
The "Reichsjägermeister" doing what he likes most
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (* 12th January 1893 in Rosenheim, Upper Bavaria), formerly a flyer ace in the First World War, but Morphine-addicted since 1925, made an unbelievable career in Nazi Germany: He's considered the second Man in the Reich after Adolf Nazi and his designated successor and has an overwhelming list of positions of power: "Generalfeldmarschall" (currently highest rank of the Wehrmacht - not that it makes him more popular with the Military), head and Minister of the Luftwaffe, Minister president/Reichskommissar of Prussia, plenipotentiary for the Four-Year Plan (in fact, dictator of the economy), leader of the Reichswerke Hermann Göring, president of the Reichstag, down to Reichsforst- and -jägermeister (he is a passionated hunter, even wants to breed back species like the Wisent and the Tarpan). Furthermore, he has the Regiment General Göring under him.
He used his power to get many former flyer comrades of him into positions of power - men like Ernst Udet, Paul Körner, Karl Bodenschatz, Erich Gritzbach and others owe their careers to him.
In the time between the wars, he made many contacts to Scandinavia, where he also met his first wife Carin, to whom he was married from 1923 until her death in 1931. His huge hunting lodge in Schorfheide is named "Carinhall" in her memory; she is buried there, and a part of the site was turned into a veritable Museum for her. Göring's Yacht Carin II (27.5 meters long) is named after her as well. This didn't stop Göring from marrying again - since 1935, he is married to former actress Emmy Sonnemann, in 1938 their daughter Edda (named after the daughter of Benito Mussolini) was born - mockers claim her Name was short for "Ewiger Dank dem Adjutanten" (eternal thanks to the aide-de-camp).
During the years, he's robbed and bought a huge collection of paintings and sculptures (estimated value: 200 Million US$) from all over Europe, which is stored in Carinhall too.
German people make many jokes about him, especially his obesity and addiction to Uniforms, but he is still one of the most popular high-ranked Nazi politicians. Allegedly, he collects all the jokes which are made about him. However, his image received a blow because he allegedly said before the war that people might call him "Meier" if a British warplane ever managed to cross German borders.
Despite of this, he isn't harmless: It was him who suggested in 1938 to make the German Jews pay a special tax of a thousand Million Reichsmarks. In the same year, he helped toppling Blomberg and Fritsch. He almost managed to topple his competitor Goebbels (because of the latter's Affair with Czech actress Lida Baarova) as well. Thanks to his personal secret service, the Forschungsamt, he has lots of Informations about fellow Nazi bigwigs, which he might use against them. Again in 1938, he even initiated the Munich Conference behind the "Führer"'s back, which lead to the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia.
His younger Brother Albert Göring opposes the Nazi Regime, even cooperates with the Resistance, but is protected by Göring. His secretary of State (junior minister) Erhard Milch, categorized as a "Half-Jew" according to the Nuremberg Race Laws, probably wouldn't be able to survive without him. The fact that even his janitor is a member of the Resistance, and Prussia's minister of the Finances Johannes Popitz at least has sympathies for them, doesn't seem to be noticed by Göring.
When the Wehrmacht reached the Channel near Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk, he was among those who wanted to halt them, and let his Luftwaffe fight down the 400,000 cut-off British, French, and Belgian Soldiers. The unexpected battle of Dunkirk threw a wrench into his plans, but unknowingly saved him from the embarrassment of letting the Allied soldiers escape.
Friends: Hans Frank, Bernhard Rust, Hans Kerrl
Enemies: Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, Wilhelm Frick, Rudolf Hess, Joachim von Ribbentrop