During the Nuremberg Trials following World War II, Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering struck a controversial deal in an effort to avoid execution by hanging, a method considered dishonorable among military officers. According to accounts of the trial, Goering, known for adorning himself with numerous military decorations, sought to preserve his dignity by negotiating to be executed by firing squad instead.
Goering communicated through his defense team, including Lieutenant Colonel Burton C. Andrus, the commandant of the prison, and other legal advisers, notably Colonel Paul Putzell and Lieutenant Colonel Annas Donovan. Donovan wore his own military medals during discussions with Goering to establish rapport. Ultimately, Goering agreed to testify against his fellow Nazi defendants in exchange for assurance that he would be treated as a soldier in death, sparing him the humiliation of hanging.
Despite these arrangements, Goering insisted on retaining a cyanide capsule to commit suicide if the Allies reneged on their promise. Prison authorities implemented strict anti-suicide measures, including reinforced cells with collapsible furniture and round-the-clock guard surveillance. Yet, according to trial observer Wolfe Frank, the routine and predictable nature of searches—ranging from examining blankets to inspecting prisoners themselves—proved ineffective against Goering’s efforts to conceal the poison.
Goering’s possession of the cyanide capsule was likely facilitated by covert assistance from Putzell. The arrangement caused tension within the prosecution team, leading to the removal of Donovan by Chief U.S. prosecutor Robert H. Jackson just a week into the trials. Donovan and Putzell departed Nuremberg shortly afterward, while other members of the legal team, including Frank and prosecutor Peter Neave, remained until the trial’s conclusion in 1946.
Observers noted conflicting attitudes toward Goering’s maneuvering. Frank, known for his willingness to challenge standard procedures, may have been complicit or at least intrigued by the audacity of Goering’s plan. Neave reportedly harbored doubts about Jackson’s prosecutorial abilities, particularly when witnessing moments of apparent vulnerability in Jackson confronted by Goering’s courtroom tactics. On one occasion, Neave described Goering offering to assist an overwhelmed Jackson, eliciting a “wide, triumphant smile” that seemed to mock the prosecution.
Despite these dramatic interpersonal dynamics, the trial resulted in convictions and death sentences. When the sentences were read, and Goering was informed he would be executed by hanging, some witnesses noted a subtle “little ironic smile” on his face—an expression perhaps understood only by those aware of his cyanide capsule.
On October 15, 1946, the day scheduled for execution, Goering took his own life by swallowing the cyanide, bypassing the hanging sentence entirely. His suicide shocked the international community, highlighting the complex interplay of legal, military, and personal considerations that marked the concluding chapter of the Nazi leadership’s reckoning.