Robert H. Jackson

For much of the Nazi reign of terror Hermann Goring was the most powerful man in Germany other than Adolf Hitler. Over the course of his political career he was responsible for many of the key elements of the regime. He was, for example, the president of the Reichstag, the German parliament, chief of the secret police, and the commander of the air force. Until he had a falling out with Hitler toward the end of the war, he was the Fuhrer's chosen successor. However, in his capacity as head of the air force, Goring saw his early war successes reversed later in the war and the Luftwaffe's offensive failures in the east, coupled with its inability to defend Germany against Allied attacks, led to a gradual lack of influence. Within Hitler's inner circle of advisers, Goring was ultimately...