Life and death of Rudolf Hess

Early life

Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was born on 26 April 1894 in Alexandria, Egypt, where his father, Fritz Hess operated a successful trading business. He was educated in Germany and Switzerland before serving in the German Army during the First World War. Hess fought on both the Western Front and the Eastern Front and was wounded several times. Toward the end of the war, he transferred to the Imperial German Air Service and trained as a fighter pilot.

After Germany's defeat in 1918, Hess studied economics and political science at the University of Munich. During this period, he became attracted to nationalist and anti-communist movements that emerged in post-war Germany.

Rise within the Nazi Party

In 1920, Hess joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) and quickly became one of Adolf Hitler's most loyal followers. Hess participated in the failed Beer Hall Putsch, an attempted coup launched by Hitler and his supporters in  Munich, Bavaria,on 8 - 9 November 1923. The uprising began at the famous Bürgerbräukeller beer hall, where Hitler interrupted a political meeting and declared the start of a national revolution. The plot involved several future leaders of Nazi Germany, including Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler and received the support of General Erich Ludendorff, one of Germany's most celebrated military commanders of the First World War. It was aimed to overthrow the government of the German state of Bavaria and ultimately challenge the authority of the Weimar Republic. The coup collapsed after clashes with police, resulting in the arrest of many participants, including Hess and Hitler. His imprisonment alongside Hitler in Landsberg Prison helped establish a close personal relationship that would shape the rest of his political career.

Relationship with Adolf Hitler

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Rudolf Hess was regarded as one of Adolf Hitler's most loyal supporters. Unlike many leading Nazis who sought personal power, Hess devoted himself almost entirely to serving Hitler and advancing the aims of the Nazi Party.

During their imprisonment in Landsberg Prison following the failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Hess assisted Hitler in drafting and organising material for Mein Kampf, the political manifesto that would become the ideological foundation of the Nazi movement. Although Hitler was the book's principal author, Hess contributed to discussions surrounding its content, reviewed drafts and helped shape the presentation of several ideas. Some historians believe that his own political views and interest in geopolitics influenced parts of the text.

His involvement with Mein Kampf further strengthened the close relationship between the two men and helped establish Hess as one of Hitler's most loyal and trusted followers. Throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s, his unwavering loyalty earned Hitler's trust and contributed to his rapid rise within the Nazi Party hierarchy.

In 1933, after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, Hess was appointed Deputy Führer (Stellvertreter des Führers), making him one of the most powerful figures in the Third Reich. As Deputy Führer, he supervised party administration, approved legislation affecting the Nazi Party and acted as an important intermediary between Hitler and the party bureaucracy.

By the late 1930s, however, Hess's influence began to decline as figures such as Martin Bormann, Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler gained greater authority within the Nazi regime. Following Hess's flight to Scotland in 1941, Hitler publicly denounced his former deputy, stripped him of all official positions and ordered that his responsibilities be transferred to Martin Bormann, effectively ending Hess's political career.

Role during World War II

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Hess remained one of Hitler's closest associates. However, unlike many senior Nazi leaders, he held little direct military authority and was increasingly overshadowed by more influential figures such as Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler and Martin Bormann.

Believing that Britain and Germany should avoid a prolonged conflict, Hess became convinced that a negotiated peace between the two nations was still possible. Acting largely on his own initiative, he devised a plan to contact individuals in Britain whom he believed might support peace negotiations.

Views on the Holocaust and Nazi Racial Policy

As a senior leader of the Nazi Party, Rudolf Hess supported the racial ideology and antisemitic policies promoted by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist regime. During his years as Deputy Führer, he endorsed legislation that discriminated against Jews and other groups targeted by Nazi racial policy.

Although Hess shared the ideological beliefs of the regime, he was not directly involved in the planning or administration of the Holocaust. His flight to Scotland in May 1941 removed him from Germany before the implementation of many of the most systematic phases of the genocide. Consequently, unlike figures such as Heinrich Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich and Adolf Eichmann, Hess played no direct role in managing the extermination camps or the Final Solution.

Nevertheless, historians generally regard Hess as politically responsible for helping establish and support a regime whose racial policies ultimately contributed to the persecution and murder of millions of people during the Holocaust.  His association with the Nazi regime remains one of the defining aspects of his historical legacy.

The Flight to Scotland

On 10 May 1941, Hess undertook one of the most extraordinary missions of the war. Flying alone in a modified Messerschmitt Bf 110, he departed Germany and crossed the North Sea towards Scotland. After running low on fuel, he parachuted near Eaglesham, south of Glasgow and was captured by British authorities. Hess claimed he had come as a peace envoy seeking negotiations between Britain and Germany.

The British Government rejected his proposals and Prime Minister Winston Churchill refused to meet him. Hitler publicly denounced Hess as mentally unstable and stripped him of all offices and authority within the Nazi regime. The true motives behind Hess's mission have remained the subject of debate among historians for decades.

Following Hess's departure, many of his responsibilities were transferred to Martin Bormann, who would become one of the most influential figures within Hitler's inner circle during the remainder of the war.

Controversy and historical debate

Hess's flight to Britain remains one of the most controversial episodes of the Second World War. Historians continue to debate whether he acted entirely alone or believed he had tacit support from elements within the German leadership. The mission embarrassed the Nazi regime and provided valuable propaganda for the Allies. It also effectively ended Hess's political career.

Numerous conspiracy theories have emerged regarding his imprisonment, mental health and the circumstances of his flight, though most historians conclude that Hess acted independently in a misguided attempt to broker peace.

Imprisonment and the Nuremberg Trials

Following his capture in Scotland, Rudolf Hess spent the remainder of the war in British custody. After Germany's surrender in 1945, he was brought before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg alongside other leading figures of the Nazi regime.

During the proceedings, Hess claimed to suffer from memory loss and stated that he could not remember many of the events that had taken place during his time in the Nazi leadership. His behaviour raised questions about his mental health and a team of psychiatrists was appointed to examine him. After extensive evaluations, the tribunal concluded that Hess was mentally competent and fit to stand trial.

Hess was ultimately convicted of crimes against peace and conspiracy to commit war crimes. Although he was acquitted of direct responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the court found that he had played a significant role in planning and supporting Nazi aggression. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

From 1947 onwards, Hess was held at Spandau Prison in West Berlin. As other convicted Nazi leaders completed their sentences or were released, Hess remained incarcerated. By 1966, he had become the prison's sole remaining inmate, living in near-total isolation for the final decades of his life. Maintaining Spandau Prison for a single inmate became increasingly controversial and costly, leading some governments to advocate Hess's release during the later decades of his imprisonment.

Death and legacy

Rudolf Hess died on 17 August 1987 at the age of 93 while imprisoned in Spandau Prison. His death was officially ruled a suicide, although conspiracy theories have persisted for decades. Today, Hess is remembered primarily for his position as Hitler's deputy and for his remarkable solo flight to Scotland in 1941. His mission remains one of the most unusual and mysterious incidents of the Second World War.

While Hess never exercised the military influence of commanders such as Hermann Göring or Erwin Rommel, his role within the Nazi leadership and his failed peace mission continue to attract historical interest.