Goering Quotes & Sayings

The only one who really knows about the Reichstag is I, because I set it on fire! — Hermann Goring

We have no butter ... but I ask you, would you rather have butter or guns? Preparedness makes us powerful. Butter merely makes us fat. — Hermann Goring

If I didn't have a sense of humor, how could I stand this trial now? — Hermann Goring

When one looks at the all-prevailing schizophrenia of democratic societies, the lies that have to be told for vote-catching purposes, the silence about major issues, the distortions of the press, it is tempting to believe that in totalitarian countries there is less humbug, more facing of the facts. There, at least, the ruling groups are not dependent on popular favour and can utter the truth crudely and brutally. Goering could say 'Guns before butter', while his democratic opposite numbers had to wrap the same sentiment up in hundreds of hypocritical words. — George Orwell

Many of the political jokes that circulated in the Third Reich were directed at Goering. He collected them [all] in a large leather notebook and delighted in re-telling most of them to his friends. — Richard Overy

Goering's ideas betray a consistent desire to create something essentially new, implying all the historic virtues, but unlike [anything] of the past. — Richard Overy

Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat. — Hermann Goring

Only then, after all these things had been accomplished within the first couple of hours of the coup, could the messages, which had been drawn up and filed, be sent out by radio, telephone and telegraph to the commanders of the Home Army in other cities and to the top generals commanding the troops at the front and in the occupied zones, announcing that Hitler was dead and that a new anti-Nazi government had been formed in Berlin. The revolt would have to be over - and achieved - within twenty-four hours and the new government firmly installed. Otherwise the vacillating generals might have second thoughts. Goering and Himmler might be able to rally them, and a civil war would ensue. In that case the fronts would cave in and the very chaos and collapse which the plotters wished to prevent would become inevitable. — William L. Shirer

One incident preserved by General Ismay in an apocryphal and somewhat lively form may be allowed to lighten the narrative. His orderly, a Royal Marine, was shown the sights of Moscow by one of the Intourist guides. "This," said the Russian, "is the Eden Hotel, formerly Ribbentrop Hotel. Here is Churchill Street, formerly Hitler Street. Here is the Beaverbrook railway station, formerly Goering railway station. Will you have a cigarette, comrade?" The Marine replied, "Thank you, comrade, formerly bastard!" This tale, though jocular, illustrates none the less the strange atmosphere of these meetings. — Winston S. Churchill

Terrorism is the best political weapon for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death. — Adolf Hitler

My measures will not be crippled by any bureaucracy. Here I don't have to worry about Justice; my mission is only to destroy and to exterminate; nothing more. — Hermann Goring

In Berlin Jews controlled almost one hundred percent of the theaters and cinemas before the rise to power. — Hermann Goring

I herewith commission you to carry out all preparations with regard to ... a total solution of the Jewish question in those territories of Europe which are under German influence. — Hermann Goring

Hermann Goering, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Albert Speer, Walther Frank, Julius Streicher and Robert Ley did pass under my inspectionand interrogation in 1945 but they only proved that National Socialism was a gangster interlude at a rather low order of mental capacity and with a surprisingly high incidence of alcoholism. — John Kenneth Galbraith

In the beginning [Hitler] was genial and pleasant. He would have extraordinary willpower and unheard-of influence on people. — Hermann Goring

I especially denounce the terrible mass murders, which I cannot understand ... I never ordered any killing or tortures where I had the power to prevent such actions! — Hermann Goring

Those who kow-towed to the prosecution and denounced the Nazi regime got it in the neck just the same. It serves them right. — Herman Goering

The Jew must clearly understand one thing at once, he must get out! — Hermann Goring

I think that women are wonderful but I've never met one yet who didn't show more feeling than logic. — Hermann Goring

Thomas Jefferson once said: 'Of course the people don't want war. But the people can be brought to the bidding of their leader. All you have to do is tell them they're being attacked and denounce the pacifists for somehow a lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.' I think that was Jefferson. Oh wait. That was Hermann Goering. Shoot.
[Hosting the Peabody Awards for broadcasting excellence at the New York Waldorf-Astoria, June 6, 2006] — Jon Stewart

Shoot first and inquire afterwards, and if you make mistakes, I will protect you. — Hermann Goring

It was too much for Adolf Hitler. In the summer of 1944, he began to vent his anger at the Luftwaffe for its failures from the Battle of Britain to Stalingrad and now Normandy. 'Goering! The Luftwaffe's doing nothing,' he railed at the Reichsmarschall during one conference. 'It's no longer worthy to be an independent service. And that's your fault. You're lazy.' Tears rolled down the Reichsmarschall's cheeks. He reported himself 'sick' for future conferences and ordered his generals to deputize. — Richard Hargreaves

No enemy bomber can reach the Ruhr. If one reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Goering. You may call me Meyer. — Hermann Goring

Goering was known to wear togas, fur coats and faux-medieval hunting outfits. — Richard Overy

Because I'm fat, people believe I'm somehow vulnerable and easy to handle in a negotiation. Ever try to negotiate with a fat guy? We can be mean: Marvin Davis, Harvey Weinstein, Hermann Goering. No one screws around with us for long. — Bernie Brillstein

Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country. — Herman Goering

It is difficult to understand the behavior of most German Protestants in the first Nazi years unless one is aware of two things: their history and the influence of Martin Luther.* The great founder of Protestantism was both a passionate anti-Semite and a ferocious believer in absolute obedience to political authority. He wanted Germany rid of the Jews and when they were sent away he advised that they be deprived of "all their cash and jewels and silver and gold" and, furthermore, "that their synagogues or schools be set on fire, that their houses be broken up and destroyed ... and they be put under a roof or stable, like the gypsies ... in misery and captivity as they incessantly lament and complain to God about us" - advice that was literally followed four centuries later by Hitler, Goering and Himmler. — William L. Shirer

I looked at [Goering eating sausage] and I knew that what they say was true: that pigs eat the flesh of their own. — Adolf Hitler

Among the roles I've played on stage, television and in films were politicos as diverse as Abe Lincoln, Juan Peron, Herman Goering, George Wallace and both Roosevelts. — Bob Gunton

According to Goering and the Luftwaffe High Command, they were supposed to be the fighter elite. — Adolf Galland

We will go down in history either as the world's greatest statesmen or its worst villains. — Hermann Goring

Our movement took a grip on cowardly Marxism and from it extracted the meaning of socialism. It also took from the cowardly middle-class parties their nationalism. Throwing both into the cauldron of our way of life there emerged, as clear as a crystal, the synthesis
German National Socialism. — Hermann Goring

Goering got into endless arguments with other officers [and] he did not like routine work. — Richard Overy

When I hear the word 'culture', I reach for my checkbook. — Edward Abbey

Goering was a contradictory [and] complex ... character. — Richard Overy

Goering appeared at times to be all things to all men. — Richard Overy

It is silly to appeal to people's moral sense. — Hermann Goring