I never paid any attention to his strange ideas. He was quiet and bothered nobody. I knew a great surgeon who believed in a similar pendulum, using it the same way Hess did. Apparently, it's a common superstition." - Hermann Goering