Robert Hess. Why did Rudolf Hess fly to Britain? Against my father's will

Essay four: Karl Wolf and Rudolf Hess Have you ever had a conversation with an SS Obergruppenführer? Moreover: with the SS Oberstgruppenführer, that is, with the holder of the highest rank in the SS hierarchy, which in all the years of the existence of the SS was awarded only once and to me

Rudolf Hess

Born 04/26/1894 in Alexandria, Egypt. Died? 08/17/1987 in Berlin, Germany.

Hess, Rudolf Hess), one of the leaders of Nazi Germany, deputy Fuhrer in the party, Nazi “number three”. Born April 26, 1894 in Alexandria, Egypt, into the family of a German merchant. During World War I, Hess served on the Western Front as a platoon commander in the same regiment as Hitler. He was wounded near Verdun. At the end of the war he transferred to serve in the air force. In 1919 he became a member of the Thule Society. At the same time he joined one of the units of the Volunteer Corps under the command of General Franz von Epp. In 1920 Hess became a member of the NSDAP. He studied at the University of Munich with Professor Karl Haushofer, whose geopolitical theories made a deep impression on him. After participating in the failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Hess fled to Austria. Returning to Germany, he was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment, which he served with Hitler in Landsberg prison, where Hitler dictated his book Mein Kampf to him. In 1925 he became Hitler's personal secretary, in December 1932 the chairman of the central party commission and a member of the Reichstag, and on April 21, 1933 - Hitler's deputy in the party. On June 29, 1933, Hess became Reich Minister without portfolio. After Hitler reorganized the military and political leadership on February 4, 1938, Hess became part of the so-called. Secret office. On 30 August 1939 he became a member of the executive council for defense. At the same time, he was appointed as Hitler's successor after Goering. By special decree, he was entrusted with control over all activities of the Nazi government and other government bodies. Not a single order of the government, not a single law of the Reich was in force until they were signed by Hitler or Hess. Hess was entrusted with making decisions on behalf of the Fuhrer, he was declared “the sovereign representative of the Fuhrer,” and his office was declared “the office of the Fuhrer himself.”

Hess's devotion to the Fuhrer, who raised him from the very bottom to the highest positions in the Reich, was absolute. Self-absorbed, Hess knew only unconditional faith in his Fuhrer. “Hitler,” he said, “is simply the personification of pure reason.” In 1934, Hess said: “We are proud to see that only one person remains above all criticism. Each of us feels and understands that Hitler is always right and that he will always be right.” At one of the Nuremberg party congresses, Hess, as usual preceding Hitler’s speech, said: “I have been granted many years to live and work next to the greatest son of the nation, whom our people must carry through a thousand years of their history.”

On May 10, 1941, Hess made a flight to Scotland that amazed many. On behalf of Hitler, he invited Great Britain to make peace and take part in a campaign against the USSR. In Great Britain, Hess was interned as a prisoner of war. In 1946 he appeared before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. Due to amnesia, he constantly asked the judges, repeating: “I don’t remember anything.” He was exhausted, broken, his deep-set eyes staring blankly into space. The court sentenced Hess to life imprisonment in Berlin's Spandau prison, where he died. (?)

On August 17, 1987, news came from Berlin that instantly spread throughout the world: Nazi number three hanged himself with a light bulb cord. Hitler's Germany Rudolf Hess. Since then, debate has not subsided about whether it was really suicide or whether Hess was helped to leave this world? The main argument for the fact that he could have been killed is a simple and quite logical question: why would a ninety-three-year-old man take his own life, especially at the moment when there was a glimmer of hope that he would still be released from Spandau prison? A prison in which he had been the only prisoner for many years.

We will return to the question of whether Hess could have become a victim of murderers, as well as why he appeared in the first place. Now another question seems much more interesting: what made him an icon of neo-Nazism? Indeed, why was it him, and not someone else from the nightmarish pantheon of the Third Reich, who was raised to the shield by modern Nazis? The answer, it seems, lies not in the actions of this historical character, but in his very personality. A personality subject to such distortions in the perception of the world that, with great stretch, one can say: Hess lived his entire life observing a world created solely by his imagination, almost a hallucination.

Far from Fatherland

Rudolf Hess was born on April 26, 1894 in... Africa, Egypt, in the suburbs of Alexandria. The family was respected and wealthy. His father, Johann Fritz Hess, was a successful trader. Family trading house was one of the largest in Alexandria. Little Rudolf and his brother and sister lived in their parents' two-story villa on the shore Mediterranean Sea. The villa was surrounded by a beautiful tropical garden. Communication outside the family was limited only to members of the German community. The children did not communicate with either the British or the Aborigines. Even the Hess brothers studied at home. Incredible, but true: having lived his childhood in Egypt, Hess saw the pyramids only before leaving. It was a secluded, carefree life. Later he called it paradise.

Nationalism is in the blood

With all this inner life The Hess family followed a strict routine, which was completely subordinated to the work of the father of the family, Fritz. He is generally described as a very strict father who adhered to patriarchal morals, a Puritan who did not tolerate freethinking at home. In addition, he was precisely from those layers of German society on which Nazism, which came to power, subsequently relied. A typical representative of the then German middle class with nationalistic convictions, with thoughts about the greatness of the German intellect and spirit, with painful German punctuality and discipline, which has become anecdotal, which is above everything, except, of course, Germany itself. Little Rudolf absorbed all this.

Finally, Germany!

At the age of fourteen, Rudolf ends up at the German House boarding school. Then it was the town of Bad Godesberg (now it is part of Bonn). The school was respected. It was believed that her students received not only excellent general education, but also good work skills. In addition, they placed considerable emphasis on sports education. At first, teachers noted some isolation of young Hess. But this is natural, given the closed home education Rudolph. However, then he completely got used to it and even became one of best students. He was so good that the school authorities strongly advised him to go to university. But his father saw in Rudolph the continuator of his work, and therefore young Hess entered the Higher commercial school in Switzerland. Perhaps he would have become a merchant, but then the First World War broke out.

Against my father's will

Yes, Rudolf went to fight against his father’s will. They had a tough conversation, during which younger Hess uttered a phrase that to some extent defined his entire later life. “Now orders are given by soldiers, not businessmen,” said Rudolf and went to enroll in the heavy cavalry regiment. His mother, by the way, immediately gave him her blessing, regretting that she herself was not a soldier and could not go to fight for her country. Hess did not join the cavalry. But he did not stay in the artillery, where he was assigned, considering that this would deprive him of the opportunity to fight with a knife, and transferred to the infantry. Rudolph fought, apparently, well. He was wounded three times (once seriously), received the Iron Cross second class, rose to the rank of lieutenant, managed to complete flight courses and even managed to take part in the last air battles that war.

Thule Society

After defeat in World War I, Germany experienced difficult times. And that's putting it mildly. The country literally plunged into depression. It was also hard for the Hess family. The British confiscated Rudolf's father's business in Alexandria. Fritz could no longer help his sons, and the demobilized Rudolf found himself broke. But he managed to enter the University of Munich for Faculty of Economics. But, perhaps, the main thing for Hess at this time was that he became a regular at meetings of the Thule Society. It's occult and political society, whose active members subsequently played a significant role in the creation of the German workers' party. The same party that was later reorganized into the notorious NSDAP. It was there that the cannibalistic ideas about the “master race”, which later blossomed in full bloom, grew. The society was, to some extent, the forerunner of the Ahnenerbe. It was there that nationalist, anti-Semitic and chauvinistic ideas finally took shape and became defining for Hess. It was there that he met the notorious anti-Semite Dietrich Eckart, one of the founders of the National Socialist movement Karl Harrer, the founder of the German Workers' Party Anton Drexler... Some researchers believe that at one of the society's meetings Hess first met Adolf Hitler. Agree, a very impressive company of “cannibals”.

Second father

Around this time, Hess met Karl Haushofer. Haushofer is not only the founder German school geopolitics. He preached social Darwinism, and considered war to be a method of solving geopolitical problems. "If a country does not fight for living space, it has no right to exist,” said Haushofer, who was also an ardent anti-Semite. And this despite the fact that quite Jewish blood flowed in his wife’s veins. Hess considered Haushofer his second father, and he looked after him until the end of his life.

Nazi number two

It was said above that in the message about Hess’s death it was said that he was Nazi number three. But this is if we talk about the state hierarchy. Hess was Hitler's official successor, but only after Goering. But in the party hierarchy, it was Rudolf Hess who was number two - “Deputy Fuhrer”. He actually conducted party affairs while Hitler dealt with state affairs. And it all started, of course, with an acquaintance, mutual sympathy. Then the “beer hall putsch”, a joint seven-month imprisonment with Hitler in almost “sanatorium” conditions in Landsberg prison, collaboration above " Mein Kampf“...Hess literally fell in love with Hitler and idolized him. And he called him “my Rudy.” It must be said that Hess was irreplaceable for the Fuhrer. His performance was legendary. He participated in almost everything and was not afraid to remain on the sidelines. He was considered a “staunch soldier of the party”, was modest in everyday life and never missed an opportunity in Once again praise your idol.

Rudolf Hess started as a personal secretary and eventually created his own powerful empire, almost equivalent to the empires of Himmler or Goering.

Hess's error

It must be said that Hess did not directly participate in the events of World War II, focusing on the party. Perhaps this is what saved him from the gallows at the end of Nuremberg. He did not participate in the development of plans for an attack on the USSR. But he could not help but guess about these plans. And then the idea came into his head, which he probably thought was brilliant, to save Germany from the need for a war on two fronts, by making peace with Great Britain, dividing spheres of influence with it. It is not known why he believed that London should agree to this, but in his illusory vision of the world, he really believed England to be a natural ally. Then, secretly from everyone, including Hitler, he develops a plan, prepares it for a long time, and on May 10, 1941, shortly before Germany attacked Soviet Union, flies to Scotland on his Me-110, converted specifically for this purpose. Let's not forget, Hess is a pilot!

There, unable to find a place to land, he unsuccessfully jumps with a parachute, is captured, and representatives of the British government talk to him, trying to understand whether he is acting on his own behalf or is an envoy of the Fuhrer. Very soon they become convinced of his inadequacy as a negotiator and transfer him to the category of prisoner of war until the end of the war. They say that Hitler, having learned about Hess’s arbitrariness and the result to which it led, fell into a rage, and then forever deleted his name from his life. The Soviet Union did not believe that Hess acted on his own, believing that the British government was really trying to conduct behind-the-scenes negotiations with the leadership of the Third Reich.

Nuremberg, prison and death

Then there were the Nuremberg trials, where Hess either fell into apathy and unconsciousness, then suddenly remembered everything and behaved defiantly and energetically. The doctors never came to see unanimous opinion, whether he was feigning amnesia or whether his consciousness was truly clouded. But they talked about signs of paranoia in Hess. Be that as it may, Hess received his sentence of life imprisonment (without admitting his guilt) and was, among others convicted at the trial, sent to Spandau prison in West Berlin, in the British area of ​​responsibility. The prison was administered in turn by British, American, Soviet and French administrations. After the other six prisoners served their sentences or were released for one reason or another, Hess remained the only prisoner in the prison. The question of his pardon was repeatedly raised. But the USSR was always against it. Moreover, Hess himself did not accept the pardon, repeating what he said in his last word at the trial: “I don’t regret anything.” According to other information, the Soviet Union offered to discuss the conditions for Hess’ release three times, but to no avail. However, in 1987, the USSR again allegedly offered to release Hess on humanitarian grounds. And on August 17, Hess, according to official reports, strangled himself with a lamp cord. After his death, Spandau Prison was completely demolished.

Suspicious, very suspicious

There is still a mountain of rumors surrounding the death of Rudolf Hess. Many people do not believe in his suicide, believing that Nazi number two was helped to die by the British, fearing that, upon being released, Hess would reveal the secret of their negotiations with Hitler. Moreover, on the day of Hess’s death, British guards were on duty. And Hess’s son said that he really promised to tell something. But, on the other hand, he could easily do this in prison during, say, the duty of the Soviet administration.

Life is like a hallucination

And finally, let’s return to the question of why the neo-Nazis chose Hess as their main character. Probably precisely because until the end of his life he was absolutely uncritical of the ideas and practices of National Socialism. It was not in vain that the doctors spoke about his paranoia. He was clearly in captivity of his overvalued and delusional ideas, which very poorly aligned with real world. Hence, by the way, his flight to the UK. By and large, Rudolf Hess lived in a completely different world, in a world that he could only share with “romantic” psychopaths like himself, who built their own terrifying castle on the sand, completely out of touch with reality. Yes, this is an illusion, this is a hallucination, but the trouble is that for those who hallucinate, the illusion is reality. And there are many such hallucinators in our time. It is for them that Hess is a hero. For others, he is a dangerous madman. And a criminal.

Name: Rudolf Walter Richard Hess

State: Germany

Field of activity: Policy

Greatest Achievement: Became a close ally of Hitler. Deputy Fuhrer of the NSDAP

Rudolf Hess was born into the family of a wealthy German merchant, in Alexandria (Egypt), on April 26, 1894. At the age of 12 he was sent back to Germany to receive an education. Later in Hamburg he took over his father's business.

In August 1914, Hess enlisted in the army, in the 1st Bavarian infantry regiment. During the process he was wounded twice. Hess served as a lieutenant and in 1918 became an officer pilot in the German air service.

Close friend of Adolf Hitler

After the war, Hess settled in Munich, where he entered the university, where he studied economics and history. During this period of time he was subjected to strong influence teachings of Karl Haushofer, who argued that the state is an analogue biological organism, whose “living space” can expand or shrink. As the state grows, it takes away land from weaker “organisms,” which at the same time “shrink.” This theory prompted Hess to write an essay: “What kind of person should be who will return Germany to its former greatness.” This essay included the following passage:

“Commanding with a strong hand, he does not shy away from bloodshed. To achieve his goals, he is ready to sacrifice the interests of his immediate circle.”

Hess joined the Freikorps of Eppa and participated in the suppression of the Spartan uprising during German revolution 1919. IN next year Hess attended the performance, after which he remarked:

“Either this man is a fool, or a hero who will save all of Germany.”

Hess was one of the first people to join the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). He soon became a devoted follower and close friend of Adolf Hitler.

In November 1923, Hess took part in the failed mission. Hess fled and took refuge for some time in the house of Karl Haushofer, in the Bavarian Alps. Later he was helped to move to Austria. Hess was eventually arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison. While serving time in Landsberg prison, Hess helped Hitler write " Mein Kampf" Hess translated Haushofer's theses, adapting them to Hitler's ideology, which fit perfectly into his National Socialist belief system.

Massacre between Nazis and communist revolutionaries

Heinrich Brüning and other high-ranking officials German politicians were concerned about the increasing power of Hitler's assault troops. It became obvious that this was preparation for a violent seizure of power in Germany. According to the terms and conditions Treaty of Versailles, the German army had a strength limit of 100,000 men. At the same time, the assault troops led by Rem numbered more than 400,000 people. German army did not have the resources to resist the Nazi forces. The people were ready to put up with the growth of the SA (assault troops), since they provided protection for Germany from the communist revolution, which was actively gaining momentum around the world. However, with the growing power of the SA, incidents of violence from stormtroopers became more frequent, and Brüning took the initiative to ban this organization.

In May 1932, Brüning was fired and replaced by Franz von Papen. New Chancellor was a member Catholic Party and sympathized. He lifted the ban on the SA. Over the next few weeks, carnage erupted in the streets between the Nazis and communist revolutionaries. During the clashes, 86 people died.

Seeking support for his new government, von Papen set the election date for July 1932. The NSDAP participated in these elections and received 230 seats in the Reichstag. This made the party the largest political force in Germany, which was also very popular among the people.

Head of the Central Committee

Hitler decided to take advantage of the current situation and demanded to be appointed chancellor, but Paul von Hindenburg refused. Major General Kurt von Schleicher received the post of Chancellor. Hitler flew into a rage and launched an active offensive against political system Germany. In his speeches, he called for the overthrow of democracy, which he called “stupidity, inferiority and cowardice.”

Hess gradually rose in the party hierarchy, and in December 1932 Hitler appointed him head Central Committee and deputy party leader. called Hess "the most dignified, quiet, intelligent, friendly and reserved."

The aggression of the NSDAP became more and more pronounced. Once 167 members Nazi Party beat up 57 representatives of the German Communist Party in the Reichstag. Stormtroopers also committed acts of violence throughout the country against socialists and communists. SA members were accused of murder and rape. Many people were shocked by what was happening and also by the fact that Hitler openly supported it. At the age of 43, Hitler finally achieved the post of Chancellor of Germany.

When it began, Hitler began to doubt Rudolf Hess. He appointed his other associates, such as Goebbels and others, to key positions. However, Hess definitely played a shadow role in the new German government.

Hess is part of the conspiracy

In 1940-41, Germany participated in peace negotiations with British opposition forces. This peace agreement included Germany's willingness to give up Norway, Denmark and France. A big meeting was to take place in England, at which Rudolf Hess was to represent German interests. was aware of the existence of these agreements, and was going to interfere with the negotiations.

On May 10, 1941, Hess flew to Great Britain, to Scotland. Secret intelligence Winston Churchill was already waiting for him. Hess was captured by David McLean's men as soon as he landed. He asked to be taken to the Duke of Hamilton, referred to in the text of the peace treaty as a "mediator". Negotiations were held in the presence of Maclean's guards, then Hess sent a letter to Hitler with a report. Hitler became convinced that Winston Churchill was against the deal and did not accept the security guarantees that Germany provided.

On 27 January 1942, Churchill made a statement in the House of Commons alleging that Hess was part of a conspiracy to remove him from power. According to Churchill, Hitler wanted to come to power throughout the world through the capture of Great Britain. Journalists communist party Britain immediately labeled the Duke of Hamilton a traitor, for which the Duke himself sued them in 1942.

The Communist Party attempted to recruit Hess as a witness in order to accuse Hamilton of treason. Hamilton made a statement that he never met Rudolf Hess. The government began to panic. Prime Minister of the Interior Herbert Morrison wrote a letter to Archibald Sinclair on June 18, 1941. In the letter, Morrison urged Sinclair to influence Hamilton to hush up the libel case. After some time, Hamilton actually abandoned the claim, and then the communists abandoned further proceedings.

Churchill and Sinclair did everything possible to protect Hamilton's reputation after negotiations with Hess. However, the hype grew and the situation got out of control. All this time Hess was kept in Tower of London. Hess left prison only on the day of his indictment in the Nuremberg court, November 13, 1945. Before the trial, Hess was examined American doctor– psychiatrist Donald Even Cameron.

Cameron was famous psychiatrist. He conducted experiments on sensory deprivation memory back in 1938. He worked for intelligence services USA since 1943. Cameron practiced inducing complete amnesia in a patient. The last such experience under his leadership was documented in 1947.

After communicating with Cameron, Hess was sent to Nuremberg. When he came face to face with Hermann Goering, Hess asked: “Who are you?” Goering reminded him of the events they had experienced together in the past, but Hess continued to insist that he did not know this man. Haushofer was then called. They had been best friends for the past 20 years, but Hess didn’t recognize him either. Hess did not recognize any of them Nazi leaders. then noted that Hess was no longer Hess.

After Nuremberg trials Rudolf Hess was imprisoned in Schlandau Prison, where he remained until his death on August 17, 1987. Official version claims that Hess committed suicide, but there is some doubt that the 93-year-old man himself, without outside help, could hang himself with an extension cord.

“To find out what Adolf is thinking, you need to listen to what Rudolf is talking about,” this statement belongs to one joker from Hitler’s inner circle and seems like a funny paradox only at first glance.

Rudolf Hess, like Hitler, was not born in Germany. His father had a large trading and export company in Alexandria. Hess had a cloudless childhood. However, he broke away from his family early. At the age of 14, he was sent to study in Switzerland, at the famous higher commercial school.

Before the First World War, 18-year-old Hess completed an internship in Hamburg, studied maritime affairs and forever fell in love with Britain. Hess fought bravely. First in the infantry - he commanded a platoon. Then in aviation, in the famous Richthofen squadron, of which Goering became commander at the end of the war. Was wounded twice, received two iron cross. He finished the war as a lieutenant.

Hess had a cloudless childhood, but he broke away from his family early

The prospect of becoming the head of the family company did not appeal to Rudolf. And he obtained his parents’ consent to study at the University of Munich at the Faculty of Economics. And lectures were given to him there by Professor Karl Haushofer, the famous founder of the German school of geopolitics. In fact, Haushofer, a man of encyclopedic knowledge and a broad outlook, pushed young Hess onto that narrow nationalist path that was so abhorrent to him. It was Haushofer who led his student to the Thule society, the ideological forerunner of the NSDAP. It’s curious, would Hess have had a different mentor then?..

The bitterness of defeat, pain for a bloodless, impoverished homeland in the 1920s pushed energetic German youth into two camps - communists and Nazis. From the diary of Hess's sister Margarita, we learn that in 1921 her brother was going to attend meetings of the university communist cell. There is no evidence that he actually visited, but the following lines from the letter remain to the best friend, to Haushofer’s son, Albrecht: “The communists promise the revival of the homeland in 30 years. The source is labor and the universal brotherhood of peoples? Are there inferior ones among them? Hugging with Russians and French after Versailles? No. This is not my way. The ashes of Verdun knock in my heart. The party of revenge is closer to me."

Karl Haushofer was the teacher, mentor and friend of Rudolf Hess

And young Hess made a choice in favor of a party whose program included two keywords- “revenge” and “expansion”. However, having joined the NSDAP, Hess did not immediately break with his usual environment. He continued to study, worked at the department, wrote a dissertation on political economy, went in for sports, fell in love with beautiful girl- his future wife. But Hitler had already appeared in his life. Their relationship is a separate matter.

Hess found not only a party, he also found that person - a leader who, in his opinion, could change the fate of Germany. True, this leader did not immediately become what Rudolf wanted him to be. And already in the mid-1920s, Hess began to implement his program of pharaohization, that is, transforming Hitler from a traditional leader into a deity, which he initially resisted. But in this and other cases, the will of Rudolf Hess turned out to be stronger than Adolf Hitler. But Hess had zero ambition. As for intelligence: “I could never understand,” Karl Haushofer wrote in 1946, “why Rudolf’s strong mind hardly resists the mental stimulation of a dropout.” This is Haushofer talking about Hitler.

“I don’t regret anything,” Hess’s last words in Nuremberg

Hess's wife Elsa, a loving person, but sober and critical, noted with sadness how her husband's personality had shrunk and dimmed over the years, how firmly the mask of the Fuhrer's shadow had grown to his previously expressive face. This impoverishment of Hess's personality had very definite consequences. Hess not only moved away from himself, he also moved away from Hitler, turning to mysticism and paramedicine. It was this distance that gave rise to the version that the Deputy Fuhrer began to lose his position over time, that his flight to England on peace talks was caused by the desire to return to its previous position. The legend is about the spontaneity of his decision and nervous breakdown- this is the fruit of that propaganda campaign, which Hess himself carefully developed in case of failure. Amazingly well designed. They still believe.

But what is most striking is something else. Having lived 93 years, of which 46 years in prison, having, like no one else, time to comprehend everything that his party and the Fuhrer had done, Rudolf Hess never showed even a shadow of remorse. “I don’t regret anything,” he ended his the last word in Nuremberg. “Humanism is too slow. No, I don’t regret anything,” and this is from a letter to my son. Letters are excellent, persuasive documents. But in the 1980s in the West there was a serious proposal to give Rudolf Hess Nobel Prize. What would you think? For strengthening peace.