Rudolf Hess was a high-ranking member of the Nazi Party, whom Hitler appointed in 1933 as his deputy. He fought in World War I for Germany, joined the Nazi Party in 1920, and participated in the failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. In 1941, Hess made a solo flight to Scotland in hopes of convincing the British to back off of Germany, but it failed, and he was arrested by the British. He was sent to prison and hanged himself while in custody in 1987 at the age of 93.
Early Life and World War I
Rudolf Walter Hess was born on April 26, 1894, in Alexandria, Egypt, to a wealthy German family. Originally, his ancestor came from Bohemia, and his grandparents only relocated to Egypt in the 1870s. He had two siblings: the first, Alfred, born in 1897, and the second, Margaret, born in 1908. In 1909, Hess returned to Germany to further his higher education.
At the outbreak of World War I, Hess enlisted in the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, and was present at the First Battle of Ypres. During the war, Hess was promoted multiple times: corporal in 1915; senior non-commissioned officer; platoon leader in 1917; and, in October of the same year, lieutenant of the reserve.
Just before the end of the First World War, Hess voluntarily trained to be a fighter pilot but didn’t see combat before the war ended in November 1918. The following month, he was discharged from the armed forces and subsequently joined the Thule Society. In 1919, he enrolled at the University of Munich, studied history, and met Professor Karl Haushofer, who instilled the idea of Lebensraum in the future deputy Führer.
Nazi Party and World War II
Days before, Hitler’s speech mesmerized Rudolf Hess, leading him to join the Nazi Party on July 1, 1920. His party number was 16. In November 1923, he participated alongside Hitler in the Beer Hall Putsch, where Hitler had hoped to easily seize control of the Bavarian government. The putsch failed; Hitler, Hess, and others were arrested and sent to Landsberg Prison. While in prison, Hess worked with Hitler to write Mein Kampf, Hitler’s pseudo-biography book, and in December 1924, both men were released on parole.
During the year leading up to 1933, the Nazi Party struggled but continued to grow. In January 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany and made Hess his official deputy. Hess was heavily involved in Hitler’s government before the outbreak of the Second World War but failed to build a strong power base for himself. By 1941, the second year of the war, Hitler had completely marginalized Hess, causing him to fall out of favor.
In the hope of regaining Hitler’s favor, Hess planned to persuade Great Britain to withdraw from the war, thereby allowing Germany to avoid a two-front war as the plan for Operation Barbarossa unfolded in 1941. After multiple failed attempts, Hess successfully took off from Augsburg-Haunstetten on May 10, 1941, hoping to land at the home of the Duke of Hamilton to help persuade the British government of his intentions.
Trial and Imprisonment
During the flight, Hess lost his way to Scotland but managed to find his way back on course. Just before midnight on May 10, 1941, Hess parachuted onto a local farm, leaving his plane to crash-land. Upon landing, he was apprehended and taken to the nearby police station, where he requested to meet the Duke of Hamilton. When the two met, Hess explained why he had risked his life for the flight: that Hitler just wanted free rein in Europe in exchange for the British to keep their foreign possessions. Before long, Hess realized how unsuccessful his mission had been. Germany publicly announced Hess’s insane expedition shortly afterward. And subsequently, Hitler stripped Hess of all his party and state offices.
During the course of the Second World War, Hess was kept in and out of prison and hospitals, where he was monitored closely. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered unconditionally, and Hess was transported to Nuremberg in October. On September 30, 1946, after long deliberation by the International Military Tribunal, Hess was found guilty on two counts: crimes against peace and conspiracy with other German leaders to commit crimes. In July 1947, Hess was transported to Spandau Prison, where he would remain until his suicide in 1987. Before the time of his death at age 93, he had tried suicide multiple times before succeeding in 1987.
Source: Wikipedia contributors. (2001, May 18). Rudolf Hess. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Hess
