Editing Hermann Göring (section)

=== End of the war ===
{{see also|Göring telegram}}
[[File:Goeringcaptivity.jpg|thumb|Göring in captivity 9 May 1945]]

As the [[Battle of Berlin|Soviets approached Berlin]], Hitler's efforts to organise the defence of the city became ever more meaningless and futile.{{sfn|Evans|2008|p=725}} His last birthday, celebrated at the {{lang|de|[[Führerbunker]]}} in Berlin on 20 April 1945, was the occasion for leave-taking by many top Nazis, Göring included. By this time, Göring's hunting lodge [[Carinhall]] had been evacuated, the building destroyed,{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|p=310}} and its art treasures moved to [[Berchtesgaden]] and elsewhere.{{sfn|Evans|2008|p=722}} Göring arrived at his estate at Obersalzberg on 22 April, the same day that Hitler, in a lengthy diatribe against his generals, first publicly admitted that the war was lost and that he intended to remain in Berlin to the end and then commit suicide.{{sfn|Evans|2008|p=723}} He also stated that Göring was in a better position to negotiate a peace settlement.{{sfn|Shirer|1960|pp=1115–1116}}

[[Oberkommando der Wehrmacht|OKW]] operations chief [[Alfred Jodl]] was present for Hitler's rant and notified Göring's chief of staff, [[Karl Koller (general)|Karl Koller]], at a meeting a few hours later. Sensing its implications, Koller immediately flew to Berchtesgaden to notify Göring of this development. A week after the start of the Soviet invasion, Hitler had issued a decree naming Göring his successor in the event of his death, thus codifying the declaration he had made soon after the beginning of the war. The decree also gave Göring full authority to act as Hitler's deputy if Hitler ever lost his freedom of action.{{sfn|Shirer|1960|pp=1115–1116}}

Göring feared being branded a traitor if he tried to take power, but also feared being accused of dereliction of duty if he did nothing. After some hesitation, Göring reviewed his copy of the 1941 decree naming him Hitler's successor. After conferring with Koller and [[Hans Lammers]] (the state secretary of the Reich Chancellery), Göring concluded that by remaining in Berlin to face certain death, Hitler had incapacitated himself from governing. All agreed that under the terms of the decree, it was incumbent upon Göring to take power in Hitler's stead.{{sfn|Shirer|1960|p=1116}} He was also motivated by fears that his rival, [[Martin Bormann]], would seize power upon Hitler's death and would have him killed as a traitor. With this in mind, Göring sent a carefully worded telegram asking Hitler for permission to take over as the leader of Germany, stressing that he would be acting as Hitler's deputy. He added that, if Hitler did not reply by 22:00 that night (23 April), he would assume that Hitler had indeed lost his freedom of action and would assume leadership of the Reich.{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|p=315}}

[[File:SFP 186 - Hermann Göring.ogv|thumb|Göring after his capture (May 1945)]]
The telegram was intercepted by Bormann, who convinced Hitler that Göring was attempting a coup. Bormann argued that Göring's telegram was not a request for permission to act as Hitler's deputy, but a demand to resign or be overthrown.{{sfn|Shirer|1960|p=1118}} Bormann also intercepted another telegram in which Göring directed Ribbentrop to report to him if there was no further communication from Hitler or Göring before midnight.{{sfn|Speer|1971|pp=608–609}} Hitler sent a reply to Göring{{mdash}}prepared with Bormann's help{{mdash}}rescinding the 1941 decree and threatening him with execution for high treason unless he immediately resigned from all of his offices. Realising his situation was untenable, Göring duly resigned. Afterwards, Hitler (or Bormann, depending on the source) ordered the SS to place Göring, his staff and Lammers under house arrest at Obersalzberg.{{sfn|Shirer|1960|p=1118}}{{sfn|Evans|2008|p=724}} Bormann made an announcement over the radio that Göring had resigned for health reasons.{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|p=318}}

By 26 April, the complex at Obersalzberg [[Bombing of Obersalzberg|was under attack]] by the Allies, so Göring was moved to [[Burg Mauterndorf|his castle at Mauterndorf]]. In his [[Last will and testament of Adolf Hitler|last will and testament]], Hitler expelled Göring from the party, formally rescinded the decree making him his successor and upbraided Göring for "illegally attempting to seize control of the state".{{sfn|Shirer|1960|p=1126}} He then appointed [[Karl Dönitz]], the Navy's commander-in-chief, as president of the Reich and supreme commander of the [[Wehrmacht|armed forces]]. Hitler and his wife, [[Eva Braun]], [[Death of Adolf Hitler|committed suicide]] on 30 April 1945, a few hours after a hastily arranged wedding. Göring was freed on 5 May by a passing Luftwaffe unit and made his way to the U.S. lines in hopes of surrendering to them rather than to the Soviets. He was taken into custody near [[Radstadt]] on 9 May by elements of the [[36th Infantry Division (United States)|36th Infantry Division]] of the [[United States Army|US Army]].{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|pp=320–325}}{{sfn|Evans|2008|p=728}}{{efn|Upon being captured by American soldiers, Göring immediately asked to be taken before Eisenhower. He hoped to be treated as a "spokesman for Germany".{{sfn|Overy|2012|p=228}} }} This move likely saved Göring's life; Bormann had ordered him executed if Berlin had fallen.{{sfn|Shirer|1960|p=1128}} On 10 May, US Air Forces commander [[Carl Spaatz]] conducted an interrogation of Göring along with lieutenant general [[Hoyt Vandenberg]] and American historian [[Bruce Campbell Hopper]] at the Ritter School in [[Augsburg]], Germany.{{sfn|USAF|1945}}