Hermann Goring's lost interview?

Question

In the Sept 2006 issue of World War II magazine, I read an article about a lost prison interview of Goring. He had talked to a Major Kenneth W. Hechler. The interview was quite interesting. There was one thing that stuck out though that got me thinking. Towards the begining of the interview, he was asked why did Germany declare war. Goring response was interesting. He said:

"I was astonished when Germany declared war on the United Satets. We should rather have accepted a certain amount of unpleasant incidents. It was clear that if Roosevelt were reelected, the U.S. would inevitably make war against us. This conviction was strongly held, especially with Hitler."

The answer goes on a little from here. What do you think? Do you think that Goring had 20/20 hindsight or do you think that he was just being nice his American captors? Hitler, in reality, never wanted war with the U.S. So, does this prove his paranoia?

Germany was never bound by it's treaty with Japan. Japan was the aggressor. Hitler, according to Goring, felt that Germany was already at war with the U.S. with firing on or sinking ships in the Atlantic. He just felt he had to smooth things over with Japan. Goring said:

"For this reason, a step was taken which we always regretted."

Hitler also thought that the U.S. would bring the brunt of it's armed forces towards Japan not Germany. Interesting! 20/20 hindsight or did these conversations actually happen?

Answer 1

I think, in response to your direct question, that Goring was being both – utilizing 20/20 hindsight, as well as being kind to his American captors.

From what I have studied about the capture (surrender) of Goring, the Reichsmarschall was charming to his captors, even evincing surprise at his arrest. In his view, he was a soldier, not a politician, and he expected certain courteous extensions as a result. You will recall Goring, a World War I ace himself (who took over Richthofen’s own squadron), had a certain flamboyant personality that actually allowed him to befriend many of the guards at Nuremberg prison, to the extent that one of them likely provided the cyanide he used to escape the hangman’s rope on October 15, 1946.

He was also a famous braggart, claiming personal credit for the Reichstag fire and once famously making a show of giving one of his personal Iron crosses to an enemy flier he downed in WW I. During his captivity, he was one of the most frequent contributors to psychologist’s Gustave Gilbert interviews of Nazi war criminals. All in all, very much the personality to cozy up to his American captors, the very way he cozied up to Hitler for so many years.

As for Hitler’s paranoia, I don’t think Goring’s lost interview is any more compelling than any of the other well documented personality “quirks” of Hitler during his life – the man was paranoid. Remember, at various times Hitler did have enemies plotting against him – the von Stauffenberg attempt in 1944 comes to mind. In regards to Roosevelt, the German leader must have thought Roosevelt’s close connections to England would eventually bring the US into the war.

To have been as successful as he was, a man like Hitler would have to have seen enemies everywhere – and in many cases, he was correct.

Answer 2

The U.S. was all but fighting already, all the lend lease equipment was being used against Germany in every theatre. I'd say it was a horrible move by Germany though, they should have left the U.S. alone and let Roosevelt declare war, that would greatly decrease the morale of the U.S.