A top official in the Third Reich, Rudolf Hess started out as one of Adolf Hitler’s most trusted right-hand men. However, as the Nazi party embedded itself across Germany, then Europe, pushing towards World War II, Hess made decisions that resulted in his ousting, with no friends to be found on either side of the conflict.
Even several decades after his death, questions surround Hess concerning everything from his decision-making to the cause of his demise.
Early Life: Egypt to Europe
Despite his reputation as a German nationalist devoted to the Fatherland and the Nazi party, Rudolf Hess did not get his start in Germany itself. Born in 1894 in a suburb of Alexandria, Egypt, Hess was the son of a German merchant. His education began in Alexandria, and he was taken to Germany, where he joined the military at the onset of World War I. It was amongst the horrors of war that Hess met a man in his regiment who became an architect of horror himself: Adolf Hitler. He remained close to Hitler after the conclusion of the war and was hired as Hitler’s personal secretary in 1920. In doing so, he also became a member of the new Nazi Party, which was slowly spreading throughout Germany and gaining traction among the people.
Hess and the Nazis Rise to Power
In 1923, members of the Nazi Party, including Hess and Hitler, put together an attempt to overthrow the Bavarian government. Their efforts, known as the Beer Hall Putsch, failed, and many were imprisoned. Hess and Hitler were incarcerated at Landsberg, where Hitler began composing his infamous text, Mein Kampf. Hess, continuing as Hitler’s secretary, took much of the dictation for his boss’s tome.
Over the next ten years, Hitler and the Nazis would rise to power, with Hitler taking the role of Chancellor of Germany in 1933. Hitler took his friends to the top with him, and Rudolf Hess was one of these men, appointed Deputy Führer by his friend. This position left him second in the line of succession in the Nazi administration, second only to Hermann Göring, who held a number of titles in Hitler’s cabinet.
Hess held a number of titles throughout the existence of Germany’s Nazi regime, including being a deputy in charge of Party organization, a cabinet minister, and third deputy. Hess held the authority to make many decisions for Party leadership, including the authority to approve all suggested legislation from other cabinet ministers before it was brought to law. He supported the establishment of compulsory military service for Germans and was a strong proponent of German sacrifices in pre-World War II preparations for rearmament, repeating in many speeches to the public, “Guns instead of butter.”
The Tables Turn
In Hitler’s early days of power, Hess praised, supported, and advocated for his friend, the Führer. During these years, he was cited as Hitler’s closest confidant. He knew of Hitler’s plans for German aggression throughout Europe and publicly praised Hitler’s actions, such as the invasion of Poland. Later, he would attempt to justify these actions further by blaming the atrocities of World War II on England and France. While there is no evidence that he participated in concentration camp atrocities or the destruction that was perpetrated in Eastern Europe, it is believed that Hess likely had knowledge of these activities. Despite his quiet allowance of Hitler’s genocidal activities, Hess was apparently feeling that things had gone too far. With a conscience that appeared to weigh on him, in 1941, Hess made a decision that resulted in the severance of his relationship with Hitler.
A Solo Flight for Peace
On May 10, 1941, Hess stole a plane near Munich shortly before six ‘o’clock in the afternoon and piloted it up the Rhine River and across the North Sea. The flight required skill, as Hess was alone on a foggy night, relying only on charts and maps over unfamiliar territory. However, he completed his flight plan, reaching his destination of Scotland by 10:30 that night. Still, he didn’t quite make it to his destination, Dungavel House, home of the Duke of Hamilton. He ran out of fuel and was forced to bail from his plane, which crashed in a farmer’s field about twelve miles from Dungavel.
He was unharmed, with the exception of a sprained ankle, thanks to a fully operational parachute. The farmer brought him home and served him tea before he was turned over to the police. Hess gave his name as Captain Horn and insisted on speaking to the Duke of Hamilton. Hess chose Hamilton because he was a high-ranking British official, but one who, unlike Prime Minister Churchill, was willing to consider peace with the Nazis without their total obliteration.
Once he was finally granted an audience with the duke, Hess revealed his real identity, but Hamilton was unconvinced. Nevertheless, he called Churchill and told him the story. It was immediately dismissed, but later, the prime minister reconsidered and requested the foreign secretary to look into the situation. An undersecretary, Ivone Kirkpatrick, was able to identify Hess without any uncertainty, and he and the duke returned to meet with the Nazi.
Hess explained that his mission was to convince the British government that Nazi victory was inevitable and that it was the right time to negotiate peace. Hess claimed that Hitler was on board with his efforts and had left negotiations to him. However, he did admit that Hitler was unaware of his trip, which significantly diminished his value as a negotiator. Believing Hess had little ability to make any actual inroads for peace, his pleas fell on deaf British ears. He was imprisoned on June 16 and spent the remainder of World War II in British hands, transferred between various locations.
Severed Ties
Hess’ actions made him an enemy of his former friends, including Adolf Hitler. In the time leading up to the flight, Hess’ compatriots had noticed he was acting oddly, perhaps even mentally unstable. In fact, Göring described him as “mad.”
Interrogated Nazis later expressed that Hitler did not “rant and rave” about Hess’ actions. At the same time, other first-person testimonies said that Hitler was furious and ordered Hess shot on sight if he was ever seen in Germany again. For some time, it was suggested that Hitler did, in fact, approve of the flight, but the current belief by most historians is that this theory is false.
Hitler replaced Hess with Martin Bormann immediately and began spreading the idea to the press that Hess suffered from mental derangement. However, it was a bad look for the Führer’s deputy to have been of unsound mind, so the story was later altered by Joseph Goebbels to state that Hess had been lured into a trap by the British. Regardless of how the spin doctors structured the story, the message was clear: Hess was no longer a trusted member of the Nazi Party.
Trial and Imprisonment
After the war ended, Hess was transferred from incarceration in England to Nuremberg, Germany, to participate as a defendant in the famous Nuremberg Trials. During these proceedings, England, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union cooperated to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. Hess was charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace. The tribunal at Nuremberg found that although Hess may have had knowledge of Nazi war crimes, there was insufficient evidence connecting him with these crimes to sustain a guilty verdict. His charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity resulted in him being found not guilty.
However, his crimes against peace charges stood, and he was found guilty. The court maintained that while he had attempted a peace mission, he had attempted to justify Germany’s actions and blame Allied forces for the ongoing war. The court also noted that Hess “Acts in an abnormal manner,” and his mental state had deteriorated in the time leading up to and during the trial. There was, however, no evidence that he wasn’t sane at the time his crimes were committed. Hess escaped the fate of many of his Nazi compatriots—a death sentence—but was sentenced to life in prison.
Death and Controversy
Hess spent the remainder of his life in Spandau prison. As other prisoners died or were freed, Hess became the only remaining inmate at the facility, holding the title for more than 20 years. At that time, a campaign for his release was eventually supported by the British, American, and French governments. However, the Soviet Union refused to consider parole, and Hess remained in prison. His sentence ended only when he died of an apparent suicide, strangling himself with an electrical cord in an exercise yard in 1987.
He was ninety-three years of age at the time of his death. Despite the death being ruled as a suicide, some, including Hess’ own son, claim that Hess’ demise was murder. Prison officials refuted the possibility, and no evidence has ever arisen from the accusations.
Spandau Prison was demolished after the death of its last prisoner. Hess was buried in Wunsiedel, Germany, but neo-Nazi extremists began making regular pilgrimages to his resting site. As a result, the town removed his remains from the cemetery. Rudolf Hess’ ashes were cremated and scattered at sea, ending his physical presence on earth amid a mysterious legacy.
