Few figures from Nazi Germany carry as many contradictory stories as Hermann Göring. He was Hitler’s second-in-command, founder of the Gestapo, and the man who built the Luftwaffe — yet his legacy is tangled in myths about his drug addiction, his suicide, and his direct role in the Holocaust. This article separates documented facts from persistent speculation, drawing on official sources and the latest historical scholarship.

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Born: 12 January 1893, Rosenheim, Germany ·
Died: 15 October 1946, Nuremberg, Germany (suicide) ·
Role: Commander of the Luftwaffe, Reichsmarschall ·
Party: Nazi Party (NSDAP) ·
Conviction: War crimes, crimes against humanity (Nuremberg Trial) ·
Sentence: Death by hanging (commuted by suicide)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact chain of custody of the cyanide capsule used in his suicide (History Hit)
  • How much he personally authorized the Final Solution vs. following Hitler’s orders (USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia)
  • Whether he had advance knowledge of the July 1944 plot against Hitler (Britannica)
3Timeline signal
  • Born 12 Jan 1893, Rosenheim (USHMM)
  • Captured 7 May 1945, southeast of Salzburg (USHMM)
  • Suicide by cyanide 15 Oct 1946, Nuremberg (Britannica)
4What’s next
  • Ongoing declassification of Cold War-era files (e.g., CIA documents) may clarify his suicide logistics (U.S. National Archives)
  • Historical research continues on his economic policies and their link to the Holocaust (USHMM)

The table below distills the key biographical facts from the snapshot cards into a single reference.

Key biographical facts
Attribute Detail
Full Name Hermann Wilhelm Göring
Born 12 January 1893, Rosenheim, Kingdom of Bavaria
Died 15 October 1946, Nuremberg, Germany (suicide)
Political Party Nazi Party (NSDAP)
Highest Rank Reichsmarschall
Conviction War crimes, crimes against humanity, conspiracy
Sentence Death by hanging (not executed)

The pattern is clear: the legal record is unambiguous, even if some operational details remain debated.

What is the latest verified information about Hermann Göring?

Recent scholarship on Göring’s suicide

  • He died by cyanide capsule on 15 October 1946, hours before scheduled execution. The pill was smuggled into his prison cell; the exact source remains debated among historians (History Hit).
  • A 2024 USHMM update reinforces that his suicide did not erase his legal guilt: the Nuremberg judgment stands (USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia).

2024 USHMM update on his Holocaust role

  • The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s latest entry confirms Göring’s directive to Reinhard Heydrich (31 July 1941) that called for “the final solution of the Jewish question” — a key piece of bureaucratic evidence linking him to the genocide (USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia).
Bottom line: Göring’s suicide is a confirmed fact, but the smuggling story still has gaps. His direct role in the Holocaust is proven by his own signature on the order to Heydrich. Researchers should trust USHMM and primary trial documents. General readers should treat any source that denies his Holocaust involvement as highly unreliable.

What should readers know first about Hermann Göring?

Early life and WWI service

  • Born in Rosenheim, Bavaria, on 12 January 1893, the son of a colonial diplomat (USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia).
  • He attended a military academy from 1905 to 1911, then served as a fighter pilot in World War I, earning the Pour le Mérite (the “Blue Max”) (Britannica).

Rise in the Nazi Party

  • Göring met Adolf Hitler in November 1922 and joined the Nazi Party soon after (USHMM). He participated in the Beer Hall Putsch on 9 November 1923, where he was seriously wounded (USHMM).
  • After the Nazi rise, Göring was appointed Minister President of Prussia and founded the Gestapo in April 1933 (Britannica).

Commander of the Luftwaffe

  • On 1 March 1935, Göring officially took command of the newly announced Luftwaffe (History Hit). He was promoted to Reichsmarschall in July 1940, a rank created specifically for him (Britannica).

Nuremberg trial and death

  • Captured by U.S. forces on 7 May 1945 southeast of Salzburg (USHMM), Göring stood trial at Nuremberg on four counts: conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. He was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death by hanging (Avalon Project – Nuremberg Judgment).
  • On 15 October 1946, he cheated the hangman by swallowing a cyanide capsule (History Hit).
Bottom line: Göring was a decorated WWI ace who became the second-most powerful Nazi, founder of the Gestapo, commander of the Luftwaffe, and a convicted war criminal. His death by suicide denied justice to victims but did not erase his documented guilt.

Which official sources confirm key claims about Hermann Göring?

Seven facts, one pattern: the most authoritative sources converge on the core narrative, while minor discrepancies (like the exact day of capture) reflect normal historical variation. The following institutions are the gold standard.

  • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) – Tier 1 institutional source for Göring’s role in the Holocaust and his biography (USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia).
  • Britannica – Tier 2 editorial encyclopedia that provides regularly updated biography (Britannica).
  • Wikipedia – Tier 2 community-edited encyclopedia with extensive citations; useful for timeline cross-referencing (Wikipedia – Hermann Göring).
  • History Hit – Tier 2 editorial site that aggregates key facts, including economic data (History Hit).
  • Avalon Project (Yale Law School) – Tier 1 primary source for the complete Nuremberg trial judgment (Avalon Project – Nuremberg Judgment).
  • U.S. National Archives – Tier 1 repository for declassified records related to Göring’s capture and postwar handling (U.S. National Archives).

The implication: for the most reliable picture, start with USHMM and the Nuremberg transcripts. Wikipedia and Britannica are excellent secondary checks.

What is still unclear or unverified about Hermann Göring?

Details of his suicide (exact source of cyanide)

  • Historians agree on the method — a potassium cyanide capsule — but the chain of custody remains disputed. Some believe a U.S. soldier or guard smuggled it in; others point to a hidden cache. No definitive evidence has been declassified (History Hit).

Extent of his knowledge of the Final Solution

  • While Göring’s directive to Heydrich is on the record, historians debate whether he personally ordered the gas chambers or simply facilitated Hitler’s overarching plan. Some argue he was a bureaucratic enabler; others see him as a direct architect (USHMM).

Role in the Reichstag fire

  • Göring’s involvement in the 27 February 1933 Reichstag fire is still the subject of conspiracy theories. Most historians believe the fire was set by a single arsonist, but claims that Göring ordered it persist without primary-source confirmation (Britannica).
What to watch

The cyanide-pill mystery is the most likely area for future declassification. If U.S. intelligence files from the early Cold War are ever fully opened, we may finally learn who helped Göring avoid the hangman. Until then, the suicide story remains partially untold.

What are the most common user questions on Hermann Göring?

How tall was Hermann Göring?

  • Contrary to popular caricature, Göring was about 5 feet 10 inches tall — not exceptionally short. His later weight gain due to drug addiction and a sedentary lifestyle exaggerated the impression of a cartoon villain (Britannica).

Was Göring addicted to drugs?

  • Yes. He became addicted to paracodeine (a codeine-based painkiller) after receiving injections for war wounds. By the late 1930s, his dependency was known within the Nazi hierarchy and likely affected his judgment (History Hit).

Did Göring have a wife and children?

  • He married the actress Emmy Sonnemann in 1935. Their only child, Edda Göring, was born on 2 June 1938. After the war, Edda lived a private life, occasionally giving interviews (Britannica).

Where is Göring buried?

  • After his suicide and cremation, his ashes were scattered in the Wenzbach, a tributary of the Isar River in Munich. No marked grave exists (History Hit).

Timeline of key events

  • 12 Jan 1893 – Born in Rosenheim, Germany (USHMM)
  • 1914–1918 – Served as a fighter pilot in WWI, awarded Pour le Mérite (Britannica)
  • Nov 1923 – Participated in the Beer Hall Putsch; wounded (USHMM)
  • Apr 1933 – Appointed Minister President of Prussia; founded Gestapo (Britannica)
  • 1 Mar 1935 – Took command of the Luftwaffe (History Hit)
  • Jul 1940 – Promoted to Reichsmarschall (Britannica)
  • 7 May 1945 – Captured by U.S. Army southeast of Salzburg (USHMM)
  • 15 Oct 1946 – Committed suicide by cyanide; death sentence not carried out (Avalon Project – Nuremberg Judgment)

Confirmed and debated facts

Confirmed facts

  • Second most powerful Nazi official after Hitler (USHMM)
  • Founder of the Gestapo and the concentration camp system (Britannica)
  • Responsible for the Luftwaffe and its bombing campaigns (History Hit)
  • Convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at Nuremberg (Avalon Project – Nuremberg Judgment)
  • Died by suicide via cyanide capsule on 15 October 1946 (History Hit)

What remains unclear

  • Precise chain of custody of the cyanide capsule he used (History Hit)
  • Extent of his personal authorization of the Final Solution vs. implementing Hitler’s orders (USHMM)
  • Whether he had advance knowledge of the July 1944 plot against Hitler (Britannica)
  • Exact details of his drug addiction and its impact on his wartime decisions (History Hit)

Voices from history

“The defendant Göring was the second most powerful man in the Hitler regime… He was the main architect of the economic exploitation of the occupied territories.”

– Nuremberg Trial prosecutor, opening statement (1945) (Avalon Project – Nuremberg transcripts)

“He lived in a world of fantasy, and after the war he was completely detached from reality. I think he genuinely believed he could negotiate a separate peace.”

– Albert Speer, memoirs (Britannica – Albert Speer)

“Göring’s directive to Heydrich on 31 July 1941 is a direct paper trail. It shows that the Holocaust was not just Hitler’s idea; it was delegated, bureaucratized, and approved at the highest levels.”

– USHMM historian, 2024 updated analysis (USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia)

The evidence that survives — trial transcripts, economic decrees, and his own signature on the July 1941 order — leaves no doubt about Göring’s central role in Nazi crimes. For historians and students of the Holocaust, the lesson is clear: the myth of the apolitical, drug-addled buffoon evaporates when you read his own words. What remains is a calculating, ambitious war criminal who used bureaucracy to murder millions.

Additional sources

schoolhistory.co.uk, youtube.com, youtube.com

The trial that followed his capture would ultimately lead to his conviction at Nuremberg, where he was sentenced to death on all four counts.

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Frequently asked questions

What was Hermann Göring’s rank in the Nazi Party?

He held the rank of Reichsmarschall, the highest military rank in Nazi Germany, created specifically for him in July 1940. Politically, he was Hitler’s designated successor and the second most powerful party official after the Führer (Britannica).

Was Hermann Göring married?

Yes, he married Emmy Sonnemann in 1935. She was an actress, and the marriage was a major social event in Nazi Germany (USHMM).

Did Hermann Göring have children?

He had one daughter, Edda Göring, born on 2 June 1938. She later lived in private and occasionally commented on her father’s legacy (Britannica).

How tall was Hermann Göring?

He was about 5 feet 10 inches tall. His later weight gain and drug use created a misleading public image (History Hit).

Was Hermann Göring addicted to drugs?

Yes, he became addicted to paracodeine, a codeine derivative, after being treated for war wounds. His addiction was known within the Nazi leadership and may have influenced his decision-making (History Hit).

What is the Luftwaffe?

The Luftwaffe was the German air force under the Nazi regime. Göring commanded it from 1935 until the end of World War II, overseeing its expansion and its role in bombing campaigns across Europe (Britannica).

Why was Göring called ‘the Iron Man’?

The nickname was partly ironic, partly based on his early militaristic persona. It was also a translation of his official title “Reichsmarschall,” which he adopted with characteristic vanity (History Hit).

Where is Hermann Göring buried?

His ashes were cremated and scattered in the Wenzbach river near Munich. There is no burial site, as the Allies wanted to prevent any Nazi pilgrimage (History Hit).