RUDOLF HESS' flight to captivity

On the 10^th of May, 1941 Hitler's “Luftwaffe” bombarded London. This was part a distraction. At the same time a Messerschmidt-fighter departed for another journey. At the wheel, Rudolf Hess, deputy-”Fuhrer” of Nazi-Germany.

The flight had been carefully planned. The plane was converted, by Messerschmidt himself, into a one-seater and it carried extra fuel tanks.

 

Destination: Glasgow, Scotland. Purpose: to discuss a peace-treaty between England and Germany. In the months before there had been a lot of diplomatic attempts to find peace. The King of Sweden, the King of Spain and even the Vatican tried to get the war faring countries to negotiate peace. Germany seemed willing to settle. It would leave the occupied countries in the West, pay compensation and even accepted a Polish State. Germany in return, wanted their colonies back (Namibia, East-Africa). Every ground for continuing the war would be gone and England's ally the United States, would favor this.

Rudolf Hess was an romantic and he adored Adolf Hitler. He preferred herbal medicine and used astrology, to make decisions. In Hess' entourage were many occultists, magicians and astrologers. Most important was dr. Karl Haushofer, a former officer in the "Kaiserlichen Armee" and diplomat in Japan. His influence led to the Axis, the Union, between Germany, Japan and Italy. Haushofer was a nationalist and believed that Germany had a special destiny. To fulfill this destiny, Germany needed more “Lebensraum”. This “room to live” could be found in the East. The, inferior, Slavic people had to make way for German settlers. This was the most important battle, that would be decisive for the German Empire and the Aryan super race. It would mean the depopulation of Eastern Europe (Ukraine) and letting Aryan farmers (there were many volunteers; even from Holland) transform the lands, with the help of Slavic slaves.

 

Hess flew, undiscovered across the North Sea and he parachuted North of Glasgow. His goal was to reach the estate of Lord Hamilton, who sympathised with a peace treaty and who knew Rudolf Hess, personally.

In this first year of the war, several influential politicians and even royalties wanted to stop the war. On the other hand, the “war-faction”, lead by Winston Churchill, was determined to fight till the end. They were certain, that England would be victorious, if the war lasted long enough. The “war-faction” formed the majority, led by Churchill.

Rudolf Hess was greatly influenced by Karl Haushofer. Haushofer favoured Hess' decision to fligh to Scotland. He knew Hamilton and in an eye to eye contact, he could determine if the British were genuine in their attempts to find term to end the war.

They were not. Churchill did not want peace. For him the British Empire could only survive, when the German Empire was crushed once and for all. A peace in the West, would lead to a war in the East. When Hess parachuted down, his welcome, was not as he had expected. He was arrested and put into prison. In no way any peace-negotiations were held with him.

 

Hitler called Hess publicly a fool and he denied he was willing to accept a peace-treaty in the West. Shortly afterwards Hitler's armies invaded Russia. The war for Haushoffer's “Lebensraum” had begun.

Did Hitler know nothing of the contacts of German ambassadors, diplomats and even Joseph Goebbels, suggesting that Germany was willing to make peace. The Western countries would be compensated. The only thing the Nazis wanted, was the “return” of the former colonies.

In Versailles these colonies were divided between the victors.

But did Hitler known nothing of his deputies plan. Strangely enough, two days after the British captured Hess, three German commando's parachuted down in Scotland. They had to accomplish a quite desperate plan. The three soldiers had to kidnap an important member of the War-cabinet and exchange him for Rudolf Hess! They did not get far. The strangers were immediately captured and brought to the Tower in London. The three refused to become double-agents, and were shot.

Rudolf Hess spent the rest of his life in jail. Unable to do his account of this intriguing story. Karl Haushofer and his wife survived the war. He knew everything about the peace flight of his friend Hess. He had laid several contacts for the Nazi-leader. The Allies did not bring him to court, but he was used as a witness, during the Nurenbergtrials. It did not get that far. Shortly before his testimony, Karl and his wife committed suicide. But there are severe doubts if in fact is was a (ritual) murder.

His son Albrecht was arrested after the bomb-attack on Adolf Hitler in 1944. He was thrown into a Berlin prison and executed shortly before the end of the war.

Rudolf Hess spend the rest of his life in the “Spandau prison” in Berlin. In the end, he was the only prisoner there. In later years tries were made, to get Hess free. The English and the Soviets did resist adamantly. Hess had to fulfill his sentence and die in prison. When Michael Gorbatsjov became the Soviet prime-minister, Russia's view changed. They seemed willing to let Hess go. It did not happen.

 

 

On August,17, 1987 Hess' male nurse was warned by telephone that something terrible had happened. He ran to the prison gate and had trouble to get in. When he finally got to his cell, Rudolf Hess was dead. According to the official declaration, he had committed suicide. Hess' had strangled himself with electricity cables. This suicide is disputed. According to friends, who saw him regularly, the former Nazi-deputy was physically unable to kill himself. He had to be helped to get up and could not lift his arms anymore, due to arthritis.

The British files about Hess will not get public until 2019. Then more light will be shed on the year 1941. A year in which Germany seemed to want a peace in the West, the Nazis invaded Russia and almost reached Moscow. The year in which the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Hitler declared war on the United States. The year, when the second World War really got started.