Rudolf Hess Research Paper

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On April 26, 1894 Rudolf Hess was born in Alexandria, Egypt. Hess was the son of a prosperous wholesaler and exporter. He was the eldest of all 4 of the siblings in the Hess House. Hess didn’t move to Germany until he was 14 years old even though he was one of the big nazi leaders. In 1914 he volunteered in World War 1 for the German Army because of the outbreak. He fought at the western border of the war. While he was in the war he was wounded twice. After the war he joined the “Freikorps right-wing organization of ex- soldiers for hire, involved in violently putting down communist in Germany.”(www.historyplace.com) He went to college at Munich University in Germany. He studied political science and came under the influence of the Thule …show more content…

“Churchill, realizing this, and somewhat infuriated by his statements, ordered Hess to be imprisoned for the duration and treated like any high ranking POW.” (www.historyplace.com) Hitler was furious with Hess and was declared insane and was disowned by the nazis. His flight caused huge embarrassment to Hitler and all of the Nazis. “During his years of British imprisonment, Hess displayed increasingly unstable behavior and developed a paranoid obsession that his food was being poisoned.” (www.historyplace.com) “In 1945, Hess was returned to Germany to stand trial before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg.” (www.historyplace.com) In the courtroom Hess displayed signs of amnesia by staring off into space and disoreation. “In periods of lucidity he continued to display loyalty to Hitler, ending with his final speech - “It was granted me for many years to live and work under the greatest son whom my nation has brought forth in the thousand years of its history. Even if I could I would not expunge this period from my existence. I regret nothing. If I were standing once more at the beginning I should act once again as I did then, even if I knew that at the end I should be burnt at the stake…” (www.historyplace.com) Inspite of his illness he was still sentenced to prison for life. “The soviets blocked all attempts of early release.” (www.historyplace.com) “He committed suicide in 1987 at age 92, the last of the prisoners tried at Nuremberg.”

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