The message known as the Göring telegram was sent by Hermann Göring, head of the Luftwaffe and Adolf Hitler's designated successor as leader of Nazi Germany, to Hitler that asked for permission to assume leadership of the crumbling regime on 23 April 1945. The telegram caused an infuriated Hitler to immediately strip Göring of power and to appoint new successors, Joseph Goebbels and Karl Dönitz, as chancellor and head of state, respectively.
Göring as Hitler's political heir Hermann Göring had been the second most-powerful man in the Nazi Party for some time before Hitler came to power in 1933, having joined the party in 1922 and been wounded during the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. During the early years of Hitler's regime, Göring continued to pile on titles at will, including President of the Reichstag, Minister-President and acting Reichsstatthalter ('governor') of Prussia, and Reich Minister of Aviation and commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe. On 1 September 1939, on the outbreak of the Second World War with Germany's invasion of Poland, Hitler made a speech stating that Göring would succeed him "if anything should befall me". That status was underscored in a 1940 decree, naming Göring as Reichsmarschall des Grossdeutschen Reiches (Reich Marshal of the Greater German Reich), a specially created rank that was second only to Hitler's position of Supreme Commander. On 29 June 1941, one week into Operation Barbarossa, Hitler issued a secret decree that formally stated that if he ever lost his freedom of action, by way of incapacity, disappearance or abduction, Göring was to act as his deputy, with full power to act on Hitler's behalf.
Göring's "duty" On 21 April 1945, the Soviet Red Army had advanced into Berlin. Hitler, Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels remained in the Führerbunker, the Nazi leadership's underground complex near the Reich Chancellery, to lead the defense of the capital against the Soviets. Göring left Berlin and moved to the south, reaching his estate at Obersalzberg on 22 April. The same day, upon learning that an order to counterattack the Soviet forces had not been obeyed, Hitler went into a lengthy diatribe against his generals and publicly admitted, for the first time, that the war was lost. Hitler announced that he intended to remain in Berlin to the end and then to commit suicide. He also stated that Göring was in a better position to negotiate a peace settlement. When the Luftwaffe's chief of staff, Karl Koller, heard about Hitler's statement from Alfred Jodl, operations chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), he immediately flew to the Obersalzberg to notify Göring of the news. If Göring was to lead peace negotiations, Koller felt that there was no time to waste. Additionally, he wanted to prevent the Allies from intercepting a radio message. Although Göring had for some time been looking forward to the day he would succeed Hitler, he was taken by surprise at this development. Göring feared being branded a traitor if he tried to take power, but he also feared being accused of dereliction of duty if he did nothing. He reviewed his copy of the 1941 decree, which not only designated him as Hitler's successor but also vested him with complete authority to act on Hitler's behalf if Hitler ever lost his freedom of action. After conferring with Koller and Hans Lammers, the state secretary of the Reich Chancellery, Göring concluded that by remaining in Berlin to face certain death, Hitler had incapacitated himself from governing. All agreed that under the terms of the decree, if Hitler had indeed lost his freedom of action, it would be incumbent upon Göring to take power in Hitler's stead. On 23 April, Göring sent a carefully worded telegram, asking Hitler to confirm that he was indeed to become the leader of Germany in accordance with the 1941 decree. He added that if Hitler did not reply by 22:00 that night, he would assume Hitler had lost his freedom of action and so would assume leadership of the Reich as Hitler's deputy.
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