Editing Hermann Göring (section)

== World War I ==
[[File:Goring WW1.gif|thumb|left|Film clip of Göring in a [[Fokker D.VII]] during World War I (1918)]]

During the first year of World War I, Göring served with his infantry regiment in the area of [[Mülhausen]], a garrison town less than 2&nbsp;km from the French frontier. He was hospitalised with [[rheumatism]], a result of the damp of [[trench warfare]]. While he was recovering, his friend [[Bruno Loerzer]] convinced him to transfer to what would become, by October 1916, the {{lang|de|[[Luftstreitkräfte]]}} ({{translation|air combat forces}}) of the German army, but his request was turned down. Later that year, Göring flew as Loerzer's observer in {{lang|de|[[Feldflieger Abteilung]]}} 25 (FFA 25); Göring had informally transferred himself. He was discovered and sentenced to three weeks' confinement to barracks, but the sentence was never carried out. By the time it was supposed to be imposed, Göring's association with Loerzer had been made official. They were assigned as a team to FFA 25 in the [[William, German Crown Prince|Crown Prince]]'s Fifth Army. They flew reconnaissance and bombing missions, for which the Crown Prince invested both Göring and Loerzer with the [[Iron Cross]], first class.{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|pp=28–29}}

After completing the pilot's training course, Göring was assigned to [[Jagdstaffel 5|''Jagdstaffel'' 5]]. Seriously wounded in the hip in aerial combat, he took nearly a year to recover. He then was transferred to [[Jagdstaffel 26|''Jagdstaffel'' 26]], commanded by Loerzer, in February 1917. He steadily scored [[dogfight|air victories]] until May, when he was assigned to command [[Jagdstaffel 27|''Jagdstaffel'' 27]]. Serving with ''Jastas'' 5, 26 and 27, he continued to win victories. In addition to his Iron Crosses (1st and 2nd Class), he received the [[Order of the Zähringer Lion|Zähringer Lion]] with swords, the [[Friedrich Order]], the [[House Order of Hohenzollern]] with swords third class and, finally, in May 1918, the coveted {{lang|fr|[[Pour le Mérite]]}}.{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|pp=31–32}} According to [[Hermann Dahlmann]], who knew both men, Göring had Loerzer lobby for the award.{{sfn|Franks|1993|pp= 95, 117, 156 }} He finished the war with [[List of World War I aces credited with 20 or more victories|22 victories]].{{sfn|Franks|1993|p=117}} A thorough post-war examination of [[Allies of World War I|Allied]] loss records showed that only two of his awarded victories were doubtful. Three were possible and 17 were certain, or highly likely.{{sfn|Kilduff|2013|pp=165–166}}
[[File:Herman Goering 1918 Jasta 11.jpg|thumb| Goering in 1918 as commander of [[Jagdgeschwader 1 (World War I)|''Jagdgeschwader'' 1]] beside his [[Fokker D VII]] (F) 5125/18. He holds a walking stick ''Geschwader Stock'' that had been owned by [[Manfred von Richthofen]].{{sfn|Franks|Van Wyngarden|2003|pp=15, 17, 92}}]]

On 7 July 1918, following the death of [[Wilhelm Reinhard (pilot)|Wilhelm Reinhard]], successor to [[Manfred von Richthofen]], Göring was made commander of the "Flying Circus", [[Jagdgeschwader 1 (World War I)|''Jagdgeschwader'' 1]].{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|pp=31–33}} His arrogance made him unpopular with the men of his squadron.{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|p=403}}

In the last days of the war, Göring was repeatedly ordered to withdraw his squadron, first to [[Tellancourt]] airdrome, then to [[Darmstadt]]. At one point, he was ordered to surrender the aircraft to the Allies; he refused. Many of his pilots intentionally crash-landed their planes to keep them from falling into enemy hands.{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|pp=34–36}}

Like many other German veterans, Göring was a proponent of the [[stab-in-the-back myth]], the belief which held that the German Army had not really lost the war, but instead was betrayed by the civilian leadership: Marxists, Jews and especially the [[Weimar Republic|republicans]], who had overthrown the German monarchy.{{sfn|Manvell|Fraenkel|2011|p=39}} Atop the frustration of military defeat, Göring also experienced the personal disappointment of being snubbed by his fiancée's upper-class family, who broke off the engagement when he returned penniless from the front.{{sfn|Overy|2012|pp=5–6}}