Goering Served with IMT Indictment
Goering was personally served in German with the IMT indictment, the Tribunal Charter, procedural notice and information concerning his right to legal counsel.
Hermann Wilhelm Goering
63 historical records in the World History Database Nuremberg collection.
Role in this collection: Reichsmarschall
The collection identifies Hermann Wilhelm Goering as Reichsmarschall. The Tribunal convicts Goering and sentences him to death for his leading role in aggressive war and other crimes.
Indictment Places Goering on All Four Counts
The indictment before the Tribunal charged Goering under all four counts: conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Goering Pleads Not Guilty before IMT
Goering entered a plea of not guilty when the defendants were individually called upon to answer the charges set out in the indictment.
Jackson Opening Places Goering among Principal Leaders
In the American opening case, Robert Jackson presented Goering as one of the central surviving leaders whose offices and authority connected him to the alleged Nazi conspiracy.
Industrial Mobilization Evidence Links Goering to Rearmament
The prosecution connected Goering with meetings and administrative measures that mobilized industrial resources, finance and production for the expansion of German military power.
Prosecution Presents Four Year Plan Evidence against Goering
American prosecutors introduced evidence that Goering directed the Four Year Plan and exercised broad economic powers used to accelerate German rearmament and war preparation.
Eastern Economic Planning Evidence Names Goering
Prosecutors presented records showing that Goering was informed of plans for operations in the East and held senior responsibility for economic preparations connected with the invasion.
Gestapo Formation Evidence Cites Goering
The prosecution introduced laws and statements identifying Goering as the official who created and organized the Prussian Secret State Police before its later national expansion.
Forced Labour Case Connects Goering to Four Year Plan
Evidence on forced labour emphasized that Sauckel operated within the Four Year Plan structure for which Goering held overarching authority as its plenipotentiary.
Soviet Labour Directives Presented against Goering
The prosecution cited wartime directives attributed to Goering concerning the use of Soviet civilians and prisoners of war as labour within the German war economy.
Bodenschatz Describes Goering Peace Contacts
Karl Bodenschatz testified about Goering's pre-war contacts and statements, presenting the defence argument that Goering had attempted to preserve peaceful relations with Britain.
Bodenschatz Explains Goering Four Year Plan Position
Bodenschatz described Goering's explanation that the Four Year Plan was intended to secure strategic raw materials and reduce Germany's dependence on foreign imports.
Goering Defence Presentation Begins
Goering's defence case began with testimony from witnesses chosen to address his political intentions, Luftwaffe leadership, economic authority and relationship with Hitler.
Milch Begins Evidence for Goering Defence
Erhard Milch began evidence for Goering's defence, addressing Luftwaffe administration, wartime decision-making and the internal relationship between Goering and Hitler.
Milch Discusses Goering Opposition to Soviet War
During continued testimony, Milch described conversations indicating that Goering had reservations about attacking the Soviet Union and understood the danger of a prolonged eastern war.
Brauchitsch Gives Evidence on Goering Luftwaffe Headquarters
Bernd von Brauchitsch testified about his service around Goering's Luftwaffe headquarters and provided evidence concerning command routines and senior military communications.
Kesselring Begins Luftwaffe Evidence for Goering
Albert Kesselring gave evidence about Luftwaffe development and command, supporting parts of Goering's defence concerning air-force policy before and during the war.
Koerner Testifies on Goering Economic Authority
Paul Koerner described Goering's position within the Four Year Plan organization and the administrative machinery through which economic directives were transmitted.
Defence Testimony at Nuremberg
Goering testified in his own defence before the International Military Tribunal.
Goering Explains Early Nazi Leadership Role
His testimony described his early position in the Nazi movement and sought to explain how his political authority developed before the party entered government.
Goering Recounts Early Career and Political Rise
Goering opened his evidence with an account of his upbringing, military career, First World War service and eventual entry into Hitler's political movement.
Goering Sworn as Defence Witness
Goering took the witness stand, gave his name and repeated the oath before beginning the lengthy personal testimony presented in his own defence.
Kesselring Cross Examination Raises Goering Gestapo Role
During Kesselring's cross-examination, prosecutors drew attention to Goering's responsibility for establishing the Prussian Gestapo and questioned claims about limited knowledge of persecution.
Kesselring Identifies Goering as Luftwaffe Channel to Hitler
Kesselring stated that Goering was the principal channel through which Luftwaffe information and views could reach Hitler at the highest level of command.
Defence Testimony at Nuremberg
Goering testified in his own defence before the International Military Tribunal.
Goering Addresses Nazi Party Programme
Goering discussed the Nazi Party programme, his acceptance of its broad aims and the methods by which the movement intended to obtain and exercise political power.
Goering Addresses Police and Security Powers
Goering described the early security structure under his control and defended measures taken against political opponents during the establishment of the Nazi state.
Goering Discusses German Rearmament Policy
His evidence addressed German rearmament and the rebuilding of military strength, presenting these policies as responses to Germany's strategic and political position.
Goering Explains Consolidation of Nazi Power
The defence examination moved through the consolidation of Nazi rule, with Goering explaining governmental changes and his own expanding authority after Hitler became chancellor.
Defence Testimony at Nuremberg
Goering testified in his own defence before the International Military Tribunal.
Goering Addresses Neutrality of Belgium and Netherlands
He argued that German leaders doubted whether Belgian and Dutch neutrality would remain effective during a major war in western Europe.
Goering Discusses Western Offensive Decisions
Goering testified about the military reasoning used to justify operations against the Netherlands and Belgium during the western campaign of 1940.
Goering Explains Luftwaffe Strategic Decisions
Goering described Luftwaffe planning and operational considerations while defending his conduct as commander-in-chief during the opening campaigns of the war.
Defence Testimony at Nuremberg
Goering testified in his own defence before the International Military Tribunal.
Goering Addresses Responsibility for Austrian Entry
Goering acknowledged that the decision to send German forces into Austria rested with Hitler and himself, irrespective of subsequent political telegrams from Vienna.
Goering Describes Reich Defence Council Role
Goering addressed his formal position connected with the Reich Defence Council and asserted that the body described in the relevant law had not functioned as alleged.
Goering Discusses Military Obedience under Hitler
Goering explained his view that senior officers could express disagreement in peacetime but were expected to obey once Hitler had made a final decision.
Defence Testimony at Nuremberg
Goering testified in his own defence before the International Military Tribunal.
Goering Admits Four Year Plan War Readiness Language
Under cross-examination, Goering acknowledged using language that described his task as placing the German economy in a state of readiness for war within four years.
Jackson Begins Cross Examination of Goering
Robert Jackson began a sustained cross-examination intended to test Goering's account of Nazi policy, rearmament, aggression and his personal responsibility within the regime.
Jackson Challenges Goering on Soviet Attack Preparations
Jackson questioned Goering about advance knowledge of plans against the Soviet Union and the economic and military preparations made before Operation Barbarossa.
Dahlerus Evidence Examines Goering Peace Diplomacy
Birger Dahlerus gave evidence about his contacts with Goering during the 1939 crisis and the unsuccessful efforts to facilitate communication between Germany and Britain.
Defence Testimony at Nuremberg
Goering testified in his own defence before the International Military Tribunal.
Jackson Questions Goering on Secret Mobilization Measures
Jackson pressed Goering on military preparations and secrecy, challenging attempts to characterize German mobilization measures as ordinary precautions rather than preparations for aggressive war.
Tribunal Directs Goering to Answer Cross Examination Responsively
After disputes over lengthy explanations, the Tribunal reminded Goering that he was required to answer prosecution questions directly before adding explanations through proper examination.
Defence Testimony at Nuremberg
Goering testified in his own defence before the International Military Tribunal.
Goering Confronted with Prisoner Labour Conference Record
The prosecution confronted Goering with conference records concerning the employment of prisoners of war and foreign labour, testing his explanations of responsibility and authorship.
Goering Questioned on Kristallnacht Economic Measures
Cross-examination examined Goering's participation in the post-Kristallnacht economic conference, including measures affecting Jewish property, insurance claims and the imposed collective fine.
Jackson Examines Goering Occupation Economic Directives
Jackson questioned Goering about economic directives applied in occupied territories and the authority exercised through officials responsible for carrying out Four Year Plan policies.
Jackson Questions Goering on Nuremberg Laws
Jackson questioned Goering about his role as Reichstag president when the Nuremberg racial laws were proclaimed and about the legal persecution that followed.
Defence Testimony at Nuremberg
Goering testified in his own defence before the International Military Tribunal.
Maxwell-Fyfe Questions Goering on Great Escape Investigation
British prosecutor David Maxwell-Fyfe questioned Goering about Luftwaffe knowledge of investigations following the escape and subsequent killing of Allied airmen from Stalag Luft III.
Maxwell-Fyfe Tests Goering Account of Dahlerus Contacts
Maxwell-Fyfe challenged Goering's interpretation of Dahlerus's 1939 missions and questioned discrepancies concerning the purpose and handling of the Swedish intermediary's flights.
Rudenko Challenges Goering on Eastern Exploitation Policy
The Soviet cross-examination addressed Goering's economic directives for occupied eastern territories and disputed his attempts to soften the meaning of recorded extraction policies.
Rudenko Examines Goering Role in Barbarossa Preparations
Rudenko pressed Goering on Luftwaffe preparations for the attack on the Soviet Union and on his knowledge of strategic and territorial objectives in the East.
Rudenko Questions Goering on Position beside Hitler
Soviet chief prosecutor Roman Rudenko questioned Goering about his proximity to Hitler and his influence over Luftwaffe, economic and high-level political decisions.
Defence Testimony at Nuremberg
Goering testified in his own defence before the International Military Tribunal.
Goering Testimony Phase Concludes
Goering's multi-day appearance as the first defendant witness concluded after defence examination and questioning by American, British and Soviet prosecutors.
Tribunal Notes Breadth of Goering Evidence
The Tribunal observed that Goering had been permitted to give extensive evidence covering the development of the Nazi regime from its rise through Germany's defeat.
Goering Gives Final Statement to Tribunal
Goering uses his final opportunity to address the judges after the close of evidence and argument.
IMT Verdict for Hermann Wilhelm Goering
The Tribunal convicts Goering and sentences him to death for his leading role in aggressive war and other crimes.
Execution of Goering
At about 22:45 on 15 October 1946, Goering bit a concealed potassium-cyanide capsule in his Nuremberg Prison cell and died before his scheduled hanging; guards and medical staff found him moments later.
Goering Dies by Suicide before Execution
Goering kills himself with cyanide on the night before the scheduled executions, avoiding the death sentence by hanging.