how did goering get cyanide
Hermann Göring, the high-ranking Nazi official, committed suicide by cyanide capsule on October 15, 1946, just hours before his scheduled execution by hanging at the Nuremberg Trials.
Historical Context
Göring was arrested in May 1945 after Hitler's suicide and held under tight security in Nuremberg prison, where interactions were strictly monitored. Despite round-the-clock guards and thorough searches, he somehow accessed a potassium cyanide capsule, shocking Allied authorities who had thwarted prior attempts by other Nazis like Himmler.
Main Theories
Several explanations emerged over decades, with no definitive consensus, though guard involvement is often seen as most plausible due to Göring's charm and military rapport with soldiers.
Theory| Details| Key Sources
---|---|---
Hidden from Arrest| Göring smuggled it in from capture, possibly in a
hollow tooth, nasal cavity, toilet rim, or hair cream jar (later found with
another capsule). He claimed in a suicide note to have held it for 18 months.|
139
Guard Smuggling (Stivers Claim)| U.S. soldier Herbert Lee Stivers (19 at
the time) said he unknowingly delivered a vial hidden in a fountain pen,
persuaded by a mysterious woman named Mona and two men (Erich and Mathias) to
impress her. Stivers spoke fondly of Göring, describing him as pleasant and
non-suicidal.| 1210
Sympathetic Guard or Doctor| Göring befriended guards through charm; one
theory suggests a guard fetched a tainted item like cold cream without
realizing.7 Others point to his doctor or unnamed sympathizers.| 17
Investigations and Legacy
Post-suicide probes questioned guards but found no proof, concluding he likely had it from the start—though Stivers (not on duty that night) dismissed this, noting why wait so long? Recent discussions (e.g., 2025 videos) revisit the mystery as a Nuremberg "secret," emphasizing security flaws.
Stivers' 2005 LA Times account gained traction among historians for its details, but all accomplices are deceased, leaving it unverified. Göring's act denied the Allies their public spectacle, fueling endless debate on WWII justice.
TL;DR : Most likely via a smuggled capsule by guard Herbert Stivers or hidden since arrest; exact method remains a historical enigma.
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