Description:

HERMANN GORING
(1893 - 1946) German politician who began his career as an ace in World War I, rose to become Hitler's right-hand man and head of the Luftwaffe, finally captured and committed suicide on the eve of his execution. GORING ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF HITLER'S FATEFUL ORDER APPOINTING GORING HIS SUCCESSOR Highly important typed D.S. "Goring" in red indelible pencil, 1p. 4to., "Headquarters" [Berlin], July 25, 1943. On the very day that Benito Mussolini was ousted from power, Goring confirms that he has received a copy of Adolf Hitler's secret order endowing him with control of the Third Reich in the event that the same fate, or worse, should befall Hitler! This rather innocuous document reads in full: "Certificate of Receipt The Reichsminister and Chief of the Reichschancellery, Dr. [Hans] Lammers, gave me one photocopy each of the proclamation of 29 June 1941, regarding the Fuhrer's Deputy and the proclamation of 29 June 1941, regarding the Fuhrer's successor...". Goring places his signature above his title "Reichsmarshall". Very elaborately framed with a photo of Goring, brass plaque, and the document set in a swivel which reveals the translation beneath, all set into a silvered wood frame. On June 29, 1941, one week into Operation Barbarossa, Hitler issued a secret decree which formally named Goring his successor in the event of his death. It also gave Goring the power to act as Hitler's deputy with full freedom of action in the event Hitler ever lost his own freedom of action—either by way of incapacity, disappearance or abduction. On the day our document was signed, Mussolini was voted out of power by his own Grand Council and arrested upon leaving a meeting with King Vittorio Emanuele. Lammers was undoubtedly acting on Hitler's orders, who sought to ensure he would not suffer the same fate. However, this action would later explode in Hitler's face. In Berchtesgaden on April 22, 1945 Goring met with Hans Lammers and pulled his copy of the secret decree from a safe. They agreed that by staying in Berlin, Hitler faced certain death and had incapacitated himself from governing. On April 23, Goring sent a carefully worded telegram asking Hitler to confirm that he was indeed to become the leader of Germany, and added that if Hitler did not reply by 22:00 that night, he would assume leadership of the Reich. With Bormann prodding him on and suggesting that Goring sought to usurp him, Hitler flew into a rage and ordered Goring's arrest. Goring's telegram (Borman's copy sold by us for over $50,000 in 2015) initiated an important crisis in Hitler's psychological breakdown which precipitated the political disintegration of the Third Reich...and Hitler's ultimate suicide.

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March 17, 2016 10:30 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
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$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000