The Truth About Rudolf Hess

by James Douglas

Overview

Rudolf Hess' flight to Britain in May 1941 stands out as one of the most intriguing and bizarre episodes of the Second World War.

In The Truth About Rudolf Hess, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton explores many of the myths which still surround the affair. He traces the developments which persuaded Hess to undertake the flight without Hitlers knowledge and shows why he chose to approach the Duke of Hamilton. In the process he throws light on the importance of Albrect Haushofer, one-time envoy to Hitler and Ribbentrop and personal advisor to Hess, who was eventually executed by the SS for his involvement in the German Resistance movement.

Drawing on British War Cabinet papers and the authors unparalleled access to both the Hamilton papers and the Haushofer letters, this new and expanded edition of The Truth About Rudolf Hess takes the reader into the heart of the Third Reich, combining adventure and intrigue with a scholarly historical approach.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526742384
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	01/04/2019
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton read history at Balliol College, was a boxing blue and President of the Oxford Union. After a spell in the legal profession, he became the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West. From 1999 to 2007 he was a member of the Scottish Parliament. He retired from Parliament in 2007 and now sits in the House of Lords.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Foreword James Douglas-Hamilton xi

Introduction Roy Convers Nesbit xxv

Prologue xxxvii

Part I The Work Of Albrecht Haushofer

1 Early Days 1

2 Under Hess's Protection: 1933 8

3 Personal Adviser: 1934 21

4 Missions for Hitler and Ribbentrop: 1936-7 31

5 The Olympic Games, the Luftwaffe and the British: 1936-8 40

6 Munich and Decline: 1938 69

7 A Message of Despair: July 1939 84

Part II The Hess-Haushofer Peace Feelers

1 Hess's Decline and Hitler's Peace Offers 103

2 A Tutorial for Hess: 8 September 1940 118

3 The Peace Feeler: 23 September 1940 125

4 The British Secret Service 133

5 The Leap into the Dark: 10 May 1941 143

6 Hess, Hamilton and Churchill: 11 May 1941 155

7 Hess's Peace Terms: 12-15 May 1941 165

8 The Silence of the British Government: 1941 172

9 A Prisoner of War and Russian Suspicions 185

Part III The Fate Of Albrecht Haushofer

1 Turmoil at the Dictator's Court: 11 May 1941 205

2 Hitler and Albrecht Haushofer: 12 May 1941 216

3 The Peace Memorandum: November 1941 225

4 Himmler's Treachery and the July Plot: 1943-4 233

5 Hunted by the Gestapo: Moabit Prison 1944-5 240

6 The End: 1.05 a.m. 23 April 1945 248

Epilogue 262

Afterword 284

Postscript: The Gathering of Tears and Joy 287

Appendix I The Sonnets of Moabit by Albrecht Haushofer 292

Appendix II Releases of Classified Material up to 2016 297

Appendix III Further Releases of Classified Material, 2017 302

Appendix IV 'A Fool's Errand' - Albrecht Haushofer's Letter Sent at the Behest of Rudolf Hess 310

Sources and Select Bibliography 314

Index 320