When the Nazis came into power in 1933 Göring became Reich minister for air forces, and for a year he served as both minister of the interior and head of all the German police forces. In 1936 he was in charge of the economic "five year plan" for Germany. As commander in chief of the German air force, Göring planned much of the strategy, involving close and highly effective coordination between the German ground and air forces, that resulted in the rapid conquests of Poland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France in 1939 and 1940. He also devised the policy of terror bombing, whereby entire cities, such as Rotterdam, Holland, and Coventry, England, were almost leveled by aerial bombardment as a means of subjugating their civilian populations.

During the war he used his position to enrich himself by systematically looting the art treasures of the Nazi occupied countries for his private collection.

At the end of the Second World War Göring surrendered to U.S. forces and was trailed, with other high ranking Nazi leaders, by the International Military Tribunal at Nürnberg. There he was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death by hanging. On 15^th October 1946, hours before his scheduled execution, he committed suicide by poisoning himself.

Figures

Hausser/Elastolin and Lineol produced a total of fifteen portrait figures, which represent Göring. These figures show him in a large variety of uniforms. Interesting are the three models which have a procelain head. During the drying phase of the composition material the model was always slightly deformed. By using porcelain heads it was possible to make the face of the portrait figure more realistic.

previous page      next page