Extract from a set of commentaries on Nazi leaders, on Goering's immoral character, ignorance in economic subjects, political intrigues against other leaders, and fear of Hitler

SCHACHT'S VIEWS OF GOERING Source: Second preliminary report on SCHACHT by Major Tilley
of FIAT, based upon notes written for him by SCHACHT. PERTAINING TO QUESTION 3:
"HITLER I called an amoral type but GOERING I can only regard as immoral and criminal. By nature endowed with a certain bonhomie which he managed to exploit for his popularity, he was the most egocentric being imaginable. The assumption of political power (Note: by the Nazis in 1933) was for him only a means for personal enrichment and personal good living. The success of others filled him with envy. His greed knew no bounds. His predilection for jewels, gold and finery was unimaginable. He knew no comradeship. Only so long as someone was useful to him he was friends with him, but only on the surface.
"GOERING's knowledge in all fields equalled 0 [zero], especially in the economic field. Of all the economic matters which HITLER entrusted to him in the autumn of 1936 he had not the faintest notion [nicht den leisesten Schimmer] though he created an immense official apparatus and misused his powers as lord of all economy most outrageously. In his personal appearance he
659
3936-PS
3936-PS
was so theatrical that you could only compare him with Nero. A lady who had tea with his second wife reported that he appeared at this tea in a sort of Roman toga and sandals studded with jewels, his fingers bedecked with innumerable jewelled rings and generally covered with ornaments, his face painted and his lips rouged.
"GOERING had no influence whatever on HITLER. He was terribly afraid of HITLER and carried on permanently intrigues against all big-shots [Bonzen] who could have belittled him or ousted him from the Fuehrer's favor. On one occasion, when I had persuaded him to report certain matters to HITLER, he told me that he would do that, but that, every time he was in HITLER'S presence his heart went to his boots [the original German expression, in fact, is much cruder, viz. dass ihm * * * jedesmal das Herz in die Hosen fiele]."